Leicester holds its breath for footballing miracle
Published on: Friday, April 29, 2016
LEICESTER: A collective euphoria has gripped Leicester's humdrum streets as the often-overlooked English city stands at the cusp of achieving global sporting immortality by winning football's most coveted league title.Many in the medium-sized Midlands city will not talk about the possibility of one of sporting history's most unlikely triumphs for fear of jinxing their heroes."If you look at all the fans, the people, the city, it's an incredible, incredible time," said Ian Smith, while readjusting his Leicester City scarf.
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"It means the world to them. A once in a lifetime experience."But the impossible dream will become a reality if the Foxes win at Manchester United on Sunday.The club, who started the season as one of the relegation favourites and 5000/1 shots to finish top, would still have two more matches to seal arguably the most unlikely league title in English football history if they were to lose at Old Trafford.Sitting between the powerhouses of Birmingham, Sheffield and Manchester, Leicester has a population of around 330,000.
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Locals pride themselves on their hospitality, welcoming strangers with open arms and using the affectionate greeting "m'duck".For a city instilled with restraint and discretion, the current emotional eruption is unprecedented.
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"It's an unbelievable buzz everywhere, there are... blue items just everywhere," said Anna Hulewicz-Brown, adding that the city was almost unrecognisable from the one where she had spent her whole life.The temperature will ramp up a notch on Friday when the city's landmarks, houses and shops will be illuminated and draped in blue until the end of the season.Fans nervous about Sunday's big match will be able to calm their nerves in the city's pubs with a "Vardy bomb", a cocktail invented in honour of star striker Jamie Vardy.Others are seeking divine intervention, with a city-centre street preacher now using football to begin his sermon while singing the praises of "Saint Vardy".Even fans of the town's successful rugby club Leicester Tigers are on board, having Vardy's name emblazoned on the back of their shirts."Every time I go out in the street, everybody wants to talk about football," said Mayor Peter Soulsby, who has been swamped with international media requests to explain the miracle."It's a wonderful thing for the city, with Richard III being reinterred last year and Leicester winning the Premier League,...we couldn't hope for anything better," added die-hard fan Sandra Baum.The last Plantagenet king was buried at the city's cathedral last year following the sensational discovery of his remains underneath a council car park, 500 years after his death.The story shone a rare spotlight on the city, but fans say the city's footballing fairy tale eclipses everything.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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