What Football Club Should a Gheorghie Support?

In the first episode of WFCSAGS, I promised to put more effort into matching the man to the club. Zman's perfect fit came to me in a burst of inspiration, but that's not always available. What do I look like, Dolly Parton?

So it took me a while to find a team for Whitney. As I said in a toast at his (first) wedding, Whitney is a simple man. Give him beer, food, and friends, and he's probably good. But sometimes simplicity belies complexity.

Below the surface, Whit's got a lot going on. He's by turns lyrical, bawdy, competitive (don't let him fool you on that front), sharp with an insult and equally quick with a healing word, charismatic, and perhaps above all, loyal to his friends.

Try as I might (in order to give him a better deal than I did Zman in terms of on-field success), I really couldn't find a way to tie Whitney to one of the Premier League's top clubs. Too many petrodollars and hedge fund money for a man of the people to feel comfortable supporting. There's a reason he traded in the Yankees for the Mets so many years ago.

Whitney needs a team that's deeply committed to its community, that's peopled by characters, owned by a family that values culture and connectedness with a squad that's capable of moments of magic. 

Whitney should root for Leicester City. The Foxes have been owned since 2010 by the Srivaddhanaprabha family, owners of the Thai retail conglomerate King Power. From the beginning of its tenure at the club, the family insisted that employees and players connect with supporters in a variety of meaningful ways. During the pandemic, the club doubled down on efforts to support local charities, and refused to furlough staff while other, much bigger clubs did so.

Club chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha perished in a tragic helicopter accident immediately after a game in October 2018. It's a measure of the players' affection for him and his family that when they won the 2020 FA Cup, captain Kasper Schmeichel sought out Srivaddhanaprabha's son and successor as chairman, Aiyawatt, and included him in the on-field celebration.

Leicester City famously won the 2016 Premier League title as a 5,000-1 underdog. The yin and yang of that team - both of whom still play important roles for Leicester - encapsulate the duality of Whitney. Goalkeeper and captain Schmeichel is one of the game's most upstanding citizens, the dignified moral compass of the squad. Leading goalscorer - then and now - Jamie Vardy is a scamp, a rollicking movable party with a gleam in his eye and a rascal's charm. 

In Thailand as in many Eastern cultures, there's an emphasis on balance. The Srivaddhanaprabha family's stewardship of Leicester City offers one final reason for Whitney to embrace them and their team. Leicester stands in stark opposition to his American football rooting interest. By donning Leicester's royal blue, Whitney can achieve sporting balance, adding good to his own personal scales of sporting justice. And we all need balance.

Up the Foxes! Up the Whitney!