Keith London’s brother Jack never played league football.But he unwittingly became the pawn in a forty three year battle by the star West Perth rover to ultimately receive the life membership he should have automatically received when he played his last game for the Cardinals in 1960.  “I played five games in 1950 as a seventeen year old,” Keith said. “At that time the coaching staff decided that at five foot six and a half and ten stone ten I was a bit light on, so I was sent back to the seconds, before my “second” career took off in 1952.   I thought I ended up with 154 games, which was the qualification for life membership, but the club was adamant that I had 149. It wasn’t until club historian Brian Atkinson took up the cudgel for me recently that the error was uncovered.”“For some reason my brother Jack had been credited with my first five games.”West Perth premierships bookended Keith London’s career but on neither occasion  was he part of the action. In the squad as a nineteen year old for the  1951 grand final, when West Perth edged out South Fremantle, he was to be disappointed again in his final year at the Cardinals as a twenty seven year old.  He played in two losing grand finals in 1952 and 53.In 1952 London made up for the frustration of his period out of the league side with some sparkling roving  displays, and after six games was chosen in the State team as partner for Steve Marsh. He pays credit to fellow West Perth little man, Doug Lind. “Dougy was always behind me early in my career, his encouragement and advice were priceless.”  Named in the best players against South Australia in Adelaide, kicking two goals, he was selected for the 1953 Carnival side, also in Adelaide, with  West Perth team mate Laurie McNamara joining London in the side for the game against Victoria. The pair had followed each other from Thomas Street State School to Wembley Cobbers, West  Perth, and finally Western Australia. London showed his versatility by playing as a wingman against South Australia in that carnival. An outstanding exponent of the dropkick, the diminutive London was quick off the mark, and accurate around the goals. He was an outstanding player for West Perth thoughout the fifties, and his 1958 fairest and best award was a very popular one at the club. Things were about to turn for the worse, however. A clash with East Perth’s Laurie Kennedy  was to have a detrimental effect on his football.  “It was certainly not intentional, but Laurie’s boot sprig during a tackle connected with my lower leg and ripped half my ankle out,” Keith recalled. “It messed me up. I was a carpenter at the time and was continuously on my feet, so couldn’t rest it properly, and it led to a groin injury.”London left West Perth in 1961 looking for a change, but wasn’t able to regain form due to the injury, and retired after playing six games with the Demons. Coach of Sunday League club Wanneroo in 1965-66, he was later approached to help out with the Coolbinia-Yokine juniors,  a short term stint that was to become a long term involvement. His mentoring of youngsters from under twelves through to under eighteens from the area was not only highly regarded but achieved the premierships that had eluded him as a player, and were no less memorable. Keith London was also an outstanding cricketer.Playing with the West Perth Cricket Club, he debuted in A Grade pennants as a replacement for Charlie Puckett, who was in Brisbane on State duties, opening the attack and grabbing six for forty three.  Selected in the Western Australian Sheffield Shield squad, he was under pressure to stay with the summer sport, but decided to stick with football. He later joined many of his West Perth team mates at the Leederville Cricket Club, where he also coached for fifteen years, and his efforts were recently rewarded with selection in the club’s all time best side. The challenges on the football field paled into insignificance in more recent times, when both Keith and wife Marion had to fight personal battles at almost the same time. “I had a cancer of the stomach,” Keith explained. “The doctors said they could do no more, an operation was out of the question, but we persisted with the chemo and eventually the cancer started to shrink. “You are a marvel, we’re going in,” my doctor laughed, and it was eventually successful.”“Marion then got crook with a brain bleed, went into intensive care, and things were touch and go over several operations, but she survived also. We’ve been through the mill together, and as a result are a very close couple of people.” Proud parents of three daughters, Keith and Marion London enjoy travelling to Phuket whenever possible, and  enjoyed a holiday in Canada. Retired these days, Keith enjoys a game of golf at Maylands Peninsula, but mourns the loss of one of his football mates he played with in the 1952 State side, East Perth’s Jim Washbourne. “Jimmy and I were great mates, and we played golf together for ten years,” he said. “I truly miss him.”He pays tribute to all those he played against, “they were all hard to get over,” with a special word for East Fremantle’s Wilson Onions “he got me a few times,” and had plenty to say about all the great players he played with, full back Ray Schofield getting a special mention.  Anyone who is old enough to remember the fifties will have memories of Keith London’s booming dropkicks on the run from the centre line. A fine rover in a great era, he is held in high esteem at West Perth.