Leicester City's 5,000 to 1 title cost bookmakers millions
In August 2015 bookmakers offered 5,000 to 1 against Leicester City winning England's top division. Months earlier the club had been fighting relegation, and its new manager had just been sacked by Greece. By May, Leicester were champions for the first time in 132 years, and the bookies were counting losses of up to 25 million pounds.
Claudio Ranieri arrived after Nigel Pearson's dismissal, and the choice looked odd. His last job had ended after Greece lost to the Faroe Islands, and pundits including Gary Lineker, a Leicester fan and former striker, were sceptical. Leicester had spent much of the previous campaign bottom of the table before a late rally lifted them to 14th, so most experts expected them to go down.
Instead they won their opener against Sunderland and, after a 5-2 home loss to Arsenal in September, went on a long unbeaten run powered by Jamie Vardy, who scored in eleven consecutive league games to set a new record on 28 November. They reclaimed first place after drawing with Aston Villa on 16 January and never gave it up. The title was sealed on 2 May 2016, with two games to spare, when Chelsea and Tottenham drew 2-2 at Stamford Bridge. The previous best in the club's history had been second place in 1929.
The reaction matched the odds. The league's own boss, Richard Scudamore, rated it perhaps the greatest tale sport had ever produced. Lineker had vowed to front the BBC highlights show clad only in underwear should the title come, and he kept his word, wearing nothing but boxer shorts. One punter collected more than 100,000 pounds from a 20 pound stake at the original price, and the biggest payout, 200,000 pounds, went to someone who staked 100 pounds in October at 2,000 to 1. Some fans credited Buddhist monks hired by the Thai owners, or the 2015 reburial of Richard III in the city's cathedral.
Elsewhere the season was upside down too. Defending champions Chelsea sacked Jose Mourinho in December while 16th and finished tenth, the lowest ever for a reigning Premier League champion. Aston Villa, ever-present since 1992, were relegated for the first time since 1987.
Source: 2015–16 Premier League
