A deceased Liverpool fan from Lisburn will have his memorial moved to his home cemetery with the backing of former club captain Steven Gerrard
A Council block on a Co Antrim Liverpool fan’s memorial bench being moved has been lifted after an online petition garnered more than 1,100 signatures.
Robbie Fleming’s death in 2018 sparked an outpouring of support for his family with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard getting in touch with his distraught son Jack and inviting the family to Anfield.
A memorial bench was installed at Roselawn Cemetery following the 26-year-old Lisburn man’s cremation. But despite his family’s pleas to have the bench moved to Blaris Cemetery in Lisburn where members of his family are buried, the request was refused by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.
At the Council’s recent environment committee meeting on earlier this month, new rules were signed off meaning the bench can be relocated.
Robbie’s mother and councillors who campaigned on behalf of the family welcomed the relaxation of the regulations.
Following the committee’s approval of new memorial benches, Alison Fleming posted on Facebook: “Don’t even know where to start! Except with, I want to thank everyone who helped us and supported us with the petition to get my son’s bench moved! A special thanks goes to (councillor) Gary Hynds for all his help and keeping us updated!
“I’m so happy to say with the tears flooding down my cheeks our boy’s bench has tonight been passed at council meeting to be moved to the plot in Blaris beside my dad and sister’s grave, thank you so much to each and everyone of you, honestly I wish you knew just how much this means to us and our family!! YNWA.”
Robbie Fleming died suddenly at home in Lisburn on June 5, 2018. When an article on the death appeared in the Liverpool Echo, former England and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard made contact with the Fleming family and invited them over to Anfield.
Former managers, Kenny Dalglish and Roy Evans as well as current player Trent Alexander-Arnold also paid tribute to Robbie at the time with video messages sent to his family.
A family petition was later set up titled ‘Relocate Robbie Fleming memorial bench from the people of Lisburn & Steven Gerrard to home town cemetery’, and has received over 1,100 signatures.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Lisburn North Councillor Gary Hynds said: “Previously, there were no new benches allowed at the cemeteries. The Fleming family had contacted the council to move Robbie’s bench from Roselawn to Lisburn, but were told ‘no’.
“I then approached the council to get this changed with the family generating a petition. Robbie was well known in the Lisburn area and passed away in tragic circumstances. This will come as a great relief to the Fleming family.”
In chambers, Cllr Hynds added: “I would like to thank the directors and the chairperson for their recent engagement with me over recent months on this matter with the issue that is now included in the new regulations, in terms of benches. A resident came to me wanting to install a bench there.
“Things like this are obviously very important to residents, especially the circumstances of that particular resident. She loved her son and he was very well thought of in Lisburn and this will mean an awful lot to her and to people in general who need to do things like that.”