How Leicester City turned a grieving nine-year-old’s nightmare week into a dream come true

Sharon Wong
Subscriber

Cute Charlie
Source: bbc.com

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Your favourite club reaching out to you after you lose your mother may never replace her, but it’s doubtless that nine-year-old Charlie Keyworth will keep the memory close to his chest for life. Two days after he lost his mother Sandra to cancer, Leicester City arranged a VIP tour for him of the King Power stadium. And all he’d wanted was a keychain or two.

“All Charlie wanted was to go to the shop and get a mug and a key-ring,” his dad Mike said, “He got an awful lot more and it took his mind off other things for a while.”

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Source: lcfc.com

Charlie’s familial connections with the club did help him get through the door a bit. His great uncle Ken Keyworth happened to be a Leicester City player in the 60’s and his uncle Rob decided to milk that tie for what it was worth to get the club to “make a bit of a fuss” over him. Leicester promptly responded and got their historian to be Charlie’s personal guide through the King Power stadium, where he got up close and personal with some of his great uncle’s memorabilia.

Charlie again
Source: bbc.com

Adorbs
Source: bbc.com

“Basically with no notice Leicester City rolled out the red carpet for a nine-year-old boy who has just lost his mum,” praised Rob, “Thank you Leicester. Thank you.”

Definitely not a bad press for a football club, which aren’t known to be the most merciful entities out there. And we’re sure Charlie is thrilled, even if he wishes his mum was still around to share in the experience.