Fred Keenor
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Frederick Charles 'Fred' Keenor (July 1894 - 1972) is a former Cardiff City player who captained the team to F.A Cup success in 1927. To date, this is the only time the competition has been won by a team based outside of English borders.
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[edit] Early career
Keenor first signed as an amateur for Cardiff City in 1912, eventually going on to make 436 appearances for the club in a 19-year club career. He served the 17th Middlesex Battalion (the famous 'footballers' battalion) at the Somme receiving a leg wound and returned to lead Cardiff from the Southern League to the First Division where they established themselves as redoutable Cup fighters (beaten semi-finalists twice and runners' up (to Sheffield United) in 1925). After the 1925 Final Keenor reputedly said: "Just because we lost in our very first Cup Final, I don't think there is any cause to get down in the mouth. I can say here and now that one day soon our followers can be sure that Cardiff City will bring that cup to Wales." [1]
[edit] Abilities
Keenor's abilities were scant. A 'terrible' shot and unable to reliably run with the ball, his strength lay in his commitment to the cause and in his uncompromising tackling. Ernie Curtis said of him: "He was one of the hardest tacklers in the game, some said he was dirty but he was just hard. Nobody took liberties with old Fred ... [He] could run all night, he couldn't run with the ball mind you, but he could run all day." This gave his sides an immeasurable fillip.
[edit] Welsh national captain
Keenor's international career coincided with a spectacular period of success for the Welsh national side. They won the British International Championship in 1920, 1924 and 1928, overcoming an increasing reluctance on the part of English clubs to release players for games which they saw as being of no importance. In 1929 unable to call up a replacement Keenor had to play with strapping to protect an injured neck. But the most famous of all his international fixtures was in the 1930 game in Glasgow against Scotland in which a depleted Welsh side (titled 'Keenor and the 10 unknowns') drew 1-1. Ted Robbin's side, playing on a Saturday, had had no choice but to play 10 players from either Welsh League sides or from the non-Leagues.
The Welsh side that day (October 25, 1930 read: Wales: Sidney John Vivian Leonard (Len) Evans (Cardiff City)), Frederick (Fred) Dewey (Cardiff Corinthians), Wynne Crompton (Wrexham), William (Billy) Rogers (Wrexham), Fred Keenor (Cardiff City), Emrys Ellis (Oswestry Town), William Elvet (Billy) Collins (Llanelly), John Edward (Johnny) Neal (Colwyn Bay), Thomas (Tommy) Bamford (Wrexham), Walter William Robbins (Cardiff City), William Rees (Billy) Thomas (Newport County). Bamford scoring the Welsh goal after 6 minutes. [2]
Keenor was made club captain for the 1925-26 season and was in charge for the famous 1927 Cup victory against Arsenal when Hughie Ferguson's goal won the Cup for Cardiff; the first and only time the FA Cup has been won by a side outside of England. [3]
[edit] Later Life
Keenor signed for Crewe Alexandra for the 1930-31 season. Latterly he suffered from disabilities stemming from a hard-living lifestyle, not unbeknown to a tough upbringing.
