Fans Call For Tribute To Leicester Manager

Leicester City fans have called for wasteland on the site of their old stadium to be turned into a football park as a tribute to Claudio Ranieri and his team.

Since the club left their former ground at Filbert Street in 2002, just one block of flats has been built at one end of the site.

The rest of the famous old ground is now a scruffy wasteland surrounded by rows of red brick Victorian terraced homes.

The team are currently top of the Premier League and are within a game of becoming champions, if they win at Manchester United on Sunday.

If they are successful, many will view it as a remarkable turnaround for a side that only a few years ago were in the third tier of the English league system.

Lifelong fan Riaz Khan, who was once one of Leicester's 'Baby Squad' - a firm of hooligans - has told Sky News that it's a "disgrace" that the old ground - where the club played most of their football before they last dropped out of the top flight - has been left in such a state.

He said: "It is just wasteland, you have got people fly tipping...it's just disgraceful.

"This season has been unbelievable and is actually the point when the club, the council, whoever, should get Filbert Street redeveloped.

"It could be so much more. You could call it Ranieri Park, have statues of the players, an area for kids to play football...a destination for fans and tourists to visit before they come to the games."

The current home, the King Power stadium, stands just a few hundred metres from the old ground, not far from the city centre.

Leicester City Council have plans to smarten up the eyesore but fans agree they should think big and capitalise on the team's success.

Season ticket holder and cafe owner Hamza Bodhaniya agreed and told Sky News: "I'd love to see it turned into a football training academy for kids - or a football park tied to the club.

"Something related to football, to keep the memories of Filbert Street alive!"

Leicester's mayor has already said he plans to honour the players and manager Claudio Ranieri and is considering renaming several roads in the city to mark their achievements.