Dunedin teacher John Hayden says he welled up when his team won. Photo / Otago Daily Times
Dreams do come true - just ask John Hayden and Natalie Evans.
The Dunedin duo were among a small bunch of Kiwi Leicester City fans yesterday wearing mile-wide grins.
Their team, the Foxes, won the English Premiership League, a victory that seemed about as likely at the start of the season as Pakistan winning the Rugby World Cup.
But it did happen, much to the pleasure of a clearly emotional Mr Hayden.
The Columba College teacher's family is from the Midlands town and he has supported the club all his life.
"It is just remarkable. I just can't believe it really. I welled up when it happened," Mr Hayden, 35, said.
"It is such a great story. Words can't describe it. Just all those years of not winning a trophy. To be honest, at the start of the season I would have hoped for 14th, just to stay up."
The remarkable triumph came from a side that was almost relegated last season. A win on the final day kept the Foxes in the Premier League last year. From there the side turned it round and when Tottenham Hotspur - the only club that could finish ahead of Leicester City - drew yesterday morning with Chelsea, the title was Leicester's.
"The first thing I did was ring my dad [Terry]. He's been a lifelong Leicester City fan, been to Filbert St and all that. It was quite emotional talking to him. It is really a remarkable victory for the underdog."
Winning the league comes a close second to having a child - Maia - for him and and would tie with getting married, he joked.
Mrs Evans, an administrator at Student Health, also has family from Leicester. At the start of the season she put $3 on Leicester City winning the league. At odds of 1000 to one, she pocketed $3003 from yesterday's title win.
"When I went in, I was going to put on just $1, but I decided to go with $3. I'm glad I did now," she said
"As it got nearer to winning the title, the bet didn't take over. To me it was more about my family and just knowing how much pleasure it would give them.
"It has been surreal. I've just had phone calls all day."
Mrs Evans, 27, would spend the money on her honeymoon to Port Douglas next month with husband Shea.
Todd McClay, Emma Poole, Tim Dangen, Chris Russell, Jeremy Rookes, and Chris Brandolino.