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Alan Birchenall column: The day Raquel Welch came into the dressing room

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We play Chelsea today but first I must mention the tremendous game with Everton. What an atmosphere.

Our support has always been terrific but the buzz around the King Power Stadium last Saturday went up another level.

The lads noticed it. In fact, it was one of the talking points in the dressing room after the game.

That old cliche, the 12th man, was in evidence. If we can keep that sort of volume and enthusiasm up for the rest of the season, Leicester will be a very difficult place to come. And that includes the so-called big sides.

Speaking of big sides, it's Chelsea away today – another easy game.

If anyone saw Chelsea's first half against Burnley, it was absolutely frightening. They are my favourites to be champions.

We just need to keep Diego Costa quiet, and Hazard quiet, and Oscar quiet and Fabregas – and then Terry, Cahill and Ivanovic at corners.

But this is what it is all about. This is what we have strived for the last 10 years.

I was fortunate enough to spend three years at Chelsea before my move to Leicester. I was definitely better on the social side than on the pitch. It was the Swinging 60s, the King's Road.

I always say the three years I had there put 30 years on me. It was absolutely crazy. But I wouldn't change it for the world.

We had a great president back then in Sir Richard Attenborough. Whenever the American film stars came over, he always used to bring them to the games.

We would be in the dressing room half-an-hour before the game and there would be a knock on the door. Our manager Dave Sexton would have steam coming out of his ears.

There we were, in states of undress, and in would walk the likes of Frank Sinatra, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen.

One week he brought in the top female actress in the world, Raquel Welch. Now there's a story. Those days were unbelievable.

It was a brilliant time and I have been lucky enough today to be invited as one of Chelsea's guests.

My former skipper Ron 'Chopper' Harris will be coming to say hello. Knowing him, he will probably greet me with a good kick.

Make no mistake about it, though, I won't have any divided loyalties. There's only one side I want to win.

But hand on heart, I'd be happy to come away with a point. At half-time last week, we presented four cheques of £25,000 to charities helped by the Foxes Foundation – Samaritans, Macmillan Cancer Support (Lord Mayor's Appeal), Breast Cancer Care and Laura Centre. I also want to take this opportunity to thank all the City fans who donated at the annual end-of-season run. You raised a grand total of £40,845.

That is magnificent.

I went to Jimmy Walsh's funeral last week along with three of his former City team-mates, John Ogilvie, Richie Norman and Howard Riley.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Jimmy but he was a legend for our football club.

For all of Alan's columns, click here.

Alan Birchenall column: The day Raquel Welch came into the dressing room


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