Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was local hero in Leicester
It was never clear why the Thai family chose to buy Leicester City in 2010 but they quickly found a place in the hearts of fans.
Monday 29 October 2018 15:16, UK
When Leicester City won the Premier League title in 2016, it defied odds of 5,000/1.
It was widely acknowledged as one of the finest achievements in English footballing history and it has also become one of the greatest underdog tales ever told.
A key component of that incredible victory was the backing of their owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the Thai billionaire who has died after his helicopter crashed outside the club's King Power Stadium on Saturday night.
His money and support of the team and then manager Claudio Ranieri was a key factor in Leicester achieving a feat which many had previously deemed impossible.
After just two seasons in the top division, they overcame the collective power of established Premier League giants such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal to lift the trophy.
Long-time season ticket holders who had witnessed Leicester's struggle to avoid relegation just 12 months earlier delighted in a first title in the club's 132-year history.
The owners were adopted as local heroes for their part in the most unlikely of triumphs.
But it wasn't just the title win that gained Thailand's fifth-richest billionaire a place in the hearts of Leicester City fans.
Mr Srivaddhanaprabha amassed a fortune through the King Power duty free chain, which dominates airports in his native country, but he kept a low profile during his eight years in charge of Leicester City.
He rarely gave interviews but demonstrated his generosity in other ways.
To mark his 60th birthday in April this year, he handed out 60 free tickets to a match.
He also donated £2m towards building a new children's hospital in Leicester, £1m to the city's university medical department, and £23,000 to a fan who was raising money for research into MECP2 syndrome, his son's rare genetic disorder.
It has never been entirely clear why the family chose to buy the club in 2010 but they quickly became popular with fans of the team, known colloquially as the Foxes, even before the title win.
Where other foreign investors in English football clubs are viewed to have used teams as cash cows, the Srivaddhanaprabha family are popular.
They have remained loyal to managers when others might have lost faith sooner and were rewarded for their patience.
In Leicester, Mr Srivaddhanaprabha was seen as a local hero and the tragedy which has beset the family will be felt deeply in the city for a long time to come.