Leicester City fans would be forgiven for thinking their late owner was watching over them today as they marched in his honour.
Supporters walked from Jubilee Square to the King Power Stadium to remember Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the Chairman and owner of Leicester City Football Club who was one of five victims involved in the helicopter crash outside the ground.
Vichai’s helicopter crashed after taking off from the pitch following a Premier League match against West Ham United on Saturday, October 27.
The helicopter spiralled out of control and plummeted into a car park outside Leicester’s King Power Stadium, moments after it took off following their game at around 8.30pm.
As the march came to a close, a rainbow appeared over the stadium:
One fan wrote on Twitter:
WalkForVichai ends with a rainbow into the KingPower stadium how fitting Rip Vichai Leicester loves you more than you will know. [sic]
While another added:
A special rainbow for a special man.
Leicester City fan, and content editor, Lee Chapman, who you may remember from when the Foxes won the league because he looks remarkably like Jamie Vardy, said the owner would be remembered as ‘Mr Leicester’.
He told UNILAD:
We as a team at 100 per cent LCFC, were live on Facebook only 10 minutes before [the helicopter crash] happened.
Vichai donated so much to the city’s hospitals etc and it’s really hit home because only two months ago my son was on the children’s ward.
I met him during that moment when I went on the team coach when we won the league. He was a very nice, honest and giving person that this city will forever remember as Mr leicester City.
He created a magic in the air and united the city in life and unfortunately in death too. He meant that much.
Ryan Brown, who works as a freelance photographer, was covering the game and saw the helicopter take off from the ground.
He said:
The engine stopped and I turned round and it made a bit of a whirring noise, like a grinding noise. The helicopter just went silent, I turned round and it was just spinning, out of control.
And then there was a big bang and then [a] big fireball.
The news was confirmed by the club in a statement, which read:
It is with the deepest regret and a collective broken heart that we confirm our Chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, was among those to have tragically lost their lives on Saturday evening when a helicopter carrying him and four other people crashed outside King Power Stadium. None of the five people on-board survived.
The primary thoughts of everyone at the Club are with the Srivaddhanaprabha family and the families of all those on-board at this time of unspeakable loss.
Our thoughts continue to go out to all those affected by the incident during this difficult time.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
