Links With The Past: Izzet's Cup Medal & BBC Sports Personality Team Of The Year
This week, John looks back to two moments of triumph for the Club, separated by 19 years, but both including significant glory for the Foxes...
This gold medal is currently on display in the Legends’ Lounge at King Power Stadium. It belongs to Muzzy Izzet, a key player in the Martin O’Neill’s sides which played in three Wembley League Cup Finals. These were in 1997 against Middlesbrough, in 1999 versus Tottenham Hotspur and in 2000 against Tranmere Rovers. Leicester City won the first and last of these finals.
The medal was presented to Muzzy on the night of the Hillsborough replay in 1997 against Middlesbrough, when Steve Claridge’s extra-time goal finally secured the trophy for Leicester City for the first time since 1964. Steve Walsh’s medal from the same game is also in display in the Legends’ Lounge.
It was manufactured by the long-standing firm of Vaughtons of Birmingham, who in addition to making the medals for the 1908 White City Olympics have also been making medals for the Football League since 1911.
Recalling the first of his two League Cup wins with Leicester City, Muzzy recalled: “Emile [Heskey's] goal in the last minute at Wembley against Middlesbrough kept us in the final. We were really up for it at the Hillsborough replay. We just knew that if we could stop Juninho, which Pontus [Kåmark] did brilliantly in both games, we’d win that game. You get that feeling sometimes. What was really good was that when we had to go to get the trophy we had to walk right into the crowd. A great day!”
In December 2016, at the Genting Arena in Birmingham, Premier League champions Leicester City won this BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year Award, which is presented annually.
The only other football teams to have won this award are West Ham United (1965), England (1966), Celtic (1967), Manchester United (1968 and 1999), Sunderland (1973), Liverpool (1977, 1986, 2001) and Arsenal (1998).
First presented in 1960, the award is given 'for the team in an individual sport or sporting discipline that has achieved the most notable performance in the calendar year to date. The team should have significant UK interest or involvement'.
Shortlisted along with Leicester City were Team GB, the GB women’s hockey team, the Wales football team (which included Andy King) and the England rugby union team.
On the same evening, Claudio Ranieri won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award which, since 1999, has been presented to the coach considered to have made the year’s most substantive contribution to British sport. The only other football club managers to have won this award are Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger and José Mourinho.
Finally, Jamie Vardy’s exploits during the title winning season resulted in his being nominated for the Sporting Personality of the Year Award, which went to tennis star Sir Andy Murray.