24/25 Season Preview 20 in 20 - Leicester City

Unprecedented Run. LCFC has spent 55 seasons in the top league, 63 in the second level and just 1 in level three (in 2008). The first 100 years saw some success, but no cups. However, after being bought by King Power (see below) the Foxes have won the PL and FA Cup and had great runs in Europe - all as a medium sized club. That run came to an end as Leicester could not get things figured out in 2022/23 and slid into relegation.

Bounce Back. The talent was there, and Enzo Maresca put it all together as Leicester ran out to a double-digit point lead early in the Championship last season and secured promotion with several weeks left.

Question Marks. In somewhat of a surprise, gaffer Enzo Maresca left the club in the offseason and is headed to Chelsea. The club hired Steve Cooper, who previously managed at LCFC’s rival Nottingham Forest the last 3 seasons. It’s been a “slow start” for Cooper who is trying to assemble a roster to fit a style of play that will keep the team up in the PL. There is also concern will start the season with “negative” points as a result of potential FFP violations.

Solid Foundation. Ever since the purchase by King Power, the club has been run well. Investments have been made, there’s been a focus on a quality front office, and a team atmosphere. The club will need to lean on this foundation to overcome the difficult off-season and uncertainty heading into the start of the season.

The Club

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The Culture

Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England, is known for engineering, manufacturing and agriculture - and is considered to be the birthplace of fox hunting. You might associate fox hunting with the “horn calls” used to direct the hounds in search of the fox. Well, in 1941 LCFC adopted the playing of the Post Horn Galop at home matches to signal the teams entering the stadium. The city of Leicester, and the club’s fans, are very community oriented and there is a very strong bond between the two. Much of the current culture can be defined by the last 15 years. In 2008 the club was relegated to Level 3, the one and only season they were not in level 1 and 2. Then in 2010, the club was bought by King Power and there were questions as to what Asian ownership would mean, but it seemed to only strengthen the bond. Chairman Vichai got very involved in the community and made significant donations to the university, medical center and additional community programs. The fan focus was also seen in the stadium, for example, on Christmas day fixtures all fans got a free “mince pie and pint”. The club also sided with fans when PL clubs voted on a controversial policy that would change tv viewing to pay-per-view. LCFC was the only dissenting vote - 19 for and 1 against. The idea was subsequently scrapped and at that point, ownership and fans were very connected.

It’s not always been rosy. In the 1960s, LCFC were frequently associated with hooliganism. In 2000, the Baby Squad (LCFC hooligan gang) were listed as the second most violent football club in England. And, in 2023 Leicester were ranked third for soccer banning orders in England (people kicked out of matches).

Jamie Vardy’s Having a Party

No current culture discussion would be complete without a quick deep dive on Jamie Vardy, who has been instrumental to the club from 2012 thru today and in many ways represents the clubs gritty persona.

Vardy played his youth soccer with Sheffield Wednesday, when at age 16 he was released from the club. Determined to keep playing, Vardy played for Stocksbridge Park Steels in LEVEL 7 and worked at a carbon fiber factory to make ends meet but it wasn’t easy and he found himself in trouble with a criminal assault conviction. At Stockbridge vardy scored 66 goals in 107 league games and helped them get promoted to Level 6 in 2009.

In 2010, Vardy signed with FC Halifax Town (Level 5) for $20,000 and then moved to Fleetwood Town in 2011 where he scored 31 league goals and led Fleetwood to a promotion to Level 4, just ahead of Wrexham.

In May of 2012 the 25-year-old was bought by Leicester City (In Level 2 - The Championship) from Fleetwood for $1M. His first season was an adjustment and he considered leaving the club, but it was a good thing he didn’t as year two saw a big jump in his performance with 16 goals and a promotion from LCFC to the PL.

Vardy started the 2015/16 season by scoring the Foxes opening goal in a 4-2 win. He went on to score in 11 straight matches to claim the record for consecutive PL matches with a goal. During the season, Vardy signed a contract extension that would pay him $100,000 per week through 2019. Vardy finished the season with 24 goals, one behind golden boot winner Harry Kane but most importantly with he finished with a PL title. And, famously, Jamie Vardy threw a Watch Party at his home for the team to see Tottenham fail to beat Chelsea, securing the title for LCFC. The chant “Jamie Vardy is having a party” is a chant you hear on many matchdays.

Speed. The guy can fly. Here are 2 min of his best goals. Amazing.

PL Champions

In 2016 LCFC won the PL, after being projected to finish in the relegation zone.

The Foxes hired former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri in the offseason, got great contributions from Vardy and strong leadership from a veteran group.

Watching the club accept the trophy with Italian Gaffer Ranieri introducing Andrea Bocelli was an amazing moment. Take a listen (YouTube). This will get you fired up for the season.

Fan Sites

According to the AI tool COPILOT - here is an image of a Leicester City fan at King Power, based on Wiki’s description a LCFC fan.

The Team