How Leicester City F.C. personifies our C + L + U = B philosophy

Yesterday we saw Leicester City FC celebrate a win in their first final since 1969, 52 years of hurt! The club has the record for being at the most FA Cup Finals - four - and not winning. So what's changed at the club? Is it money? Is it a single star player? Or is purely down to a C+L+U=B effort?

Here are my thoughts based on the KitKing C+L+U=B philosophy:

Community

The LCFC owners Srivaddhanaprabha family and Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (Top) have a deep rooted belief regarding the value LCFC can bring to the local community. This belief was started by his late father Vichai. As a family they have gone above and beyond to look after, players fans and the local community. It's the little touches that shows they care, and still are a family run club. Something that resonates with me being part of a family run company.

Few examples:

• Paying for 75 hotel rooms for a group of fans stranded in Calais by Storm Ciara
• When City welcomed Watford to the King Power Stadium a few months after Chairman Vichai died. Top was so moved by the giant flag tribute by Watford fans to his late father - reading "Thank you Vichai for allowing us all to dream. Rest in Peace". He decided on the spot that every visiting supporter should have a pint or other half-time refreshment on him.
• All 3,000 Foxes fans attending the away fixture at Brighton and Hove Albion during the 2018/19 season was given a free beanie hat as reward for their continued support.
• The 19 Leicester City players who lifted the Premier League trophy that year were each presented with a ￡100,000 luxury BMW sports cars in recognition of their heroics.
• West Ham United fans said city's owners showed "real class" in May 2018 after the club agreed to donate to the online fund trying to raise ￡400,000 to help three-year-old Hammers supporter Isla Caton, from Essex, who has nueroblastoma – a cancer of the nerve tissue - to get treatment in the US.
• Leicester Childrens' Hospital honoured the memory of Khun Vichai last October by naming both intensive care units at Leicester Childrens’ Hospital after him. This was in thanks for the late chairman's ￡2m donation towards the project.
• The Vichai Foundation donated ￡800,000 in September, last year, towards the restoration costs of Leicester Cathedral.
• To mark what would have been Vichai's 61st birthday in April, this year, the club offered ￡610,000 to worthwhile charities and organisations in the city.
• The owners were universally praised by Blue Army supporters for the traditional free half-time pie and pint to celebrate Vichai's birthday.

This is what we know about, I'm certain there is plenty more behind the scenes that is not documented.

Whilst other premiership owners were lambasted by signing up to the Super League, it seems that the Srivaddhanaprabha family have a long standing tradition in respecting the community, fans and having a socially responsible way of owning a top flight football club.

Leadership

Leadership starts with the owners. On a number of occasions, the coach/manager have quoted the strength of the leadership of the Srivaddhanaprabha family. Unlike other football-club CEOs, the family do not invest money or own an English club just to decorate their portfolios. They spend most of their time in the UK to take close part in the team’s management, which has earned them salutes from the fans. Good leadership is all about clear communication and empathy. The family have consistently managed this with all stake holders. Dialogue with fans, players, management coaches and local community is a regular affair. In the build-up to the trip to Wembley, City fans have found a surprise from the club in the post. 

Included were some gifts from the club, and a letter to fans from Chairman Khun Top, here’s what it said: 

Dear supporter, 

Ahead of the club’s first FA Cup final since 1969, I wanted to take the opportunity to mark the occasion and thank you for your incredible support. Enclosed is a selection of gifts from us to you, which I hope will being some extra magic to your cup final day, whether you’re lucky enough to be among those supporting the team at Wembley or supporting the team from home. We’ve missed you this season. Matchdays simply haven’t been the same without you. And after 52 years of waiting, I know how much passion and energy a full contingent of the Blue Army would have bought to Wembley. 

But make no mistake. Our aim is to make these occasions a regular part of the Leicester City experience. We will be back. And, in the meantime, I know those at Wembley will carry the roars and passion of you all.

Foxes. Never. Quit. 

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha 

Chairman

Unify

City clearly drew the short straw and wore their away kit. This sometimes can be deemed a bad omen, instead the players unified over their kits in the most unique way. A higher purpose was given to the game.

Schmeichel said the Leicester players had a special way of paying tribute to their former owner Vichai, revealing: "We have a picture on the inside of our shirts so he's always with us.

"I'm so proud of everybody. Everybody contributed to get to the final, everyone has played and been sensational. Everyone behind the scenes, all the team behind the team, the medical staff and everyone. 

"When you work together and do things properly and you have an internal belief, that's what we can achieve."

Despite the bad omen of the away kit, they were unified by the images of their former chairman.

Belonging

The Community, Leadership and Unification of the club has unquestionably created a huge sense of belonging to Leicester City FC. Tributes from past players retired and with rival clubs came pouring in. The city has had a horrid 18 months with COVID lockdowns etc. This was the first time fans and players could get together and support each other. It was clear from the players reaction to the manager, how much Brendan Rodgers has created a sense of belonging to the club. At the point that Top was dragged down by Schmeichel to lift the trophy, the players were beaming with pride to allow the owner that opportunity. The Srivaddhanaprabha family created this environment and it will continue. The success of the team will continue as long as the magic formula remains.