Advertisement
Advertisement
Leicester City Helicopter Crash
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
Leicester’s players hold a banner in tribute to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Photo: AFP

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha: statue will honour Leicester City owner at King Power Stadium after helicopter crash

  • Chairman’s son announces special tribute to father Vichai at football club
  • ‘We will never be able to repay what he did for us’, says Aiyawatt

The son of Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha has revealed the club will commission a statue paying tribute to his father following the 60-year-old’s death in a helicopter crash.

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha revealed the news in a souvenir programme for Saturday’s Premier League game against Burnley at the King Power Stadium.

The match is Leicester’s first at their home ground since the Chairman and four other people died when his helicopter span out of control and crashed in the stadium’s car park soon after the 1-1 draw against West Ham on October 27.

Free copies of the programme will be given to all supporters as part of the club’s tributes to the victims of the crash.

Tributes left for Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four other people who died when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed as it left the King Power Stadium. Photo: Reuters

“We will never be able to repay what he did for us – for me as his son, us as his family, everyone connected to Leicester City and beyond – but we are committed to honouring his memory and upholding his legacy,” Aiyawatt, known affectionately to Leicester supporters as “Top”, said.

A consortium led by Vichai bought Leicester in 2010 when they were languishing in the second tier of English football, and six years later they were Premier League champions.

Vichai was loved by fans for his kindness and generosity, giving millions of pounds in donations to local charities.

“We will never be able to repay what he did for us – for me as his son, us as his family, everyone connected to Leicester City and beyond – but we are committed to honouring his memory and upholding his legacy,” said Aiyawatt, who has vowed to continue his father’s legacy at Leicester.

Jamie Vardy embraces James Maddison, who wears a shirt in remembrance of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Photo: Reuters

“Our continued growth as a club, our state-of-the-art new training ground and our planned stadium expansion will help realise his vision for Leicester City.

“I plan to commission a statue of my father, for outside King Power Stadium, as a permanent and fitting tribute to the man that made it all possible.

“He will forever be in our hearts. He will never be forgotten.”

The club said they would give further details on the positioning of the statue at the King Power Stadium at a later date.

As well as the souvenir programme, fans will also be given commemorative scarves, pin badges and clap banners.

A tribute video to Vichai will also be shown on the stadium’s big screens 15 minutes ahead of kick-off on Saturday, before a two-minute silence is observed for Remembrance Day.

Post