Tributes Honor Neville Foulger, ‘Voice of Leicester City’, Following His Death

Following the passing of Neville Foulger at 85, a former BBC football commentator known as the “voice of Leicester City,” numerous tributes have been offered. Foulger, a a journalist esteemed for over 50 years, was closely associated with a successful era for Leicester City, or the Foxes, from the late 1990s until his retirement in 2004. During this time, the club participated in three league cup finals and consistently secured top-half positions in the Premier League. Geoff Peters, currently with TalkSport, was among those who paid respects. Peters had been a colleague and friend of Foulger for an extended period at BBC Radio Leicester. Peters stated: “He’s been a constant throughout my life… he was a real father figure.” Mr. Foulger, a resident of Barrow upon Soar in Leicestershire, also held journalistic positions in Nottingham, Birmingham, and Coventry over the course of his career. His last assignment for the Coventry Telegraph was Coventry City’s notable 3-2 FA Cup victory in 1987, prior to his relocation to Leicester to manage a press agency. Subsequently, he spent many years reporting and commentating on both football and cricket for BBC Radio Leicester until his retirement. Mr. Peters recounted being hired by Mr. Foulger at his news agency at the age of 16, and later collaborating with him at BBC Radio Leicester in the mid-1990s. Their paths crossed once more in the press box when Mr. Foulger undertook some work for Leicester City during their remarkable Premier League title-winning campaign in 2016. Peters further expressed his emotion regarding the numerous social media tributes from individuals who had closely followed games over the years. He stated: “As a boss he was hard but fair… I owe him lots. Today is a sad day.” He continued: “I learned so much from him, he was a brilliant journalist. He was a very giving, kind, caring person.” Peters also noted: “He was a wonderful family man – I saw him earlier this year and he really sparkled when he was talking about his family.” He concluded: “My heart is full of so much love that I could spend so much time with him over the years and learn from him.” Leicester City issued a statement, saying: “We are all saddened to hear of the passing of much-loved journalist, Neville Foulger.” The club added: “Covering countless City games, Nev commentated on some of the club’s greatest moments across several decades.” The statement concluded: “Nev was known by many generations as the voice of Leicester City, and will be sadly missed by all who knew him.” He is survived by his wife, Fran; his children, David and Anne; and his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.