Upset at football club 'losing' ashes memorial

A daughter said she was mourning her dad again nearly four decades after his death, following a football club's removal of a memorial stone that contained some of his ashes.

Julie Westwood paid £99 for the stone at Birmingham City FC in 2000 which she regularly visited. But when she went on 20 December to lay flowers it was nowhere to be found, she said.

The stone had been placed beside the club's main entrance with Westwood being told it was a "permanent memento". When she made inquiries she said the club showed her a different stone in a different place.

A club spokesperson said they had engaged directly with Westwood and were disappointed a positive conclusion could not be reached.

Roy Westwood from Balsall Heath was a lifelong Blues fan. He died in 1988.

Julie Westwood had joined him at St Andrew's from the age of 10 and said even during an eight-year illness with a brain tumour, they always found a way to show their support.

"He couldn't go down to the Blues very often but he'd say to me, 'could you take me down the match' and I'd get him there whatever way I could", she added.

When Birmingham City introduced the memorials Westwood decided to have a stone laid with a few of his ashes in the cement. The family did not have any other memorial spot for him.

The stone was placed beside the club's main entrance off Cattell Road and Westwood received a certificate that stated it was a permanent memento, which would last a lifetime.

"I used to go every home match, every birthday, every Christmas, every anniversary, I've always done it, even driving past I'd stop and go and say hello to my Dad," she added.

The 63-year-old said she was devastated the stone was missing and described how a vertical blank brick was now in its place.

Julie Westwood contacted the club and was invited for a meeting in January, where she was taken to a brick that the club claimed to be her dad's.

"It's not the same colour, it's not got my mom's, mine or my daughter's name on it", she said.

She added that it was also in a completely different place, further forward and closer to the main road than the original.

In a statement, the club said a permanent memorial did not mean the original stone would remain in a single fixed location indefinitely but that it would always be in an accessible location at the stadium.

When asked specifically about where the missing stone was, the club said it was making no further comment.

Julie Westwood said she felt worse now than when her dad died as it had been a blessing for him to be out of pain. She added she knew "he would eventually be at St Andrew's".

"Now it's gone, it's just like losing him all over again."

After several emails to the club asking to try to track down the stone, Birmingham City responded with an "offer of goodwill" of £250 - but it came with conditions.

The club outlined it was not a "compensation payment" and if she were to accept, she must not share any details a goodwill payment had been made with third parties, or share any details of the payment on social media.

Westwood said she would never go back to the club or support the team again.

"They don't deserve me to support them how they have treated me," she said.

"I know it's been a long time since he's passed, but at the end of the day he's still my dad."

The club said it recognised and respected the "deep sentimental value" the tribute stones held.

They added that they have offered to install a new stone, with the intention to move it when the club relocates to its new stadium.

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