Football funerals are officially a thing now — and A.W. Lymn is helping fans get the ultimate team‑colours send‑off
If you thought football loyalty stopped at full‑time, think again. Across the East Midlands, die‑hard fans are taking their club colours with them all the way to their final whistle — and A.W. Lymn is the funeral director making it happen.
For loads of families, football isn’t just “something Dad watched on a Sunday”. It’s a personality trait. A lifestyle. A generational curse or blessing, depending on how your team’s doing. So when it comes to saying goodbye, more and more people want the send‑off to match the obsession.
And honestly? The options are wild.
We’re talking scarves on coffins, pallbearers in club‑coloured ties, and funeral corteges doing a slow lap past the home ground like it’s a final victory parade. Some families go even bigger: A.W. Lymn says it can sort fully themed coffins, hand‑painted and lined in team colours, complete with badges and emblems.
Oh — and yes, there is a Nottingham Forest‑themed red hearse. It exists. It’s real. And it’s apparently a fan favourite.
Managing Director (and fifth‑generation Lymn) Matthew Lymn Rose says these touches genuinely help families feel closer to the person they’re saying goodbye to.
“Football is woven into the identity of so many people across our region,” he says. “For some families, it feels only right that their loved one’s final journey reflects the team they followed.”
One of the most popular requests? Driving past the club ground. And local teams are surprisingly up for it. Notts County, for example, have literally opened the gates for corteges and even formed guards of honour. Imagine your final trip including a moment like that.
A.W. Lymn has handled some huge football‑related funerals too — including Brian Clough’s — and even helped repatriate Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha after the tragic 2018 helicopter crash.
But Matthew says the big names aren’t the point.
“Whether it’s a club legend or a lifelong season ticket holder, every tribute matters equally.”
A.W. Lymn has been around since 1907 and now runs 25 branches across the region, recently expanding into Leicestershire after acquiring M.A. Mills. Basically, they’re massive — but still very into the personal touches.
And if that personal touch happens to be a coffin in full match‑day colours? They’ve got you.
