It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of SFA Life Member and Vice President Bob Keyes; Bob passed away peacefully at his home. 

Bob’s long career in football saw him both as a successful referee and a club and league administrator. As a referee Bob rose to the old Class 1 and acted as an Assistant Referee (then known as a Linesman) on the Football League. In spite of reaching the top in refereeing he never forgot his roots and throughout his life he remained a passionate supporter of refereeing especially at the grass roots level. 

Bob also had a dual career as an administrator, his long-time friend Alan Cumner recalls that this started in the 1950 when he became club secretary for Corpus Christi FC. He soon moved onto the management Committee of the Weston Super Mare & District League, with whom he would remain associated for the rest of his life. Bob would eventually move through nearly all of the senior positions within the league serving as Vice Chairman, Chairman, President and finally Patron of the League. He took great pride in the league and he is very much synonymous with the WSM&D.

Bob first was elected to the council of the Somerset FA in 1970, he did leave council before re-joining in 1990 and going on to become a Life Member of the Association; he was also elected a Vice president of Somerset FA. He also served on a number of County Committees, not least the Premier Cup Committee; as part of this he would invariably be found at Premier Cup matches, even in later life when illness would have stopped lesser people attending. He was also a very keen supporter of the County Representative teams, attending almost every match, he was very much a regular on the coach to away matches, and a passionate and vociferous supporter of the Mavis Tate and Durnford Cup, anyone who will have attended a council meeting when either of these competitions were debated can attest to his keen support of them. He always attended council, it was only in the last year or so that ill health prevented him, and he would invariably speak very often to praise a match he had attended and enjoyed.

A great servant of the game in Somerset, and an especially passionate of the grassroots game and refereeing; he will be greatly missed by everyone. Our sympathies go to his family and his many friends and colleagues in football.

The details of Bob’s funeral are:

Date: Thursday November 28th 2019 
Time: 10.30 AM 
Venue: Corpus Christi Church, Ellenborough Park South, Weston-super-Mare BS23 1XW

After the funeral you are invited to Worlebury Golf Course, Worlebury Hill Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS22 95X.

Please note family flowers only but donations can be made to either Weston Hospital League of Friends or The Heart Foundation, care of The Elms Funeral Directors  50 Baker Street, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 3AQ.