THE Sam Allen Appeal Group are pleased to announce that the target funding needed for the restoration of Sam Allen's grave in Radnor Street Cemetery has now been reached.
They ask that thanks be given to Johnson & Daltrey Funeral Services, Mr Allen's family, the Swindon Town Supporters' Club, the Swindon Supporters Trust and all the individuals whose contributions mean it will now be possible to restore the grave of one of Swindon Town's most loyal and long-serving servants to a pristine state.
In fact, in some ways, the grave which contains the remains not only of Sam but his wife and daughter to an even more durable state as a new process means the re-lettering should last for at least four generations.
The grave will also contain a device enabling those with a suitable app to learn about Sam and his work with Swindon Town while standing at his grave side.
Mike Welsh has also asked for thanks to be given to all those in the Sponsors Suites and other lounges who contributed so generously to the collection before the match with Sheffield United. The size of this collection means that much of the money which was left over from the Fleming medal purchase and which was to have been used for the restoration can now be held over to be used in connection with the erection of a plaque to commemorate those Swindon players who lost their lives in World War One.
A cheque will be handed over to Johnson & Daltrey on Thursday afternoon and it is expected the work will take between twelve and sixteen weeks to complete.
When this has been done, a service will be organised at St Saviours Church early next season.
