euphoria in streets of leicester
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

As outsiders take title

Euphoria in streets of Leicester

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Euphoria in streets of Leicester

Leicester City fans celebrate their team becoming the Premier League champions in central Leicester
Leicester - Arab Today

Ecstatic fans rushed into the streets of Leicester as the outsiders won the Premier League in a triumph seen as the most astonishing in the history of English football. 

Dancing crowds dressed in the team's blue jerseys hugged each other and chanted songs honouring heroes such as manager Claudio Ranieri and striker Jamie Vardy, linchpins of Leicester City's first title triumph in its 132-year history.

"There is only one Ranieri," chanted fans in celebration of the Italian boss.

"This year I got married and had a baby, but this tops it all," said Steve Robinson, 26.

"It's going to be a big and long party, because we have waited a long time for this," added tourist guide Steve Bruce.

Thousands bearing blue and white flags celebrated beside the King Power stadium and the cathedral where the skeleton of Richard III was buried after it was discovered under a carpark in 2012 -- a fact seen by some to have brought the Midlands city luck.

Fans circled the city centre blaring their car horns, while others warned that European giants such as Barcelona were next in their sights as Leicester prepare to enter the Champions League for the first time.

"We're coming for you, (Lionel) Messi!" shouted Chris Whiting, 20, in a reference to Barcelona's star Argentine forward.
At Hogarths pub nearby, fans had cheered on Chelsea to prevent second-placed Tottenham Hotspur getting the win they needed to prolong the title race until Saturday, at least. 

After the 2-2 draw confirmed Leicester were champions, supporters jumped in elation and disbelief.

"I'm going to party! I've been supporting Leicester since I was 14 years old, can you imagine what this means for me?" said Caroline Wilkins, 60, who added she watched the match with a friend because her husband hates football.

"I feel on top of the world, I feel I'm in heaven!"

Whiting said he had started to fear the title might slip through Leicester's fingers when Tottenham were two goals up in the first half of the game. 

"I still can't believe it... I started worrying about the next game," Whiting said.

- 'This is a dream' -

Christine Norton, aged in her 60s, left the pub when Spurs scored the second goal but returned when Chelsea managed to equalise.

"I told them: if I leave, they'll draw," Norton said. "And here I am, I am really happy, this is a dream."
The city had been dyed blue in the build up, with one bar selling cappuccinos decorated with Vardy's face, a restaurant selling fried blue fish, and a supermarket even dying their sausages blue.

Marc Wilks, who was selling T-shirts reading "Champions 2015-2016. Leicester Kings of England" said the party would continue for some time to come.

"It's been a fantastic day, very good for the business," Wilks said.

At the start of the season, few believed it was possible for a club representing a city of 330,000 people to beat London's five Premier League teams and Manchester's two to the title.

Before the campaign started, bookmakers had offered 5,000-1 against Leicester winning the championship.

But fans got their payback for a lifetime of scorn and taunts by Leicester's great local rivals, Nottingham Forest, who won the English league once and the European Cup twice in the 1970s but now languish in the second-tier English Football Championship.

Student Karishma Kapoor, 20, was laughing all the way to the bank after betting £2 ($2.93, 2.54 euros) on Leicester winning at the start of the season -- giving her a payout of £10,000 ($14,650, 12,700 euros).

"We are a lot into football at home. So this summer we were discussing the season ahead in my grandma's house and we decided to bet one pound each with my auntie," Kapoor said.

"I would like to save some of it, go on holiday, hopefully and pay for my brother to go on a trip to a Champions League game."

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

euphoria in streets of leicester euphoria in streets of leicester

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

euphoria in streets of leicester euphoria in streets of leicester

 



GMT 12:11 2017 Thursday ,27 July

Tony Baroud to present new TV show

GMT 23:00 2017 Monday ,16 October

Egypt FM to head for Slovenia on Monday

GMT 20:06 2017 Friday ,20 January

Daesh in new demolitions at Syria’s Palmyra

GMT 21:06 2017 Friday ,24 November

Marriyum condemns Hayatabad terrorists attack

GMT 01:00 2017 Saturday ,25 November

Cabinet Affairs Minister Meets Indonesian Ambassador

GMT 02:34 2018 Thursday ,04 January

Merger creates state-owned gas giant

GMT 10:08 2017 Tuesday ,07 March

Geneva farce: The regime is the opposition

GMT 10:19 2017 Saturday ,18 November

AJK Prime Minister condemns across LoC shelling
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday