Leicester trophy parade: Thousands turn out

Crowds of fans flocked to Leicester City streets for a big parade celebrating Leicester's surprise victory.

FOOTBALL

Leicester trophy parade: Thousands turn out 

17/05/2016
AFP News agency

Leicester City's incredible Premier League fairytale reached a joyous crescendo on Monday.

Thousands of fans turned the city blue revelling in the football club's victory parade.

It's been two weeks since Leicester City was crowned one of the most unlikely champions in English football history.

The city of Leicester hasn't stop celebrating

The party climaxed beneath sunny skies 24 hours after the Foxes finished their campaign with a draw at Chelsea.

THAI STUDENTS AMONG CHEERING CROWD

The crowd also included a party of mature students from Thailand who are studying advanced English at Leicester's De Montfort University.

Chaiya Noradechanunt, 48, said: "This is fantastic. I always watch the matches in Thailand. Leicester are very popular."

After starting the season as 5,000-1 outsiders for the title, Leicester defied the odds in stunning fashion.

CELEBRATIONS & FESTIVE ACTIVITIES

Being hailed by the crowd of over 100,000 at the parade was a fitting finale for the football club.

Coach Claudio Ranieri was with the football club's Thai chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha who soaked up the celebrations with his family.

Fans began congregating hours before the scheduled five o'clock start of the parade.

They packed the streets along the route and massed at Victoria Park.

At the park cheerleaders and a gospel choir provided the entertainment on a stage set up to welcome the players at the end of the parade.

Thousands of the partying hoards came decked out in the team's blue home shirts, while hundreds of blue and white flags were waved by children with their faces painted in the club colours.

With the streets so tightly packed, some brave fans clambered onto rooftops to get a better view and others hung out of windows to salute their heroes.

REBURIAL OF KING RICHARD III, LAST BIG GATHERING

Boards with images of King Richard III's head bobbed above the crowd.

The re- burial of the king in 2015 was the last time the city witnessed anything approaching these scenes.

Some speculated that the former monarch may have been a lucky charm for the team.

BLUE BUS CARRYING THE LEICESTER SQUAD

The first sightings of the blue open-top buses carrying the Leicester squad drew roars of delight from the ecstatic crowd,

The crowd was also entertained by Ranieri and star striker Jamie Vardy pretending to ride on the police bikes that were escorting them through the city.

Captain Wes Morgan and his team-mates, including Japan striker Shinji Okazaki and Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez, took turns holding the trophy on the top deck of one bus as England international Vardy said: "It's brilliant. Look at the scenes. It's carnage."

Once the bus reached its destination in Victoria Park, the raucous atmosphere was cranked up to the levels of a rock festival as players were interviewed while big screens showed Leicester goals from the season.

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