Fred Keenor original headstone is being unveiled in the memorial garden on Saturday before the Middlesborough game.
Fred’s nephew Graham Keenor, a member of the Trust, tells the story of how it all came about.
“As a new member of the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust in 2009 and on looking through the minutes of the Trust’s past meetings, I noticed that one item mentioned was to tend to Fred Keenor’s grave in Thornhill Crematorium.
“This prompted me to visit the grave where Fred’s ashes had been buried and found that the memorial stone was smothered by overgrown grass and the inscription on it could barely be read as it was badly weathered.
“I decided to look into the possibility of having the stone renewed and in discussions with Thornhill Crematorium found that my late father Wilfred Keenor had been the owner of the grave and as such the ownership passed onto me and my sister. This gave me the impetus to go ahead and renew the weathered headstone at Thornhill.
“I couldn’t bear the thought of Fred’s original headstone going to the rubbish tip, so knowing at the time that Cardiff City’s new stadium would incorporate a memorial garden I decided that when the time was right I would have Fred’s original headstone reconditioned and if permitted have it as a part of that memorial garden.
“With the successful unveiling of the Fred Keenor statue last Saturday there could be no better time than the present and having received permission from Cardiff City Football Club the reconditioned stone will be unveiled this coming Saturday, November 17 at 2pm.
“I’m sure the Keenor family and fans of Cardiff City Football Club will agree that this is an appropriate setting for Fred’s original memorial stone.”
Graham J Keenor