Links With The Past: A Misleading Pirate Pennant

The Club’s Heritage collection contains several hundred pennants relating to matches dating back to the 1930s. Almost without exception they have been produced by the clubs named on the pennants and have usually been exchanged by the captains just prior to kick-off. However, this pennant, which dates from 1964, is different.

It is not an official pennant. It is a ‘pirate’ produced pennant, failing to reach the production standard of the other pennants in the collection. It also conveys false information.

Its main purpose was to commemorate Leicester City’s achievements in the FA Cup and League Cup. The dates on the pennant relating to the FA Cup finals are correct, but the League Cup dates are incorrect.

Leicester City did not win the League Cup in 1963. That season Leicester’s ‘Ice Kings’ were realistic contenders for the league and FA Cup double but in what was only the third season of the League Cup competition, the team was knocked out by Charlton Athletic in a second round replay. The Addicks’ winning goal was scored by future Leicester City star Len Glover.

However, the pennant does correctly identify Leicester City as League Cup winners in 1964. Having overcome Aldershot, Tranmere Rovers, Gillingham, Norwich City and West Ham United to reach the final, Leicester City defeated Stoke City in the final, which was played over two legs.

A Davie Gibson goal secured a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Stoke City’s Victoria ground. A week later, goals from Mike Stringfellow, Davie Gibson and Howard Riley secured a 3-2 victory in the second leg at Filbert Street enabling Leicester City to win the Club’s first ever national piece of silverware.

Leicester City also reached the League Cup Final in 1965 when they were defeated 3-2 on aggregate in the two-leg final by Chelsea. 

The other mistake on the pennant is the portrayal of the player wearing an all-blue strip. This wasn’t introduced until the 1967/68 season after which the team reverted to wearing white shorts again until an all-blue strip was once again introduced in 1992.

As a footnote, it is worth noting that four members of Leicester City’s 1964 League Cup winning team, Richie Norman, Mike Stringfellow, Davie Gibson and Howard Riley still attend Leicester City home matches 60 years later as does Paul Matthews, who appeared in the 1965 League Cup Final.