Henry Winter in the Times:
Just before Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s son, Top, reached the new shrine to his father at 1.20pm on Saturday, a rainbow appeared. Just as a forgettable game got under way on the most unforgettable of days, another rainbow emerged from the gloomy skies.
Rainbows were the image of this most poignant of days, warmth breaking through the weeping heavens as a grieving club paid homage to Vichai and the Leicester City family wrapped Top in their love and support. The worst of times brought out the best in people.
Anguish and resilience were seen in the 20,000 fans marching from Jubilee Square to the King Power Stadium with Harry Maguire leading the way, wanting to show his respect to Vichai, making light of the rain and the knee injury that ruled him out of the game.
Those playing were already arriving at the King Power, walking to the dressing room past newly hung pictures of Vichai with the Premier League trophy. Outside, Matty James and Shinji Okazaki were on the apron of the pitch, laying their shirts in with the hundreds from the original shrine.
Out at the new shrine, as the clock slipped past 1pm, the sun pierced through the clouds and the first wave of Leicester pilgrims strode up, skirting the puddles and lowering their voices as they saw the mass of flowers before the huge photograph of Vichai.
Suddenly, the hush was broken. Applause rang out. Top was nearing the shrine, stopping before railings covered in scarves and bowing his head. As Top returned towards the stadium, Leicester fans made sure he knew how loved he was and how they mourned with him. Two supporters walked alongside him, carrying a flag of Leicester blue with words stitched in white, declaring: “We stand with you, Top.”
They stood with Top and walked for Vichai. The full force of the march was now sweeping towards the shrine, a stream of fans 20 across and stretching as far as the eye could see, and further. The King Power was now linked through this living, breathing, moving cord to the heart of the city, a fitting tribute to Vichai, who did so much for the community.
As they left the shrine and neared the stadium, fans passed countless scarves and shirts hanging from fences, saying “Foxes Never Quit” and “Champ16ns”. Their pace quickened, and the volume rose. “I can’t think of what the atmosphere will be like,” said a boy, hurrying with his father to the stadium.
Backstage, the club legend Alan Birchenall was making himself a coffee, readying himself to go on the pitch and start the tributes. Birchenall talked of the beautiful 100-page programme that Leicester had so lovingly produced and placed on every seat. I’d also written a piece for the programme and the club changed only one thing, capping up the “C” in Chairman. It has been the little details, the attention to detail, that reminds the world why Leicester are the classiest of clubs. It’s about respect, and their Chairman deserved his title to be duly respected. Media staff wore black armbands too.
Seeing Birchenall making his way to the centre circle at 2.47pm, Leicester fans fell silent. “Birch” is the rock of ages for this club, the calm man with the microphone through relegation and promotion, tragedy and triumph. “Of course the team, management and back-room staff won the Premier League in 2016,” Birchenall began, “but we all know without him it would have not have been possible . . . it was his vision.”
Birchenall’s words were drowned out by thunderous applause. He just managed to intone “THE CHAIRMAN . . .THE BOSS” and then the two large screens burst into life and everyone looked up. The Leicester fans chanted “Vi-chai, Vi-chai” as this exquisitely made short film in honour of the Chairman began. It captured this very human, humble man, showing Vichai mixing with fans, and lifting the Premier League trophy with Wes Morgan and Top, and mingling with fans again.
The soundtrack was the most sorrowful of piano pieces, and as fingers danced across the keys, heartstrings were pulled, and the Leicester family stood there, lost in grief. Former managers returned to pay their respects: Claudio Ranieri, Nigel Pearson, Martin O’Neill and Craig Shakespeare, looking on, always part of the Leicester family.
Top glanced to his left, to his father’s empty seat. Grown men who have witnessed so much at Leicester, from the brink of financial oblivion to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, discreetly brushed the tears away. Maguire, his fleece undone to reveal his “The Boss” shirt, stood by the dugout. Tom Meighan, the lead singer of Kasabian, was overwhelmed by emotion as he held aloft the scarf that read “The Chairman” and “forever in our hearts”. The Leicester family were heartbroken but unbowed.
After the film and the applause came silence for the five who died in the helicopter crash and also for Remembrance. For two minutes, the King Power was utterly still, not a peep from a phone, nor a shriek of a bird, nor a roar of a plane, just the mute button pressed on life until the shrill blast of Mike Dean’s whistle.
The match contained chances for Jamie Vardy, Rachid Ghezzal and Chris Wood, but far more memorable was the moment when the minutes reached 60, Vichai’s age, and Leicester fans launched into “champions of England, you made us sing that”.
At Dean’s final whistle, Top led the players around in the most emotional lap of homage, thanking the supporters, who responded with “Vi-chai, Vi-chai”. He passed the Burnley supporters who’d stayed on to salute him. “It’s a strange thing about rivalry and fans in football,” Burnley’s manager, Sean Dyche, said. “There are things that are bigger than that and this was bigger than that.”
As Top reached the North Stand, the Family Stand, the strains of Time To Say Goodbye floated from the speakers and the tears flowed again at hearing the arcing cadences of Andrea Bocelli. It echoed the best of days, when the tenor stood in the centre circle as Leicester and Vichai celebrated the title. As the song swirled away into the drizzly air, one sound remained: “Vi-chai, Vi-chai”. Top stood there, holding a Thailand flag, held up by 30,000 fans.
Yesterday, Top flew to Thailand but he plans to be back at the King Power for the games against Southampton and Watford. Much sensitivity understandably surrounds the chairmanship but the expectation is that Top will step into his father’s role.
Leicester remain in good hands. Susan Whelan, the chief executive who started working for Vichai in 1999, somehow put aside all her deep grief at the Boss’s passing to hold the staff together, addressing them at meetings, emailing them, caring for them. Whelan has given everybody today off, about 250 people, barring security and those in the Fanstore who will have their breaks later.
Marc Albrighton, one of the many down-to-earth characters in the Leicester dressing room, spoke for all when he said: “We’re absolutely drained, mentally and emotionally. The fans have been there for us from day one, they’ve stood by the team, they’ve stood by the staff and the whole club needs a bit of a break.”
As he talked, Rebekah Vardy was organising players to meet a poorly fan. This is the Leicester family. They care. And as an extraordinary day slid into night, Maguire tweeted a photograph of the rainbow over the King Power, with the message — “here’s to you, Mr Chairman.”
