Leicester City Football Club granted Freedom of Charnwood Borough

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).

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."

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."

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."

Freedom of the Borough is the highest honour the Council can bestow.

It does not carry any privileges or powers but it is only awarded in exceptional circumstances where the prospective recipient has rendered eminent services to the borough. They will have demonstrated outstanding achievements in the borough and/or on the international stage which have brought pride and satisfaction to the borough.

To grant the honour, there must be a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the members present at a meeting of the Council, specially convened for the purpose of granting the Freedom of the Borough.

(Source and Image- Charnwood Borough Council)