CARDIF CITY ICONS: THE FRED KEENOR STORY
Fri Sep 07, 2018 9:41 am
The story of Cardiff’s Fred Keenor and the only Welsh side to lift the FA Cup
By Scott Salter
Friday 7th September 2018
Cast your mind back to some of English football’s greatest FA Cup winners. Bill Shankly won the cup with Liverpool in 1965 and 1974, Sir Alex Ferguson won the cup five times and Don Revie won it for Leeds in 1972.
The FA Cup is one of world football’s greatest tournaments. It’s magic. Despite all of the money invested in the Premier League, the FA Cup remains a prestigious competition that every team wants to win. Of those that have lifted the cup, only one has been based outside of England. Cardiff City, under the guidance of captain and war veteran Fred Keenor, won the FA Cup in 1927 when they faced Arsenal at Wembley. It is the only time that the English FA Cup has left England.
The son of a bricklayer, Keenor’s individual story is fascinating in itself. A standout player as a youngster, the Cardiff-born Keenor had to turn to a trade in order to earn a living. He continued to play in local leagues, where he was snapped up by his former teacher Walter Riden, who was a part of the Cardiff – a new club – board by this point. Just as Keenor established himself in Cardiff’s first team, war broke out. A year later, the professional game in Britain was suspended and Keenor, like many, faced no choice but to enrol in military service.
The Welshman joined the 17th Middlesex Battalion, famously dubbed the ‘Footballer’s Battalion’. It was a unique group in that every single member of the Battalion was a professional footballer. Keenor, under the service number F/653, served as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer alongside Huddersfield’s Jack Cock and Fred Bullock, Coventry’s Jack Doran and Chelsea’s Vivian Woodward, all of whom were internationals prior to, or after, their service.
Led by Bradford City’s England international Frank Buckley, who would later be appointed Norwich City manager after returning from the Great War with an injury to his lung and shoulder, the battalion experienced over 25 fatalities during the war. Keenor, though, returned to Britain after getting injured in the Battle of the Somme (1916), where a leg wound threatened to end his footballing career. He worked in Aldershot before returning to Wales. Despite being told he’d never play again, Keenor ‘never knew when he was beaten,’ according his nephew Graham.
As the War ended and professional football resumed in 1919, Keenor re-joined Cardiff City and the club rose rapidly from the Southern League to the First Division of the Football League.
In 1923/24, Cardiff would lose out on the league title by one of the narrowest margins ever recorded in English football history – a fraction of a goal – but it was in the FA Cup where the club saw their greatest glory.
A semi-final appearance in 1921 was followed by a runners-up medal in 1925, where they lost to Sheffield United.
"When Cardiff lost the 1925 FA Cup final, he [Keenor] told reporters that he was proud to have got so far, and that supporters shouldn't be down-in-the-mouth as he could confidently say that Cardiff would go one better sometime soon - and he was right." (Graham Keenor in 2012)
It would take just two years for Keenor to lead Cardiff back to Wembley and an FA Cup final appearance, with wins against Aston Villa, Darlington, Bolton, Chelsea and Reading sending them to the final.
Arsenal, led by the iconic Herbert Chapman, were Cardiff’s final opponents – the first ever to be broadcast by BBC radio. While the match-up was not billed as the David v Goliath clash it would be if the two sides met now, Arsenal were expected to keep the cup in the English capital.
The game itself was a bit of a stale affair. The Manchester Guardian reported that the game was tight and the end-to-end nature left little to report on. The game is, however, remembered for the famous winning goal, or perhaps the part the Arsenal goalkeeper had to play in the goal.
A true hit and hope shot from Cardiff centre forward Hughie Ferguson was spilled into the net by Arsenal goalkeeper Dan Lewis – a howler of the highest nature.
The team, led by captain Keenor, returned home to the Welsh capital at 6:30pm that evening to an unbelievable reception. Crowds gather to welcome home their heroes and the team were received by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff. Ferguson was the goalscorer, but Keenor was the true hero; leading the side to their first ever FA Cup victory. Today, a statue stands outside the Cardiff City Stadium of Keenor holding the trophy aloft.
Keenor remains the face of that historic Cardiff side – the first non-English based side to win the FA Cup. The best part? The final took place on St George’s Day.
By Scott Salter
Friday 7th September 2018
Cast your mind back to some of English football’s greatest FA Cup winners. Bill Shankly won the cup with Liverpool in 1965 and 1974, Sir Alex Ferguson won the cup five times and Don Revie won it for Leeds in 1972.
The FA Cup is one of world football’s greatest tournaments. It’s magic. Despite all of the money invested in the Premier League, the FA Cup remains a prestigious competition that every team wants to win. Of those that have lifted the cup, only one has been based outside of England. Cardiff City, under the guidance of captain and war veteran Fred Keenor, won the FA Cup in 1927 when they faced Arsenal at Wembley. It is the only time that the English FA Cup has left England.
The son of a bricklayer, Keenor’s individual story is fascinating in itself. A standout player as a youngster, the Cardiff-born Keenor had to turn to a trade in order to earn a living. He continued to play in local leagues, where he was snapped up by his former teacher Walter Riden, who was a part of the Cardiff – a new club – board by this point. Just as Keenor established himself in Cardiff’s first team, war broke out. A year later, the professional game in Britain was suspended and Keenor, like many, faced no choice but to enrol in military service.
The Welshman joined the 17th Middlesex Battalion, famously dubbed the ‘Footballer’s Battalion’. It was a unique group in that every single member of the Battalion was a professional footballer. Keenor, under the service number F/653, served as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer alongside Huddersfield’s Jack Cock and Fred Bullock, Coventry’s Jack Doran and Chelsea’s Vivian Woodward, all of whom were internationals prior to, or after, their service.
Led by Bradford City’s England international Frank Buckley, who would later be appointed Norwich City manager after returning from the Great War with an injury to his lung and shoulder, the battalion experienced over 25 fatalities during the war. Keenor, though, returned to Britain after getting injured in the Battle of the Somme (1916), where a leg wound threatened to end his footballing career. He worked in Aldershot before returning to Wales. Despite being told he’d never play again, Keenor ‘never knew when he was beaten,’ according his nephew Graham.
As the War ended and professional football resumed in 1919, Keenor re-joined Cardiff City and the club rose rapidly from the Southern League to the First Division of the Football League.
In 1923/24, Cardiff would lose out on the league title by one of the narrowest margins ever recorded in English football history – a fraction of a goal – but it was in the FA Cup where the club saw their greatest glory.
A semi-final appearance in 1921 was followed by a runners-up medal in 1925, where they lost to Sheffield United.
"When Cardiff lost the 1925 FA Cup final, he [Keenor] told reporters that he was proud to have got so far, and that supporters shouldn't be down-in-the-mouth as he could confidently say that Cardiff would go one better sometime soon - and he was right." (Graham Keenor in 2012)
It would take just two years for Keenor to lead Cardiff back to Wembley and an FA Cup final appearance, with wins against Aston Villa, Darlington, Bolton, Chelsea and Reading sending them to the final.
Arsenal, led by the iconic Herbert Chapman, were Cardiff’s final opponents – the first ever to be broadcast by BBC radio. While the match-up was not billed as the David v Goliath clash it would be if the two sides met now, Arsenal were expected to keep the cup in the English capital.
The game itself was a bit of a stale affair. The Manchester Guardian reported that the game was tight and the end-to-end nature left little to report on. The game is, however, remembered for the famous winning goal, or perhaps the part the Arsenal goalkeeper had to play in the goal.
A true hit and hope shot from Cardiff centre forward Hughie Ferguson was spilled into the net by Arsenal goalkeeper Dan Lewis – a howler of the highest nature.
The team, led by captain Keenor, returned home to the Welsh capital at 6:30pm that evening to an unbelievable reception. Crowds gather to welcome home their heroes and the team were received by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff. Ferguson was the goalscorer, but Keenor was the true hero; leading the side to their first ever FA Cup victory. Today, a statue stands outside the Cardiff City Stadium of Keenor holding the trophy aloft.
Keenor remains the face of that historic Cardiff side – the first non-English based side to win the FA Cup. The best part? The final took place on St George’s Day.
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Re: CARDIF CITY ICONS: THE FRED KEENOR STORY
Fri Sep 07, 2018 9:51 am
A truly great period for Cardiff City FC and one that is still celebrated today! 
Two FA Cup Finals in three years were preceded by the club finishing a tight second in 1923/25 when they were pipped to the Division One (now Premier League) title for the sake of one goal over the season; still the tightest title finish for the top division
Rumour has it that an additional winners medal was minted and handed to the Welsh born Arsenal keeper for that day, Dan Lewis
The rest, as they say, is history!
Two FA Cup Finals in three years were preceded by the club finishing a tight second in 1923/25 when they were pipped to the Division One (now Premier League) title for the sake of one goal over the season; still the tightest title finish for the top division
Rumour has it that an additional winners medal was minted and handed to the Welsh born Arsenal keeper for that day, Dan Lewis
The rest, as they say, is history!
Re: CARDIF CITY ICONS: THE FRED KEENOR STORY
Fri Sep 07, 2018 8:38 pm
We lost the league to Huddersfield by 0.024 of a goal and drew our last game with Birmingham, missing a penalty in the process. If ever there’s a season that sums up being a Bluebird... 
An excellent read on a topic I have a genuine interest and respect for having done various Battlefield tours throughout Europe. It’s not football related, but anyone with an interest should read up on the story of Cpt Noel Godfrey Chavasse.
Keenor and his Regiment were involved in the Battle of the Somme, in particular the battle of Delville Wood which was one of the bloodiest conflicts in history and one Keenor himself described as a “hellish battle”. During which, Keenor was badly wounded by shrapnel above his left knee on 28 Jul 16 and it was so severe that Doctors debated amputating the leg, but decided against it.
My favourite ever Sgt Fred Keenor quote is “There was not a sign of cowardice amoung our men. Some of them may have been called “Windy” on the football fields of England, but out there in France, they stood the real test of time”.
An excellent read on a topic I have a genuine interest and respect for having done various Battlefield tours throughout Europe. It’s not football related, but anyone with an interest should read up on the story of Cpt Noel Godfrey Chavasse.
Keenor and his Regiment were involved in the Battle of the Somme, in particular the battle of Delville Wood which was one of the bloodiest conflicts in history and one Keenor himself described as a “hellish battle”. During which, Keenor was badly wounded by shrapnel above his left knee on 28 Jul 16 and it was so severe that Doctors debated amputating the leg, but decided against it.
My favourite ever Sgt Fred Keenor quote is “There was not a sign of cowardice amoung our men. Some of them may have been called “Windy” on the football fields of England, but out there in France, they stood the real test of time”.
Re: CARDIF CITY ICONS: THE FRED KEENOR STORY
Sun Sep 09, 2018 8:13 pm
In Fred keenor our club had one of footballs genuine all time greats no modern pampered player comes any where near in my opinion.