Keith Pontin 14/6/56-2/8/20

Sad news today of the passing of former Cardiff City and Wales centreback Keith Pontin at the age of just sixty four.

Keith was diagnosed with dementia in 2016 and this had led to speculation that, as a player for whom heading the ball was an important, perhaps the most important, aspect of his game, that, like Jeff Astle who is probably the most famous ex player whose death has been linked to dementia, the seeds for his demise were sown decades earlier when he was was a household name.

Keith Pontin was never a household name on a national basis like a Jeff Astle was, but there were plenty in Wales and beyond who were aware of him as an effective, stopper type defender who would weigh in with the occasional goal for his team.

I can remember being somewhat critical of Keith in pub post match discussions and he was never a particular favourite of mine, but it struck me one night that when our analysis of what we had watched hours earlier turned to the team we would select for the next game, Pontin would always be one of the first names I came out with when going through my side.

As someone who played first team football for City between 1975 and 1982, Pontin was usually part of a team that was struggling at second tier level, but, once he had established himself in the 1977/78 season, he was one of the better players in the side – not good enough for the First Division in my view, but he would have been a regular in second tier sides that were higher placed than us year in, year out.

He was only capped twice by Wales at senior level, but one of them came in the famous 4-1 win over England at the Racecourse, Wrexham in 1980.

Pontin was just twenty four that day against the English and the thought then that he would be finished with league football and the full time game within two and a half years would have seemed ridiculous unless he had suffered some serious injury. However, in September 1982 during the early part of a season which would see City promoted, he played in a 3-2 home win over Wigan to make it four games for him so far that campaign and then was lost to the club forever for reasons which have never been made totally clear.

A website I use talks of “a bizarre disagreement” with the City management team being the reason for Keith Pontin’s Cardiff career coming to such an abrupt end and other sources are agreed that a difference of opinion with manager Len Ashurst was at the heart of it. As to whether it was to do with money, football, team selection, off field issues (i.e the usual reasons why a player falls out with his manager) is anyone’s guess.

Keith went on to play for Merthyr, Barry and then his birthplace Pontyclun for several seasons. He also worked as a postman in the Cardiff area for a number of years and my mail was delivered by him on a few occasions.

Keith and his wife were interviewed on BBC Wales following his dementia diagnosis and one of the things that came over to me was that, whatever the reason for him leaving City, he took a lot of pride in his time with us – may he rest in peace following his demise at such a young age and my commiserations go out to his family and friends.