Football Funeral Ideas: Honouring a Lifelong Fan

When someone has followed a team all their life, a funeral that reflects that can bring real comfort. It gives friends from the terraces a way to take part, and it tells their story better than any eulogy. Here are ideas families have used, from small touches to the final memorial.

Before and during the service

• Wear the colours. Invite mourners to wear a club shirt or scarf instead of black, or add a splash of club colour to formal dress.
• A scarf guard of honour. Friends and fellow fans line the path and hold their scarves up as the coffin passes.
• Club-coloured flowers. Many florists can make a tribute in club colours, or in the shape of a shirt, ball or badge.
• Their shirt on the coffin. A signed shirt, their first season ticket, or their old boots placed on the coffin says more than words.
• Music from the ground. The club anthem, the song the crowd sings, or the music the players walk out to.
• Stories from the terraces. Ask a match-going friend to share a memory: the away day, the cup run, the goal they never stopped talking about.

At the wake

• Hold it at the pub where they met before the game, or at their local club's function room.
• Display programmes, ticket stubs and photos from years of matches.
• Show footage of a match they loved, or a famous win.
• Ask guests to write a memory on a card and pin it to a board in club colours.

Asking the club

Some clubs can help. They may send a letter of condolence, allow a hearse to pass the ground, or offer a place in a memorial garden. Contact supporter services or the club chaplain. For scattering ashes, see our guide: Can you scatter ashes at a football ground?

A memorial that lasts

After the funeral, many families want a place to keep their loved one that still feels like them. Our football urns for ashes are hand-crafted from a genuine football in their club's colours, with a sealed inner chamber and an optional engraved stand for their name and a message. They sit at home on a shelf like the ball they would have kicked about in the garden, not a traditional urn.

We also make urns for rugby, AFL, NRL, NBA and NFL fans, and we can use their own ball if you'd prefer.

Frequently asked questions

Is it appropriate to wear football shirts to a funeral?

If the family asks for it, yes. Many families put it in the funeral notice so guests feel comfortable.

Can I get flowers in club colours?

Most florists can do this. Give them plenty of notice for shaped tributes such as a shirt or badge.