News Reports

The Speaker of the House of Commons announced the death of Feltham and Heston MP Alan Keen today. Mr Keen had been an MP for 19 years having been elected in 1992. He was 73.

Alistair Campbell Blog
http://www.alastaircampbell.org/blog/2011/11/14/rip-alan-keen-mp-a-real-football-man-in-the-corridors-of-power/
 
Daily Mirror
http://m.mirror.co.uk/article?a=m4:23560806
 

Northern Echo
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/9362264.Tributes_follow_death_of_Boro_scout_turned_MP__Alan_Keen/

Evening Gazette
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2011/11/15/tributes-to-former-boro-scout-alan-keen-mp-84229-29775418/
 
 
Mark Field MP
http://www.markfieldmp.com/news-articles/subject/parliament-constitutional-affairs/1639-alan-keen-mp
 
 
The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/alan-keen-mp-known-for-his-passion-for-football-6262268.html

Gordon Brown
Labour Uncut Blog
http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2011/11/14/gordon-browns-tribute-to-alan-keen/
 


Total Politics
http://www.totalpolitics.com/blog/273067/labour-mp-alan-keen-dies-aged-73.thtml

Huffing ton Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/11/14/alan-keen-labour-mp-dies_n_1091917.html#s471135&title=Harriet_Harman

West London Today
http://westlondontoday.co.uk/content/alan-keen-mp-loses-cancer-battle
 

Others
Labour MP Gisela Stewart tweeted it was "very sad news".

Remembering "the greatest champion of football in Parliament", Gordon Brown said Keen "was a great, locally popular, dilligent London MP, and a great fighter for local causes.

"He was a great footballer, and a scout for his favourite club Middlesbrough F.C. for eighteen years. Working with Jackie Charlton, the footballers he spotted included Graeme Souness.

"He was Chairman of the All Party Football Group with over 150 members from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, making it one of the largest All Party Groups at the Palace of Westminster and spoke up for the grassroots and fans. He conducted two major inquiries into 'English Football and its Governance'.

"I salute his bravery in facing cancer – fighting it as long as he could - and he will be remembered as someone who taught us how to fight illness. As he acknowledged the NHS could not have done more to be of help and support."

Labour leader Ed Miliband described Keen as a "decent, generous man."

“Alan was Labour to his core – loyal, passionate about social justice and deeply committed to a fairer society," said Miliband.

“A dedicated football fan, Alan continued to play for the parliamentary football team until his illness took hold. He was a great believer in the power of sport to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds make the best of their lives.

“Alan was great friend to me and he will be sorely missed by all.”

Tracey Crouch, the Conservative MP for Chatham and Aylesford, is an FA qualified coach who manages a girl's football team in her spare time. She paid tribute to another footballing politician this morning, describing Keen as a "genuinely nice man" who "used to tell fascinating tales of his time as a scout for Middlesborough"

Also among those paying tribute are Keen's colleagues on the culture, media and sport select committee. Louise Mensch, a conservative, said she was "very, very sad" to hear of the death of her "good-humoured" colleague.

In his tribute, Alistair Campbell remembered a politician who, when it came to football, "knew what he was on about".

"He always knew the score of Burnley’s last game, which should of course be common knowledge amongst all humanity but alas tends to be confined to a minority," said Campbell.

"The last time I saw him, he came up to me and said the single word ‘jealous’ – because a while ago I had played in a charity match at the club’s Riverside stadium.

“It is not unknown for MPs to switch football allegiance when they get a seat away from their home base, but Alan never lost the Boro blood coursing through his veins. He went to Brentford not just because they were his local team when he moved to London, but more because he could watch football all day long.”

On Twitter, other Labour grandees have expressed sorrow at his death.Ken Livingstone said he was "very sad to hear the news that Alan Keen MP has died. My thoughts are with his family and friends today."

Deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman tweeted "So sad about Alan Keen. Deeply committed and thoughtful. Will be greatly missed."
 
Tory MP Louise Mensch also paid tribute to the 73-year-old on Monday morning, tweeting: "Very, very sad to hear of the death Alan Keen. He was a colleague on the Select Committee and always good-humoured."My condolences to his wife Ann and to all in the Labour party."

@HarrietHarman
Harriet Harman
So sad about Alan Keen. Deeply committed and thoughtful. Will be greatly missed

@theresecoffey
Therese Coffey
Heavens. So sad. Alan Keen. RIP

@SarahBrownUK
Sarah Brown
Alan Keen, Labour MP for Feltham and Heston will be much missed - one of the nicest guys in politics.

@ken4london
Ken Livingstone Team
K: Very sad to hear the news that Alan Keen MP has died. My thoughts are with his family and friends today

@tracey_crouch
Tracey Crouch
Very sad to hear Labour MP Alan Keen has died. A genuinely nice man who used to tell fascinating tales of his time as footie scout 4 Boro.

@KeeleyMP
Barbara Keeley
Terribly sad news via @Kevin_Maguire about Labour colleague Alan Keen MP Sincere sympathy to Ann

James Mills
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/james-mills/rip-alan-keen-labour-mp-a_b_1094273.html

LabourList
http://labourlist.org/2011/11/alan-keen-mp-dies-aged-73/

Hounslow Council
http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/news_mod_home/news_mod_year/news_mod_month/news_mod_show?year1=2011&month1=11&NewsId=49632
 

Football

The Football League
http://www.football-league.co.uk/latestnews/20111114/league-pays-tribute-to-alan-keen-mp_2293301_2515826

Sports and Recreation Alliance
http://www.sportandrecreation.org.uk/news/14-11-2011/alan-keen-mp-loses-fight-against-cancer



Level Playing Field
http://www.levelplayingfield.org.uk/news/Alan-Keen-MP-passes-away.aspx

Politics .co.uk
http://m.politics.co.uk/news/2011/11/14/a-true-friend-of-football-mps-salute-alan-keen