Tony Knapp: 1936-2023

Knapp joined the Club as a 17-year-old in 1953, while working as a coal miner in Nottinghamshire, making his first-team debut against Stoke City in February 1956. 

He became established in the first team during the 1958/59 season under manager David Halliday and continued to be new manager Matt Gillies’ first choice centre-half for the next two-and-a-half seasons.

In March 1960, Tony was selected for the Football League against the Scottish League and at the start of the 1960/61 season, he was called up to the 14-man England squad for matches against Spain and Hungary.

However, in November of that year, the defender suffered a knee injury and lost his place in the side to another up and coming centre-half, Ian King. This meant he didn’t play in the 1961 FA Cup Final. That summer Tony turned down a move to Chelsea, but in August 1961 he moved to Southampton for £27,500 - a record incoming fee for Leicester.

In seven years at the Dell, Tony he played 233 times, helping the Saints win promotion to the top-flight in 1966. He then spent nearly a year at Coventry City before moving to Los Angeles Wolves.

Nearing the end of his playing career Tony had spells at Bristol City and Tranmere Rovers before becoming player manager at Poole Town. He then made his mark in Icelandic and Norwegian football.

Whilst managing KR Reykjavik in 1974, he was approached to become the Icelandic national manager, a post he held until he became manager of Viking Stavanger in Norway in 1978.

As well as managing Stavanger, Tony also worked at three other leading Norwegian clubs - Fredrikstadt FK, Vidar Stavanger and SK Brann. He also had a second spell managing the Icelandic national team in the mid-1980s.

Tony continued to live in Norway, having spent the best part of 30 years coaching a number of other Norwegian teams, until he retired in 2008.

Speaking to the Club from Norway in 2019, Tony reflected on his years at Filbert Street by saying that his time at Leicester City was one of the best periods of his life.

He will be sadly missed and the thoughts of Leicester City Football Club are with Tony’s family and friends during this sad time.