Harry Harris - Leicester City: The Immortals: The Inside Story of Englands Most Unlikely Champions

Copyright 2016 by G2 Rights LTD

First published in the UK by G2 Entertainment LTD

First Skyhorse Publishing edition 2016

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Photos courtesy of Action Images

Print ISBN: 978-1-68358-022-5

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68358-023-2

Printed in Canada

This book is dedicated to Claudio Ranieri,
who conducted himself in such an exemplary manner,
and to the fans who have loved every minute of it.

Chief Executive, PFA

Chief Executive, LMA

A fabulous football fairy tale and a perfect example to any team of what can be achieved with team spirit, resilience and self-belief.

From the bottom of the Premier League to the top in twelve months as 5,000 to 1 outsiders speaks volumes. Every player from Kasper Schmeichel, Wes Morgan, Andy King, Ngolo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy et al is a story in itself under a Manager, Claudio Ranieri who bounced back from the nadir of his career in Greece to the zenith of his career with Leicester City.

An Everest like climb that has thrilled the nation and inspired sportsmen and women everywhere and rightly received recognition of the highest awards the game has to offer.

GORDON TAYLOR, OBE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS ASSOCIATION

The LMA members voted Claudio Ranieri as the clear winner of the LMA Manager of the Year for the 2015-16 season. LMA President, Roy Hodgson, presented Claudio with the associations most prestigious award at the end of season LMA Annual Awards Dinner, in front of a 1000-strong audience of fellow managers, football stakeholders and LMA sponsors and friends.

Claudio guided Leicester City to their first Barclays Premier League title in their 132-year history. He has achieved what almost everyone in the game thought was an impossible dream.

His calm, open and positive leadership style, combined with his significant experience gained from over 40 years managing top sides in Europe, guided his team to the ultimate achievement, all the while allowing his players to stay relaxed and focussed. His squad clearly has a remarkable togetherness blending application, hard work and team spirit.

His often self-deprecating press conferences and optimistic approach throughout the season not only alleviated the pressure from his players but also made the nation and the football world want Leicester to win.

Such remarkable achievements are once in a lifetime occurrences. We applaud Claudio and know that he will inspire a future generation of coaches and managers to pursue a career in the game and set out to realise their dreams.

RICHARD BEVAN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE LEAGUE MANAGERS ASSOCIATION

DIARY OF THE MOST IMPROBABLE SEASON IN THE HISTORY OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE

PANTS

Gary Lineker, former Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, England and Leicester City striker, promises via his highly active 4.6 million, and rising, twitter account that he would perform the first Match of the Day of the 2016-17 season in just my undies if his old club won the Premier League.

He made that jokey pledge on 14 December 2015, still convinced it couldnt possibly happen, and with every game the Foxes won, he would get another round of ribbing on MOTD from pundit Alan Shearer who wore a smirky grin every time he reminded his MOTD host of the undies promise.

It really didnt conjure up great images, but you were willing Leicester on just to see Garys undies, hopefully a shade of red to match his face, or perhaps a nice shade of Leicester City blue, to contrast with that red face and greying goatee beard.

Gary Lineker enjoys a laugh and a joke, a raised eyebrow on MOTD , but he took to the front page of The Guardian on 14 March 2016 for an in depth analysis of his beloved Leicester Citys season and his personal emotions.

5,000 - 1

In that piece he used the phrase sporting immortality that awaited his home town team should they fulfil the seemingly impossible task of winning the Premier League on such a modest budget when at the outset of the season they were declared a laughable chance for such lofty ambitions, with the bookies labelling them a 5,000-1 shot.

Yes, 5,000-1! Now lets just put that into some sort of context. According to the bookies, the following events were MORE likely to occur:

500/1 - The Loch Ness monster to be discovered.

1,000/1 - Sir Alex Ferguson to win Strictly Come Dancing , the Queen to have the Christmas number one, or Dean Gaffney to win a best actor Oscar.

2,000/1 - Elvis being found alive, Kim Kardashian for US president, or Claudio Ranieri to be next England manager.

2,500/1 - Piers Morgan as Arsenal manager, David Moyes to become an X Factor judge, or David Cameron (who, of course, supports Aston Villaor is it West Ham) to replace Tim Sherwood as Aston Villa manager.

And, at the same odds of 5,000-1, bookmakers William Hill had Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw to win an Olympic gold in Rio.

Would you have backed any of those?

Despite the seemingly outrageous odds and quite ridiculous outcome a few speculative punters grabbed the opportunity. And, as the football season approached its climax desperate bookmakers began to offer buyouts to those who got in on the 5,000-1 odds. William Hill spokesman Graeme Sharpe estimated that the Foxes winning the title would cost the English sportsbooks more than 10 million in payouts. The fairytale is definitely alive for punters, and the bookies nightmare is becoming a reality, Sharpe said with just weeks of the season to go. They, alone, had 25 bettors who plunked down money on Leicester when the team was 5000/1. William Hill offered 2,800 for each 1.00 bet, trying to lure those who had bet on the Foxes at 5000/1 to make a deal. A day later the offer rose, and then became 3,200 per each 1.00 bet after Leicesters next win. William Hill were able to make abbreviated deals with some gamblers.