Family ‘hearts ripped out’ if Liverpool fan son’s memorial bench is ‘removed’ amid council warning

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard helped to console Robbie Fleming’s son following his passing.

A Lisburn family has said their grandson’s “heart would be ripped out” if a council warning to remove graveyard memorial benches was actioned.

Liverpool fan Robert ‘Robbie’ Fleming’s death in 2018 sparked an outpouring of support for his family with football legend Steven Gerrard getting in touch to console his distraught son Jack.

But in 2024, the Fleming family found themselves in a struggle with Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council in a campaign to move his memorial bench from Roselawn to Blaris Cemetery.

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And now council CEO David Burns has warned local families that memorial benches not maintained will be “removed”.

Robert’s mum Alison spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week on claims of damage being caused. She said: “To think that my son’s bench could be taken away from his us would just be heartbreaking, to take it from his son, would be like ripping his heart out.

“I know other families will not be happy about this warning. The fact is the grass cutting around my son’s bench is absolutely horrific. They are whacking the bench and the flower pots have been smashed from the arm of the chair, because they don’t have any respect whatsoever.

“My husband Vernon is forever cleaning and brushing. We’ve had to replace flowers that have been smashed up by grass cutters and it is the same for my mother’s grave. It’s not about maintaining benches, it’s the damage being caused by others.

“She passed away in September and was to go into the family grave of my sister and my Dad. There were things on the grave for my sister and Dad and they didn’t even remove them when digging the grave. The stuff just fell into the grave and left, then covered up when Mum was buried.”

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. The Flemings still keep close contact with the former club captain’s family.

Alison said: “I still keep in touch with the Gerrard family, Steven Gerrad’s mother and me are very, very good friends. When I had my son’s bench in Roselawn, when they cut the grass we never had an issue, they cleaned up and done everything, they were respectful to any tribute and flowers. But, Blairs, typically is different.

“It was my son’s decision to be cremated when he would pass away, but to me that memorial bench is like me and my husband going to our son’s grave, it is our place of comfort.

“I fought so hard to get this and now to say they would remove them because they are not maintained, is just gutless. I have had one ground’s man come to me and say, ‘Alison, your son’s bench has almost become a tourist attraction’. That brought me so much comfort.

“We just ask that our son’s memorial bench and all other families’ benches be respected, to even think of taking that away is like taking a grave away. “

In council chambers this week, Lisburn North independent councillor, Gary Hynds raised concerns over the state of Blaris Cemetery.

He said: “I have had a lot of communication over the summer regarding concerns on the upkeep of our cemeteries. Often it is comments made from residents saying, we look after Castle Gardens so well, it is fantastic as well as other parks in Lisburn which are immaculate.

“Our staff are great in that way, but in terms of Blairs Cemetery I am afraid that once again this year I have had a lot of people complaining about it. I know specifically said to the committee, if we need staff in that area, we need to bring it to the committee so that we can approve it. “Have we got dedicated staff for that ? Is there more needed? We need our cemeteries to be in a better position than what is being reported to me and I can see for myself.”

In response, CEO David Burns said: “In terms of the graveyard upkeep, I saw some of the comments on social media about this and I do know the director went out to view the cemetery. And the issues that were being raised weren’t necessarily to do with our maintenance.

“It was to do with the chairs that are around the sides of the graves, which are not our responsibility. They are bought by families and some of them fall into disrepair, because they were purchased years and years ago. The families take on the responsibility for the upkeep and sometimes they fall into disrepair. In such circumstances we remove them.”

“We have spent some money in the Old Lisburn cemetery replacing all the footpaths in the not so distant past, so things are starting to look better there.

“We have had staff shortages across the parks team and we have had to move between our parks and cemeteries to keep on top of them. So, there is no need for anything to come in front of the committee in terms of additional staff, we just need to try and find the staff out there to help us maintain them, which the team is actively working on.”

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