Invisible History

[davieG]

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱: “The Club’s proud representation of Leicester pre-dates all of us in this room today, and while our recent achievements have clearly been significant in bringing distinction and pride to the city, those triumphs are built on foundations placed deep in the heart of Leicester by generations before us.

"We accept this honour today on behalf of every player, member of staff and supporter that has fought for the honour of our Club, and therefore our city, in Leicester City’s 138-year history."

 

Why is it not celebrated by the club more visually and openly?

[Spudulike]

2 minutes ago, davieG said:

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱: “The Club’s proud representation of Leicester pre-dates all of us in this room today, and while our recent achievements have clearly been significant in bringing distinction and pride to the city, those triumphs are built on foundations placed deep in the heart of Leicester by generations before us.

"We accept this honour today on behalf of every player, member of staff and supporter that has fought for the honour of our Club, and therefore our city, in Leicester City’s 138-year history."

 

Why is it not celebrated by the club more visually and openly?

Very appropriate and accurate words from the Chief Exec that might be dropping a hint of future recognition in the stadium redevelopment. Perhaps  

[StanSP]

Just now, Spudulike said:

Very appropriate and accurate words from the Chief Exec that might be dropping a hint of future recognition in the stadium redevelopment. Perhaps  

One can hope! 

 

 

[Nick]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱: “The Club’s proud representation of Leicester pre-dates all of us in this room today, and while our recent achievements have clearly been significant in bringing distinction and pride to the city, those triumphs are built on foundations placed deep in the heart of Leicester by generations before us.

"We accept this honour today on behalf of every player, member of staff and supporter that has fought for the honour of our Club, and therefore our city, in Leicester City’s 138-year history."

 

Why is it not celebrated by the club more visually and openly?

Excellent statement - cynic in me says PR recovery from some of the posts and wording around the statue which in my assessment was fair enough but some felt a bit sweeping... etc...

[1984]

hopefully its a sign we will start recognising our 138 year history more, not just since 2010.

[Sampson]

Love Vichai and Top and KP have of course been great for us, but the "the most influential figure in the club's 138-year history" stuff on the club's website and social media around this statue unveiling was a bit cringy. I mean there were a group of people who formed this club, who reformed as Leicester City it after liquidation as Leicester Fosse and then again helped it through administration in 2002, there's been people keeping the club afloat during numerous spells struggling at the foot of the second tier averaging crowds of less than 10,000 (the 1920s and 1980s most notably) and those who kept up afloat in League One in 2008. It's a pretty cringeworthy and  a little disrespectful sweeping statement to try and say that kind of thing through the club's official channels.

 

I love KP, but I hate how they treat them coming in as Year 0 in the club's history.

Edited 5 April 2022 by Sampson

[LCFCCHRIS]

6 minutes ago, Sampson said:

Love Vichai and Top and KP have of course been great for us, but the "the most influential figure in the club's 138-year history" stuff on the club's website and social media around this statue unveiling was a bit cringy. I mean there were a group of people who formed this club, who reformed as Leicester City it after liquidation as Leicester Fosse and then again helped it through administration in 2002, there's been people keeping the club afloat during numerous spells struggling at the foot of the second tier averaging crowds of less than 10,000 (the 1920s and 1980s most notably) and those who kept up afloat in League One in 2008. It's a pretty cringeworthy and  a little disrespectful sweeping statement to try and say that kind of thing through the club's official channels.

 

I love KP, but I hate how they treat them coming in as Year 0 in the club's history.

Agree with that,  definitely brought us some of the best memories in the club's history and has done so much for the club, but I don't understand why you need to put that line in there

[Fox92]

10 minutes ago, Sampson said:

Love Vichai and Top and KP have of course been great for us, but the "the most influential figure in the club's 138-year history" stuff on the club's website and social media around this statue unveiling was a bit cringy. I mean there were a group of people who formed this club, who reformed as Leicester City it after liquidation as Leicester Fosse and then again helped it through administration in 2002, there's been people keeping the club afloat during numerous spells struggling at the foot of the second tier averaging crowds of less than 10,000 (the 1920s and 1980s most notably) and those who kept up afloat in League One in 2008. It's a pretty cringeworthy and  a little disrespectful sweeping statement to try and say that kind of thing through the club's official channels.

 

I love KP, but I hate how they treat them coming in as Year 0 in the club's history.

Spot on.

[PAPA LAZAROU]

47 minutes ago, Sampson said:

Love Vichai and Top and KP have of course been great for us, but the "the most influential figure in the club's 138-year history" stuff on the club's website and social media around this statue unveiling was a bit cringy. I mean there were a group of people who formed this club, who reformed as Leicester City it after liquidation as Leicester Fosse and then again helped it through administration in 2002, there's been people keeping the club afloat during numerous spells struggling at the foot of the second tier averaging crowds of less than 10,000 (the 1920s and 1980s most notably) and those who kept up afloat in League One in 2008. It's a pretty cringeworthy and  a little disrespectful sweeping statement to try and say that kind of thing through the club's official channels.

 

I love KP, but I hate how they treat them coming in as Year 0 in the club's history.

I would say anyone who came and bought the club when we were nothing but a championship strugglers, payed off all the debts, funded a multi million training ground and payed  top money for players, won us the ultimate prize of winning the premier league and lost his life in the pursuit of it all qualifies as the " Most influential figure in the clubs 138 year history" wouldn't you?

[SemperEadem]

They club is the biggest thing here. Going off the last few days on social media the wording was absolute bollocks. Very very look at us vibes.

 

At what point does it just look like a shrine rather than a football club. 
 

Edited 5 April 2022 by SemperEadem

[Sampson]

11 minutes ago, PAPA LAZAROU said:

I would say anyone who came and bought the club when we were nothing but a championship strugglers, payed off all the debts, funded a multi million training ground and payed  top money for players, won us the ultimate prize of winning the premier league and lost his life in the pursuit of it all qualifies as the " Most influential figure in the clubs 138 year history" wouldn't you?

No not at all. Why would that make them without any question of doubt by the official club sources more influential than those people who actually formed the club or saved us from liquidation and had to rebuild the club from scratch after the war? Or those who first got crowds coming at Victoria Park during the time when football was growing as a spectator sport or those who got us elected to the Football League? 
 

I can’t see how the things you list make them any more influential than a hundred other people who’ve been at the heart of this clubs history over the years as chairmen, clerical staff, supporters, players, coaches, managers etc. The existence of the club in the community in the first place is far more important than them actually winning things for example.

 

And Vichai didn’t “win” us the Premier League on his own did he? He was hardly out there managing or scouting players or keeping them fit, or actually scoring and defending goals on the pitch. And it’s not like we massively outspent everyone else to win it either.

Edited 5 April 2022 by Sampson

[walkerleeds]

8 minutes ago, PAPA LAZAROU said:

I would say anyone who came and bought the club when we were nothing but a championship strugglers, payed off all the debts, funded a multi million training ground and payed  top money for players, won us the ultimate prize of winning the premier league and lost his life in the pursuit of it all qualifies as the " Most influential figure in the clubs 138 year history" wouldn't you?

 

It has been mentioned, but I'd say we're more in debt to those who saved the club from liquidation 20 years ago.

[CosbehFox]

11 minutes ago, PAPA LAZAROU said:

I would say anyone who came and bought the club when we were nothing but a championship strugglers, payed off all the debts, funded a multi million training ground and payed  top money for players, won us the ultimate prize of winning the premier league and lost his life in the pursuit of it all qualifies as the " Most influential figure in the clubs 138 year history" wouldn't you?

Depends. You argue the blokes what started it back in 1884 or those who saved it when we went into administration 

[Stevosevic]

15 minutes ago, PAPA LAZAROU said:

I would say anyone who came and bought the club when we were nothing but a championship strugglers, payed off all the debts, funded a multi million training ground and payed  top money for players, won us the ultimate prize of winning the premier league and lost his life in the pursuit of it all qualifies as the " Most influential figure in the clubs 138 year history" wouldn't you?

I was about to say this. 

 

If he isn't, can someone provide some other names? 

[Sampson]

4 minutes ago, Stevosevic said:

I was about to say this. 

 

If he isn't, can someone provide some other names? 

As an example I’d say Peter Hodge was an incredibly influential figure. After the club as Leicester Fosse went bankrupt and liquidised during WW1 and we were always at the foot of the Second Division pre-WW1, he rebuilt the newly formed Leicester City, helped the club become self sufficient and regular First Division side, got rid of the selection committee and created the modern manager system and signed some of the greatest players in the clubs history.  
 

Incidentally, there’s very little records around who saved the club from ruin after WW1, but you can guarantee there are people there too who were as influential as anyone in keeping the club going when it should’ve gone out of existence.

Secondly, it’s just attributing things like the title win to Vichai. Building the training ground, absolutely was a great thing. And buying the ground so we didn’t end up with the same problems as Coventry with the stadium, these are great things which have benefitted us no doubt.

 

But they never massively outspent the opposition to get to the top like Chelsea or ManCity. Neither were they the ones buying players or dictating the back room strategy.
 

My memory is that it was Pearson in 2008 when Mandaric was chairman who massively modernised and expanded the back room staff and brought in the foundations of the sports science, scouting and analyst teams in a way we hadn’t ever had as a club before and which were essentially the behind the scenes foundations we’ve had so much success with. And that this was already all in place when KP took over.

[coolhandfox]

Reminds me of the John Wesley Quote;

 

"People who wish to be offended will always find some occasion for taking offense"

[FoxesWalk]

1 hour ago, Sampson said:

Love Vichai and Top and KP have of course been great for us, but the "the most influential figure in the club's 138-year history" stuff on the club's website and social media around this statue unveiling was a bit cringy. I mean there were a group of people who formed this club, who reformed as Leicester City it after liquidation as Leicester Fosse and then again helped it through administration in 2002, there's been people keeping the club afloat during numerous spells struggling at the foot of the second tier averaging crowds of less than 10,000 (the 1920s and 1980s most notably) and those who kept up afloat in League One in 2008. It's a pretty cringeworthy and  a little disrespectful sweeping statement to try and say that kind of thing through the club's official channels.

 

I love KP, but I hate how they treat them coming in as Year 0 in the club's history.

👏🏼
 

Hope to see some recognition of the O’Neill era around the place, loved Walsh, Elliot, Izzet, Heskey et al growing up. I was too young to see much before that, but I’m sure there are many more deserving figures from bygone eras that I shamefully don’t know that much about. 

Edited 5 April 2022 by FoxesWalk

[PAPA LAZAROU]

Of course there has been several " influential " people in the clubs history.  no one is denying that .The statement was the MOST influential. And in my book anyone who did what what Vichai did IS the most influential by a mile.

[PAPA LAZAROU]

39 minutes ago, SemperEadem said:

They club is the biggest thing here. Going off the last few days on social media the wording was absolute bollocks. Very very look at us vibes.

 

At what point does it just look like a shrine rather than a football club. 
 

Right so maybe you wish we were where we were before they came then?

[Sampson]

1 minute ago, PAPA LAZAROU said:

Of course there has been several " influential " people in the clubs history.  no one is denying that .The statement was the MOST influential. And in my book anyone who did what what Vichai did IS the most influential by a mile.

And I disagree. I don't know how you can say they are MORE influential than people who literally formed the club or saved it from administration twice, because Vichai built a new training ground and meant we had more funds to spend, which many other people used to help win us the title,

[SemperEadem]

Just now, PAPA LAZAROU said:

Right so maybe you wish we were where we were before they came then?

Thats not really what I have said at all.

 

[Sampson]

4 minutes ago, PAPA LAZAROU said:

Right so maybe you wish we were where we were before they came then?

No one is saying that, but I certainly feel the club actually existing as a part of the community, be that in the Championship or wherever, is much more important than it being successful (and it obviously can't be successful if it doesn't exist) and there have been times throughout out history (most notably directly after WW1) where our actual existence has been genuinely touch and go and there are people who've genuinely kept the club in existence as part of the community.

 

I would argue the club probably played an even bigger role in the community during both wars than it did in winning the league, but records are so sparse in wartime, sadly it's hard to know who the figures were who kept the club running.

Edited 5 April 2022 by Sampson

[CosbehFox]

6 minutes ago, PAPA LAZAROU said:

Of course there has been several " influential " people in the clubs history.  no one is denying that .The statement was the MOST influential. And in my book anyone who did what what Vichai did IS the most influential by a mile.

Depends how you view football I suppose. If you rate success over community etc. Its complex and a difficult comparison to make. 
 

For example, personally I don’t really get the thing about Seagrave but maybe that’s me. 

Edited 5 April 2022 by Cardiff_Fox

[PAPA LAZAROU]

36 minutes ago, Sampson said:

No not at all. Why would that make them without any question of doubt by the official club sources more influential than those people who actually formed the club or saved us from liquidation and had to rebuild the club from scratch after the war? Or those who first got crowds coming at Victoria Park during the time when football was growing as a spectator sport or those who got us elected to the Football League? 
 

I can’t see how the things you list make them any more influential than a hundred other people who’ve been at the heart of this clubs history over the years as chairmen, clerical staff, supporters, players, coaches, managers etc. The existence of the club in the community in the first place is far more important than them actually winning things for example.

 

And Vichai didn’t “win” us the Premier League on his own did he? He was hardly out there managing or scouting players or keeping them fit, or actually scoring and defending goals on the pitch. And it’s not like we massively outspent everyone else to win it either.

Ok did any of the other so called influencers win us the Premier league on their own or not? there is no way this club would have ever won the Premier league without our present owners. Talk about the ungratefulness of it all, it's shocking to hear a Leicester supporter being so negative about our current owners.

[Finnaldo]

Has there ever previously been an owner described as ‘influential’ when it’s comes to football clubs? I can think of someone telling me Jimmy Hill created the first all-seater stadium in English football and that’s about this, when I think about ‘influential’ figures in football I think players and managers, Leicester in particular I think of O’Neil, Walsh, Pearson, Vardy etc., so the wording is a little weird. Best owner indisputably but I can’t see particularly ‘influential’ to the football club.

 

50 minutes ago, PAPA LAZAROU said:

won us the ultimate prize of winning the premier league

Some may consider this distasteful but he didn’t in my opinion. That team was absolutely not built and funded for a title run, it was with steady progression up the table and a chance at a top 10 finish likely the goal, how we finished top was a miracle reserved, at the most simplistic level, to the players and manager that season. Was he integral to getting us in a position to even make that possible? Absolutely and he deserve plaudits for that but it’s not what I categorise as being the most influential man in the club’s history.

Edited 5 April 2022 by Finnaldo