This Week In History: Shilton Scores, O'Neill Stays & City Sparkle In Europe
A week in history which included a 10-0 win over Portsmouth in 1928 and the first-ever Match of the Day broadcast at Filbert Street in 1964 also featured some fond Foxes memories...
Shilton scores - and doesn't realise
On Saturday 14 October, 1967, City sealed a 5-1 victory over Southampton, their first win at The Dell, and, while Mike Stringfellow scored a brace, it was goalkeeper Peter Shilton who made the headlines.
In foggy conditions, with City three goals ahead, Shilton played a ball forward, not realising that his pass - aided by strong winds - had in fact bounced over Saints shot-stopper Campbell Forsyth and into the net.
Reflecting on his only career goal, England's all-time record appearance-maker recently told Club Historian John Hutchinson: "We were 4-1 up and I didn’t know I’d scored! It was a misty dark winter’s day.
"I kicked the ball down the middle and I lost sight of it. I saw big Mike Stringfellow chasing it and I thought that it was him who had scored. I thought I’d just done a big kick.
"We had to catch a train back to Leicester at about 5pm and it wasn’t until I saw it on the black and white news when I got home that I knew I’d scored!
"Nobody remembers my goal though because the week before, Pat Jennings had scored against Alex Stepney at Old Trafford and that was on Match of the Day."
'Don't go Martin!'
Amid rife speculation that Leicester City manager Martin O'Neill was destined to leave the Club for Leeds United, the Blue Army made their feelings known on Monday 19 October, 1998.
As the Foxes ran out at Filbert Street for a clash with Tottenham Hotspur and O’Neill took his seat in the dug out, thousands of fans all around the ground brandished ‘Don’t go Martin’ banners in unison.
After two years of success under O'Neill which included promotion, successive top-half finishes and a League Cup triumph, the verbal backing for the manager rose to a deafening crescendo.
Under the floodlights, the team put on a superb performance as Emile Heskey and Muzzy Izzet both scored stunning goals in the 2-1 defeat of Spurs.
Muzzy’s effort, a spectacular volley, will live forever in the memories of those who were fortunate enough to witness it, while the result was considered a rebuke to the speculation at the time.
However, at the end of the game, with the crowd once again deafeningly hailing the manager, O’Neill raised his hand in salute. The crowd went home wondering if it was a farewell wave.
The Northern Irishman did stay at Filbert Street for another two years, winning one more League Cup in 2000, before departing for Celtic, where he sealed three Scottish league triumphs.
European delirium
Following the Club's fairy tale Premier League title in 2016, Leicester enjoyed a remarkable start to life in the UEFA Champions League, a run which continued on Tuesday 18 October of that year.
City had beaten Club Brugge and FC Porto in Group G and next entertained Copenhagen at King Power Stadium, knowing victory would put them within three points of qualification for the knockout phase.
A capacity crowd awaited Claudio Ranieri's men on Filbert Way for just the second night of European football to ever be staged at City's home venue since it was opened in the summer of 2002.
Islam Slimani was the only new face in Leicester's starting line-up from the previous year and the Algerian played a key role in setting up the only goal of the game on Filbert Way.
Slimani's compatriot Riyad Mahrez finished his knockdown from close range five minutes before the interval as the Premier League champions secured a win which meant they ended the night top of Group G.
Speaking afterwards, Ranieri said: "When you play in the Champions League you are switched on, very smart and focused on every situation. You use up a lot of mental energy in the Champions League."