Leicester City In The 21st Century: 2007/08
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01
Allen joins Leicester
Shortly after the conclusion of the 2006/07 season, former Barnet, Brentford and MK Dons manager Martin Allen joined the Club and he quickly began to revamp his first team squad.
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02
All change
DJ Campbell, Stephen Clemence, Radostin Kishishev and Bruno N'Gotty were among a lengthy list of players to complete switches to Walkers Stadium in the summer.
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03
Ready to get started
The sheer size of Martin Allen's squad was notable at first glance, but the Blue Army hoped it would gel together quickly.
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04
Frustration on day one
Despite pre-season predictions suggesting Leicester were among the promotion candidates, former Fox Simon Grayson's newly-promoted Blackpool left Filbert Way with all three points on the opening day, courtesy of Keith Southern's strike.
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05
Speculation in the press
City secured their first win of the new campaign on gameweek three with a brilliant 4-1 success over Watford on Filbert Way. Iain Hume, DJ Campbell, Alan Sheehan and Mark de Vries got the goals for the Foxes, but speculation was rife that Martin Allen's position was in doubt.
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06
League Cup tie abandoned
Leicester City full-back Clive Clarke, on loan from Sunderland, suffered a cardiac arrest at half-time during the Foxes' League Cup tie at Nottingham Forest on 28 August. Clarke was treated and eventually recovered, but the game at the City Ground was abandoned with Forest leading 1-0.
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07
A new man at the helm
Leicester fans were stunned when Martin Allen left the Club by mutual agreement on 29 August. Shortly afterwards, former West Bromwich Albion manager Gary Megson came in as his replacement on 13 September.
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08
A sporting gesture
Now with former Nottingham Forest manager Gary Megson in charge, the Foxes returned to the City Ground to replay their cup tie in mid-September. Unbeknown to anyone outside the two changing rooms, Paul Smith - the home side's goalkeeper - was allowed to walk the ball into the net by the Leicester players from the kick-off to restore his side's one-goal lead from the original tie. Leicester won 3-2.
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09
Beating Villa
Perhaps Gary Megson's best result at Leicester was this 1-0 win at Aston Villa in the third round of the League Cup. Martin O'Neill's men were dominant throughout, but Matty Fryatt's breakaway goal booked a place in the hat for the next round.
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10
Megson's shock departure
Just 41 days and nine Championship games after his appointment, Gary Megson left the Club on 24 October to become the manager of Premier League club Bolton Wanderers. It was quickly becoming a dramatic season for Leicester City.
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11
City give Chelsea a scare
Under the guidance of caretaker management team Frank Burrows and Gerry Taggart, the Foxes headed to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the League Cup Fourth Round in late October. Leicester in fact led 3-2 with three minutes to go in the capital after goals from Gareth McAuley, DJ Campbell and Carl Cort, but a late equaliser from Andriy Shevchenko was followed by Frank Lampard completing his hat-trick and booking a 4-3 win.
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12
Holloway comes in
Chairman Milan Mandarić turned to Plymouth Argyle manager Ian Holloway as his replacement for Gary Megson on 22 November.
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13
Landmark win in Bristol
Ian Holloway became the first Leicester City manager in 50 years to win his first game in charge of the Club when goals from Richard Stearman and Matty Fryatt led to a 2-0 success at Bristol City.
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14
More new faces
After a run of four defeats in December, Iain Holloway looked to strengthen his side with the additions of Zsolt Laczkó, Ben Alnwick, Barry Hayles, Steve Howard and Gabor Bori. Matt Oakley, meanwhile, would soon follow Howard from Derby County to Leicester.
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15
An instant impact
Steve Howard and Barry Hayles instantly made their mark by scoring the goals which secured a 2-0 success over Coventry City on 12 January.
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16
Howard's Hawthorns hat-trick
It was clear that the capture of Steve Howard was an assured one already, but a brilliant hat-trick in a 4-1 triumph at promotion-hunters West Bromwich Albion confirmed it further on 15 March. City, though, were still in a battle to avoid relegation after a year of significant transition.
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17
A day to forget
A particularly dramatic afternoon on 26 April ended in dismay for the Foxes. Iain Hume put the home side ahead, only for Bartosz Slusarski to equalise for fellow battlers Sheffield Wednesday after Deon Burton's missed penalty. Steve Watson put the visitors in front. Hume's missed spot-kick, meanwhile, came before Leon Clarke's third for Wednesday.
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18
Relegation confirmed & Holloway departs
After a club record of 40 players made first team appearances that season, Leicester City were relegated to the third tier for the first time in their history after a 0-0 draw at promoted Stoke City in May. It was little consolation that the team was relegated with the second-best defensive record in the division (45 goals conceded) and with the highest number of points (53) for any club relegated to the third tier. Ian Holloway left shortly afterwards.
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