GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
STADIUM TRIBUTES MOVED TO NEW SITE CLUB CONFIRM A STATUE TO VICHAI TENS OF THOUSANDS TO PAY RESPECTS TODAY
THOUSANDS of Leicester City fans came together to help move the memorial site at the King Power Stadium yesterday.
It was an emotional scene as volunteers of all ages helped move the thousands of messages, football shirts, scarves, and flowers left in tribute to Leicester City chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others who lost their lives in a helicopter crash outside the stadium on October 27.
Carly Ward, 38, was there with the children from Lilliput Montessori Nursery, in Anstey.
She said: “We made a reef of hands from the children which we brought down last week.
“When we saw that people could help we thought it would be really nice to extend the children’s interest by bringing them up to help tidy away and reorganise the memorial.
“It’s just overwhelming and it’s so nice to see that everybody, not just from Leicester but all over the country, get involved and show their respects. It has brought Leicester together as a community as well.”
The tributes have been moved to the staff car park, closer to the scene of the tragedy, ahead of today’s home game with Burnley.
Peter Tinsely, 61, from Long Clawson in the Vale of Belvoir, was another of the fans there to give a helping hand.
He said: “Really, I’m here to do something for someone who did so much for us. It is only a small gesture, but there’s nothing else we can do.
“It’s been unbelievable,” he said of yesterday’s turnout.
“I haven’t seen anything like this since Princess Diana.
“You have only got to look round to see people of all ages, little kids and older people like myself – it’s just what football does, it brings people together.”
A spokesman for Leicester City FC said: “We’ve had an overwhelming response from supporters wanting to help move the tributes.”
Today, further tributes were being paid to Khun Vichai, including a march by thousands of fans to the stadium from Jubilee Square.
A two-minute silence was to be observed just before kick-off and a video in memory of the chairman was to be played on the big screen 10 minutes before the game.