“It’s a dream come true… No one can slag me anymore!”
Eden Hazard’s late equaliser at Stamford Bridge against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday ushered in a night of unbridled celebration across the city of Leicester as they captured the Premier League title against all the odds.
More locally, it was in The Wagon Tavern in Fermoy that a number of long-standing Foxes supporters cherished an unforgettable title win.
Martin Duggan and his son John are among a small but dedicated group of recognised Leicester fans in the Avondhu area. Speaking this week, Martin said it was a ‘dream come true’ to witness history being made with Leicester overcoming 5000/1 odds to win the Premier League for the first time. “It’s a dream come true. No one can slag me anymore!” he told The Avondhu.
Martin first began supporting Leicester City as a boy growing up in Fermoy, when the side faced Manchester City in the 1969 FA Cup Final, which they lost 1-0.
“At the time black and white television was coming in and a lot of us would have been playing football up in the square. One or two of us might have went for Leicester and the rest would have gone for Man City and I’ve stuck with Leicester ever since!”
He recalls the likes of Len Glover, Allan Clarke, David Nish and Peter Shilton starring for the Foxes around that time. Through the years, Martin has been to Leicester on numerous occasions, both to watch the footballers as well as the rugby union side, Leicester Tigers.
“The last time I was there was a couple of years ago when they were in Division 1.”
“They were playing Brighton that night, it was gas because Brighton lost their jerseys and Leicester gave them their away jerseys so it was like I was watching two Leicester City’s that night!”
What makes Leicester’s 2015/16 title success all the more impressive is they were favourites to be relegated from the Premier League just 12 months ago when, with games running out, they were rooted to the bottom of the table. Led by Nigel Pearson they climbed out of the relegation zone and finished a respectable 14th place.
Martin contends that Pearson, although he was sacked by the club in the summer and replaced by Italian Claudio Ranieri, deserves credit following their triumph this season.
“Nigel Pearson, whatever traits he had, was a fine manager and I honestly think that the fact that they had to fight out of relegation last year, that kept them in good stead for where they went this year. I think Nigel Pearson has to be given an awful lot of praise and credit for what he did.”
He added: “They proved themselves last year; they dug themselves out of relegation and showed character and team spirit. That stood to them this year. They’ve savage heart, I think Raneiri brought a family together to the team. They’re like brothers really!
“You see them the other night at Jamie Vardy’s house after the Chelsea and Spurs game – it was unbelievable stuff. They’re like any bunch of lads that you could have playing local soccer. The togetherness is just unbelievable. That’s why I think they’ve had their success.”
Moving forward, Leicester’s title success this year brings the added boon of a Champions League place. Ensuring they keep the nucleus of the team from this season, as well as providing strength in depth to their squad, the Foxes are set to once again exceed all expectations on them on the European stage.
“For me it’s a dream come true. I might not see them winning it again, but I think Leicester City are back to stay in the top flight for a long time. They’re no fluke – they proved it over the course of the season,” a jubilant Martin added.
