The voice of Leicester’s title miracle: Ian Stringer reflects 10 years on | OneFootball

Leicester City did the unthinkable 10 years ago – widely regarded as one of the greatest sporting stories of all time, the Foxes were crowned Premier League champions as 5000/1 outsiders.

While the club commemorate the occasion with today’s charity game after their drop to the third tier of English football, former BBC Radio Leicester commentator Ian Stringer was there to call the action throughout that historic 2015/16 campaign.

Here, Stringer reveals what it was like to be behind the mic for a remarkable footballing triumph.

Calling football history

Though Stringer was Leicester through and through, he highlighted the need for professionalism during key moments of the season, with the job “to not enjoy it and celebrate it but to tell the story to an audience.”

May 2nd 2026 marked 10 years from a night now engraved in history as Eden Hazard bent the ball into the top corner in the 83rd minute to send the city of Leicester into delirium.

It was the night Leicester City were crowned champions of England. A feat that no one ever believed would become reality, this was no dream for Leicester, it was far beyond the imagination.

Stringer reflected on this moment, with the commentator proudly looking back on his delivery for one of football’s most memorable goals.

He said: “As he scored, I think I screamed, ‘Hazard puts a full stop to the most incredible sports story you’ve ever read’, and just listening back to it, as I scream it in, I’m really proud of that goal, really proud.

“I think the pitch, the tone, the tempo, and the message of it is a full stop to the most incredible sporting story you’ve ever read, because, it’s never happened.”

Whilst Foxes fans and football fans across the world nervously watched on to see if Chelsea could find an equaliser, Ian Stringer would be screaming down the mic before the world had even seen the ball hit the back of the net.

Stringer explained that technical broadcast delays added to the drama already unfolding in West London, saying that he was “calling the biggest goal of of my career and I didn’t know whether it was going to go out on air or not”, with it only until after he checked that he knew the goal had gone out on air.

Balancing professionalism and emotion

Despite supporting Leicester since childhood, Stringer insisted that professionalism always came first behind the mic in order to ensure that delivery is fair and accurate, avoiding any potential bias.

Stringer explained that despite having a heart of blue and white, his job required him to have a broader outlook on the club, rather than a fan perspective.

He said: “You’ve got to be balanced, you’ve got to call it as you see it and that requires you to park your fandom somewhere and leave it for however many years.

“I think it’s disrespectful to your audience to discuss everything with blue-tinted spectacles.”

Stringer spoke on how the key focus was always to deliver the story to the audience and how his professionalism had to remain strong in order to produce his best work and provide to a local audience.

The commentator explained: “I was really, really strong, and my professionalism had to remain strong. I needed to tell the story, you’re not a fan, you’re not there to enjoy it and celebrate it. You’re there to tell a story to an audience, and the audience expects.”

Stringer stressed the importance of delivery to a local audience in which they can emotionally relate to, as he explained one of his favourite sayings is “you reflect the feelings of your audience”, with the commentator having a great understanding of what it means to a local Leicestershire audience.

Stringer said: “If your audience is a local audience, they want success, they want the truth, they want it to be honest. But if it’s successful, reflect that success.”

The pressure of live a broadcast

Stringer spoke about the fine details of being behind the microphone, with it crucial to get the story and tone right for major moments.

With the final games of the season dawning, the BBC Radio Leicester commentator knew that there would be a defining moment for the Foxes in which they would be crowned Champions.

“The biggest risks are the technicals, so you’ve got to get your technicals right. The biggest risks are your voice, so you’ve got to be on voice rest and the biggest risks are you don’t tell the story, or you get caught up in the story as a fan, as a boy from Leicester.

“Well, separate yourself from that, and narratively call it as you see it. You’ve got to assess all those risks going into the last four or five games when you know it’s done, because there is going to be a moment.”

When that moment comes, as it did for the Foxes at Stamford Bridge, a commentator has got to be prepared for that instant and only gets one shot at delivering the lines effectively.

Stringer talked about the pressure that comes with that moment and the need to execute under pressure with the right tone and word choice.

“When your moment comes, you’ve got to deliver. You can’t go, can we retake that? No, it’s not rehearsed. It’s live. You’ve got no choice. You’ve got to call it.”

Wider impact on the city

A sporting achievement often has huge positive implications for a city, but this was far superior to an ordinary title win. This was a team of rejects who had been undermined, with the squad valuing little over £50 million.

The appointment of Claudio Ranieri was laughed at, he was mocked, the Italian was written off before the season had even started.

The city of Leicester had the last laugh and when that full-time whistle blew at Stamford Bridge, the community was united like never before.

“It was wonderful to be there. I was there the next morning, May 3rd, and I remember seeing the road sweepers sweeping up champagne bottles, clunking across the concrete in front of the King Power Stadium”

The 2016 title win would change Leicester forever – people were interested and talking about the city, a place previously associated with Walkers Crisps and Pork Pies suddenly become a tourist attraction.

Stringer reminisced about the implications and what it meant: “The city, it just lifted the city, it elevated the city.”

Leicester as a city was beyond proud of the achievement, and for Stringer the memories of what it meant to the people of Leicester remain incredibly special.

“As a city, we were and are so proud of our sporting heritage. Loughborough University is a mecca for sport and it put a smile on the face of the city, it put a smile on the face of the Fox as you came into the city.

“It was just beautiful to be around. They were special times, and you can’t stop smiling when you think about it.”