For many supporters, football is more than just a game but rather a lifelong passion that shapes friendships, family traditions and treasured memories. Increasingly, families are choosing to reflect that passion when saying their final goodbye to a loved one and place their trust in A.W. Lymn The Family Funeral Service to be able to carry out their requests.
From simple touches to more elaborate tributes, football can be incorporated into funerals in many different ways. Families may choose to place a favourite team’s scarf or colours on the coffin, bearers wear ties in club colours or arrange for the funeral cortege to pass by a loved one’s home ground on their final journey.
A.W. Lymn also has the capacity to honour the deceased’s football passion with bespoke themed coffins that can be hand-painted and lined in team colours and emblems. In some cases, the vehicles themselves become part of the tribute. Among those occasionally requested is a distinctive Nottingham Forest-themed red hearse, owned by a colleague who works with the company, which has proved a popular sight among supporters.
Managing Director and fifth generation Lymn, Matthew Lymn Rose says these personal tributes can bring both comfort and warmth to what is often a difficult day.
“Football is woven into the identity of so many people across our region. For some families, it feels only right that their loved one’s final journey reflects the team they followed – sometimes for decades or a lifetime. It can be a simple touch such as a scarf or something much more personal and all-encompassing like a themed coffin and hearse, or passing the home stadium on the way to the service.”
Having the funeral cortege pass a supporter’s club ground is one of the more popular requests A.W. Lymn fields, and local teams are often keen to help facilitate these moments.
“Notts County in particular have always been extremely accommodating,” Matthew said. “They have opened the gates for corteges and sometimes arranged for staff to come outside and form a guard of honour. Those gestures can mean a great deal to families.”
Over the years, the award-winning funeral director has been involved in several notable football-related funerals. Amongst them was the funeral of legendary Derby County and Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough.
The company also played an understated yet vital role following the tragic 2018 helicopter crash involving then Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, providing two hearses to help repatriate his body to Thailand.
Closer to home, A.W. Lymn has conducted services for several well-known figures within football, including former Notts County Chief Executive Jason Turner and former owner Derek Pavis.
“Whether it’s a well-known name long associated with the club or a season ticket holder, every tribute matters equally to the family,” Matthew said. “Sometimes the most touching moment is simply seeing everybody wear an item of clothing – socks, tie, hat – in that team’s colours or hearing the family talk about the matches they attended together.”
A.W. Lymn was established in Nottingham in 1907 and has grown to become one of the UK’s largest independent funeral directors, operating 25 branches across the region. Having recently acquired M.A. Mills and expanded into Leicestershire, it continues to grow its reach and network of talented funeral directors supporting people in their time of utmost need.
