Charnwood honours Leicester City in special ceremony

The Foxes have been granted Freedom of the Borough of Charnwood by the council.

The honour, the highest the Council can bestow, recognises the club’s incredible success in recent years and its connection to Charnwood. The 2016 Premier League champions opened a £100 million training facility in the borough in 2020 at Seagrave.

The honour was conferred at a special meeting of the Council at Loughborough Town Hall tonight (September 14).

Special guests Brendan Rodgers and Kasper Schmichael were in attendance.

Cllr Paul Baines, Mayor of Charnwood, said: “We are absolutely delighted to award the Freedom of the Borough to Leicester City FC. Their success in recent years has been incredible and we are proud that the club created its world-class training facility in the borough. 

“We are also pleased that Charnwood has been home to Leicester City Women FC. We wish them all the best for the future now they are playing their home matches at the King Power Stadium.

“The honour reflects the club's excellent ambassadorship for the city, county and the sport in recent years and how it engages positively with local communities.”

We had a quick chat with @LCFC first team captain @kschmeichel1 about tonight's extraordinary meeting at @LboroTownHall where the Council granted Freedom of the Borough to @LCFC to recognise its incredibly success in recent years and its connection to #Charnwood. pic.twitter.com/VnvIUWjzjB

— Charnwood Borough Council (@CharnwoodBC) September 14, 2021

Leicester City Chief Executive Susan Whelan said: “It is a great privilege to be able to accept this honour on behalf of Leicester City Football Club and we thank the borough of Charnwood for such a wonderful gesture.

“We’re delighted to have established our training facility in the heart of Seagrave and, by working together with the borough council, we’ve been able to strengthen our connections with Charnwood. We hope that the club’s presence in the borough can continue to bring pride to the area and benefits to our communities that live within it.

“It is the football club’s mission to continue to bring world-class sport to Leicestershire and, with the support of the borough of Charnwood, we have been able to deliver a world-leading facility that is a key component in that vision. We look forward to building on our working partnership in the coming years.”

Great to speak to @LCFC first team manager Brendan Rodgers about the club being granted Freedom of the Borough and what it means to them.

He also talks about their new training ground in #Seagrave and what the local community means to the club.#LCFC pic.twitter.com/FIk9itx2HO

— Charnwood Borough Council (@CharnwoodBC) September 14, 2021

Cllr Jonathan Morgan, Leader of Charnwood Borough Council, said: “The Freedom of the Borough is only awarded for outstanding achievements and that’s certainly what Leicester City have delivered in recent years.

“We are proud the club chose to locate their training facility in the borough and we wish them every success in the future.”

Picture from left, the Mayor of Charnwood Cllr Paul Baines; Lez Cope-Newman, Freeman of the borough; Deputy Council Leader Tom Barkley; Deputy Mayor of Charnwood Cllr Jenny Tillotson; Kasper Schmeichel; Leicester City FC Chief Executive Officer Susan Wheelan; Council Chief Executive Rob Mitchell; Tony Kavanagh, head of operations at the training ground; Cllr Jewel Miah; Brendan Rodgers; Alderman Robert Shields and Alderman Paul Day