Leicester City helicopter crash: 'I have seen staff in tears' - Eyewitness reports

"It took off as I have seen it do hundreds of times before, it lands and leaves from the pitch like it does every a game."

BBC football commentator Ian Stringer was at the King Power Stadium on Saturday covering Leicester's 1-1 draw with West Ham.

Around 90 minutes after full-time, the helicopter belonging to Leicester owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha crashed outside the club's ground shortly after taking off from the centre circle. It is not yet known who was on board.

"I have seen staff, backroom staff of the first team in tears here this evening," Stringer adds. "The reception area is described as silent, people are looking around and crying and not knowing what to do and consoling each other.

"This is a very close football club, a tightly knit group of people. People love this guy - they pulled off the greatest sports story ever at this stadium and lifted the Premier League trophy.

"The chairman looked at me today on his way to the executive box and said 'hello and good afternoon'. I said 'good luck', he said 'thank you'."

Freelance photographer Ryan Brown had been at the match covering the game.

"I heard the helicopter take off," he told BBC Radio 5 live. "I turned around and it made a whirring noise and grinding noise and then went silent, it was spinning out of control.

"The blades had stopped spinning and then there was a big bang and a big fireball. Lots of people started running towards the scene, as I came around the corner there was a huge fireball.

"It crashed right near the stadium. It just cleared the stadium roof and landed in an industrial park next to it. By looks of it, it has crashed straight into the ground."

Stringer spoke to a former Leicester player who said the helicopter "took off as normal and flew over the west stand, as it went over the stand, it dropped out of the sky and hit the ground".

Andrew James, Match of the Day floor manager added: "I was walking back to the car park and was aware as I got in my car of the noise of the helicopter hovering above the stadium.

"I got in my car because it wasn't anything out of the ordinary and as I was exiting the car park there was a woman walking in looking towards the sky.

"I said 'are you OK?' 'Can you move?. And she said 'look, look'. I looked out of my window and saw smoke initially and she kept saying 'it just spiralled to the ground'. Very quickly, within seconds of that, there was police cars."



Day of drama on BT

The match ended at around 19:25 BST.

Afterwards BT Sport presenter Jake Humphrey discussed the owner's helicopter, from their studio at the King Power, as it took off from the centre circle of the pitch behind them.

Around five minutes later, after an advert break, he revealed the helicopter had crashed. The studios were then evacuated.

The helicopter crashed just before 20:50 BST.

It was the second incident BT Sport staff found themselves at the centre of on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, former England and Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle was taken seriously ill after appearing as a pundit.



It led BT to cancel their Saturday afternoon results programme.

"Worst experience of my life," tweeted ex-England midfielder Paul Ince, who had been a guest on BT Sport on Saturday morning. "Praying for the gaffer and his family. Huge thanks to all the crew at @btsportscore."

Former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage added: "Worst experience of my life today , thoughts and prayers with Glenn and his family, so proud of our BT Sport team today."

'No ordinary Saturday'

Gary Lineker presented Match of the Day just hours after the crash and following the news of Hoddle, who is said to be "responding well" to treatment after being taken to hospital.

"We would normally come on air and tell you about the games we can look forward to seeing in the show," former Leicester striker Lineker said. "This though is no ordinary Saturday."



Clubs around the country and Europe tweeted that the club were in their thoughts, while numerous Leicester players tweeted the praying emoji.

England left-back Ben Chilwell said he was "speechless".

"Terrible scenes at Leicester," tweeted West Ham centre-back Fabian Balbuena, who scored against Leicester. "My prayers and thoughts go out to everyone involved."

'The saviour of Leicester'

Srivaddhanaprabha, 61, owner and chairman of duty-free company King Power International Group is worth an estimated $3.8bn.

The Thai businessman bought Leicester in 2010, with the club winning promotion to the top flight four years later and they then beat odds of 5000-1 to claim the Premier League title in 2015-16.

Stringer said: "I'm a local guy, I have followed the club for about 10 years, I remember them taking over and have generated a relationship with them. I have seen them in Thailand and Bangkok, in their home surroundings, they are really nice people.

"He [Srivaddhanaprabha] is a billionaire, very wealthy and successful man and so humble and lovely.

"He celebrated his birthday by handing out cake, he bought drinks for travelling supporters, bought breakfast and scarves for those on away trips.

"He wrote off the debt when he took over club from Milan Mandaric to give it a stable footing to be able to grow. He has invested an enormous amount of money.

"In the last 10 days the local council approved a new £100m training ground to be developed. The chairman is the saviour of the football club and taken it to heights no-one expected."

Leicester City Supporters Club chairman Cliff Ginetta told Radio 5 live: "It's such a tragedy. The family are very, very popular with the people of Leicester. They are loved by the Leicester public for what they have done to the football club and for what they have done for the city.

"They have put the city on the map worldwide, they've put millions of pounds into the club and lots and lots of money into local hospitals, children's care. When it's his birthday he buys everyone in the ground a beer and a cake. At Christmas time it's free mince pies and a drink and that's the way they are.

"He doesn't speak great English so he doesn't talk a lot but he certainly likes to walk around the ground and shake hands with people. He's got time for the normal fans."a92e7e78cb53d2c382367cb9af58538b185067d81df4458092

Lukaku strikes twice as Belgium battle past Switzerland

Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku struck twice as Belgium maintained their strong start to the Nations League with a battling 2-1 win over Switzerland on Friday.

When Lukaku found the net with an angled drive on 58 minutes, it looked like Roberto Martinez's men would be giving French World Cup winner Thierry Henry a winning send-off in his final match as Belgium assistant coach ahead of an imminent move to Monaco.

The World Cup semi-finalists took their eye off the ball on 76 minutes, and the King Baudoin Stadium was stunned when Mario Gavranovic poked the ball past Thibaut Courtois from close range in after the Real Madrid 'keeper had been drawn by Nico Elvedi heading Xherdan Shaqiri's floated cross back into play.

But in a busy final period that saw the hosts turn the throttle Lukaku had his second six minutes from time.

Belgium's second win of the fledgling tournament keeps them flying high in League A Group 2 following an opening 3-0 win in Iceland.

Fresh from their own 6-0 win over Iceland, Switzerland gave Belgium a run for their money in a fairly balanced opening half in which the hosts mainly flattered to deceive.

A Shaqiri effort on two minutes was no trouble for Courtois but Belgium threatend a minute later when Youri Tielemans completed a slick one-two to drive a rasping low shot inches wide of Yann Sommer's left upright.

Yannick Carrasco's header was off-target and then Eden Hazard was allowed to cut in from the left to set up Carrasco for a decent swipe at goal that inched just wide on 25 minutes.

Lukaku showed power and agility to hold off his markers, pivot and complete a one-two with Axel Witsel before testing Sommer's reflexes via a deflection off Fabian Shar's leg.

On 58 minutes Lukaku finally beat Sommer, from the right of the area after an assist from Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Meunier.

From a quickly-take Hazard corner, Mertens' curling drive was spot on but pushed to safety by Sommer at the far post just after the hour.

Minutes later Arsenal's Granit Xhaka fired just wide of Courtois's post.

Barcelona defender Thomas Vermeulen hobbled off to be replaced by Derdryck Boyata on 73 minutes.

Minutes later, the Belgian defence were nowhere when Gavranovic poked past the stranded Courtois for a 76th minute leveller.

Swiss hopes of a draw crashed when series of passes found Lukaku in space in the area and the big United striker bundled an awkward ball past the splayed Sommer for an 85th minute winner

Black Stars players set to return to clubs after win over Kotoko

Black Stars players are expected to fly out of town this weekend after featuring in the special friendly against Asante Kotoko on Friday.

The team will leave Kumasi on Saturday morning to Accra where some will catch connecting flights later that night to their bases.

It is expected that the foreign legion will rejoin their clubs earlier than expected after the double-header against Sierra Leone in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers were cancelled by CAF.

This will afford them time to settle early ahead of the resumption of the major leagues.

Inter Milan are expecting the early return of star player Kwadwo Asamoah to prepare for next week's derby clash against AC Milan.

US-based duo Jonathan Mensah and Harrison of MLS side Columbus Crew are expected to leave on Sunday morning.

Goalkeeper Richard Ofori, who plays for Maritzburg United in South Africa, will also leave on Sunday morning.

Emmanuel Boateng scores on return to Black Stars

UD Levante forward Emmanuel Boateng hit the back of the net on his return to national team duty as the Black Stars walloped Asante Kotoko 3-0 in a friendly match at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

Boateng was left out of Ghana's 21-man squad for last month's 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier 1-0 defeat against the Harambee of Kenya due to injury.

The 22-year-old was called up for the double header clash against Sierra Leone after churning out run of games on his injury return for Spanish La Liga side UD Levante.

However, following the cancellation of the game due to dispute between Sierra Leone FA and their government, the handlers of the Black Stars hastily arranged a friendly encounter against Asante Kotoko in which they emerged 3-0 winners.

After FC Nantes striker Majeed Waris had put the four-time Africa champions noses in front in the first stanza, Emmanuel Boateng climbed off the bench to score just two minutes after his introduction into the game before Christian Atsu completed the rout in the 55th minute.

Boateng last scored for the West African giants in June when they defeated 2014 World Cup bound Japan 2-0 at their own backyard.

The goal will be a morale booster for him after failing to hit the back of the net in 6 games for UD Levante in the Spanish La Liga.

Thierry Henry wants Kwame Ampadu as assistant at Monaco

Thierry Henry is planning to poach Arsenal Under 18 coach Kwame Ampadu as the Frenchman prepares to become Monaco manager.

The Gunners legend is set to take the reins at the Ligue 1 club after Leonardo Jardim was sacked this week.

Long-serving youth coach, Ampadu, father of Chelsea starlet Ethan, became close with Henry during their time working together at the Emirates.

Ampadu took up the coaching role at Arsenal in 2012 after making three first-team appearances for the club as a player between 1988 and 1991.

The Irishman made over 400 career appearances for clubs as varied as Plymouth, Newport County and Tiverton Town.

He spent four years as a youth coach with the Gunners before taking over as the Under 18 manager in 2016, following Henry's departure to join Roberto Martinez at Belgium.

Ampadu's son, Ethan, is at Chelsea and already a full Welsh international at just 18 years of age.

He made his Premier League debut for the Blues last year and already has five senior caps for Wales, playing in Thursday's night home defeat by Spain.

Monaco, 18th in the table, have turned to Henry after a disastrous start to the new campaign under Jardim with just one win in nine.

Henry is set to make his first move into management after leaving his lucrative role as a Sky Sports pundit in the summer.

On Wednesday, Sportsmail reported Henry had turned down the opportunity to manage Aston Villa after being approached by Monaco over an emotional return to the club.

The attraction of succeeding Jardim at Monaco, where Henry won silverware in a seven-year spell, convinced the 41-year-old.

The former Arsenal striker has a strong link with the principality side. He graduated from Monaco's academy to play 141 games for the club, winning the Ligue 1 title in 1996-97.

Kwesi Appiah impressed as Black Stars beat Kotoko 3-0

Head coach of Black Stars Kwesi Appiah is very impressed with the performance of his team following a 3-0 friendly win over Asante Kotoko.

Speaking to the media after the game, Kwesi Appiah described the game as a good exercise for his team and also a good preparatory game ahead of next month AFCON qualifier against Ethiopia.

“It was a good exercise for me, the essence of this game was to test some of the players that I invited. Some of them is been a while since I invited them.” Kwesi Appiah said.

“Some of them I wasn’t too sure about them. I needed this game to have a look at them before our next game next month”

“This game has open my eyes to change my decision on a lot of them” He said.

“I’m very impressed with the performance of the team, they played so well I wasn’t expecting them to play at that level. Some of them I even don’t know them. But I was very impressed.” he added.

“All the exercise I have been doing the whole year is to look at players who are playing at the highest level and I think most of the players are really good it’s important they keep playing at same level” he said.

Ghana’s AFCON qualifiers against Sierra Leone was cancelled after FIFA suspended the Sierra Leone FA for government interference.