LONDON: Leicester City have decided to go ahead and play Saturday’s Premier League match at Cardiff despite the shock death of their Thai owner in a helicopter crash outside their ground last Saturday.

Distraught players and officials have joined fans from the Foxes and many other clubs over the last three days in laying floral and other tributes to Thai businessman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. His widow Aimon and their son and club vice-chairman Aiyawatt laid a wreath in the middle of the pitch on Monday. They were accompanied by the president of the Thai FA, Somyot Poompanmoung and his wife.

Tributes were led by Prince William, the president of the FA, and Prime Minister Theresa May.

Vichai and four other people died instantly when the helicopter taking him from the King Power Stadium crashed in flames. Tuesday’s League Cup tie against Southampton had to be postponed while air accident investigators continued their work at the crash site. They have already recovered the Agusta AW169 helicopter’s digital flight data recorder.

The others killed in the crash have been named as staff members Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, pilot Eric Swaffer and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz.

Leicester confirmed on Tuesday night that the visit to Cardiff would go ahead as scheduled. A one-minute silence will be observed before the game and players will wear black armbands in all the weekend’s league matches.

Cardiff chief executive Ken Choo said: “The thoughts and feelings of Leicester City are at the forefront of our minds. We will be offering our support to Leicester City in any way necessary.” Leicester are currently 12th in the Premier League on 13 points, while Cardiff are 17th with five points from 10 matches.

The club opened a book of condolence outside the stadium which carries the name of the King Power empire of airport duty-free shops. Tributes have poured in to Vichai who was unusual, among foreign owners, in his close rapport with the Leicester fans and the local community.

He had donated several million pounds to local hospitals and celebrated special events, such as Christmas and his own birthday, by giving free drinks and food to fans.

Former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who started his career at Leicester, was leaving the stadium with his wife when he said he saw the helicopter “spiralling down”. He said: “I was in shock and still am. It’s something that will live with us forever. It’s one of the most horrendous things anybody can ever see.”

Claudio Ranieri, who led the Foxes to their shock Premier League title in 2016 and was later sacked, said: “The chairman came into the dressing room only to dispense kind words, never to reproach you. Everything he touched became better.”

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