Premiership & Championship and FA Football Clubs
Dates refer to when the advice was given and is liable to change so please contact club to get permission before organising a scattering ceremony. The dates at the end are when we were advised of the policy, if you have any more current information please let us know so we can help others.
In alphabetical order (wouldn’t want to show any allegiance!)
Arsenal – ashes are not interred or scattered at Emirates stadium.
Aston Villa – regrettably, the club is no longer in a position to accept requests for the scattering of ashes. We no longer have areas of Villa Park that are suitable for ashes to remain, and we would not want to scatter ashes in locations that would not be fitting or appropriate. Likewise we are faced with the same issues at Bodymoor Heath. To recognise the passing of our fans and former players, the Club is looking at other fitting ways to pay tribute to them. We will be publishing something in the near future on our website,which will provide the details of how families and friends can remember a loved one. 16/06/10
Blackburn Rovers – ash scattering can be arranged through the clubs Chaplin although not on the pitch, they have a lovely garden of remembrance adjacent to the ground near the river. 29/06/10
Blackpool – The club don’t actually allow scattering of ashes but we allow the ashes to be buried at the side of the pitch. 14/06/10
Birmingham City – The club organise this service through the co-op funeral service 01543 421389. They allow a ceremony on most non match days, they can provide for largish groups, it is assisted by a funeral director, refreshment and a room can be provided. Because this is arranged by a funeral director there is a small charge, but this is very reasonable, at the time of writing this was £60. 29/06/10
Bolton Wanderers – They offer a really comprehensive approach which has to be applauded – they allow the scattering of ashes, it is organised through the club’s chaplain, they produce a leaflet on the subject which you need to contact the club for. Also, fans can have there names memorialised in a walkway and book of remembrance. 29/07/10
Bournemouth Football Club’s Vitality Stadium – Not possible. Nor do they have a memorial garden. 15/7/17
Brighton and Hove Albion – They are no longer able to intern ashes. At the time of the stadium opening they had a limited number of plots within our memorial garden but all the plots have now been taken. We are also unable to scatter any ashes within the stadium. 18/05/17
Bristol City – don’t allow ashes to be scattered or buried at the stadium 21/01/20
Burnley – Unfortunately it is not their policy to allow scattering/burying of ashes at Turf Moor. 11/8/14
Chelsea – the club don’t offer the service, [they] have too many games and are unable to commit to doing it. 14/06/10
Crystal Palace – They do have a garden at Selhurst Park here where ashes can be scattered. We do not allow the ashes to be buried. Contact Sandra West, 02087686000. There is no access to the garden at this time due to major works going on in the stadium. 11/8/10
Doncaster – have a Memorial Garden 1/9/12
Everton – The club has for a number of years, since the eighties, allowed supporters to bury the ashes of their loved ones around the perimeter of the pitch, we would dig a hole approx. 300mm x 300mm x 300mm where the grass meets the perimeter track and they could bury the Cask or just sprinkle the ashes in, the soil and piece of Turf would then be placed on top. We also allowed the fitting of a small Plaque to the Upstand in memory if they wished. [They] did a few years ago reach the end in that we have gone all around the Pitch and can no longer offer this service, but have an arrangement with the Vicar of St. Luke’s Church which is adjacent to the Stadium and indeed if you know Goodison Park forms a prominent part of the Stadium, were he allows Ashes to be spread across his Memorial Garden, that is at the rear of the Church and backs onto the Stadium. 16/06/10
Fulham – The club do not offer supporters the opportunity to scatter ashes at Craven Cottage and we are currently looking to an alternative. 16/06/10
Hull City – They do allow it. The ashes are normally scattered on a weekday as long as they don’t have any matches that day. 26/09/14
Leicester City – (aka the Foxes). The garden has been closed to new applications for several years now due to the garden being full. We have started a waiting list, supporters can contact us on help@lcfc.co.uk should they wish to join it. 11/10/22
Liverpool– The club is no longer allowing the scattering of ashes, there are plans to open a memorial garden but no firm date as at this time. Please contact the club directly as Scattering Ashes can not do this on your behalf. 17/09/14
Manchester City – There is a Memorial Garden available at the Stadium for families of fans to spread ashes and take time to remember. This garden is located outside Entrance S at The Colin Bell Stand. The Garden has been created by volunteers, including staff at the Club and local businesses. The Garden is maintained by staff at the Club and there is no charge for the use of the garden. To arrange a time to spread ashes or hold a short service, please call Reception on 0161 438 7601
All respect will be given to those who visit the Memorial Garden but please be aware that it is a working Stadium. Flowers and cards ONLY may be left at the garden. It is not possible for any kind of permanent memorials/plates or personal plantings. If left, they will be removed. MCFC will regularly clear the garden of faded flowers and cards etc and will as necessary, dig in ashes. We can also arrange for our Club Reverend to attend and hold a short service if he is available for your requested date. If you would be interested in this, please contact Reception and we can try to arrange this for you. The Memorial Garden is an on-going development and its layout and content will be reviewed on a regular basis. The views of those using the garden are always welcome.
There is also a Remembrance book that is located at the main reception which visitors are welcome to sign with a message of condolence. Please contact Reception if you have any questions or wish to arrange a date to use the Memorial Garden to lay ashes. 28/06/10
Manchester United – The club have asked that we make no comment. Should you wish to pursue this, you would need to contact the Museum and Tour centre at Old Trafford. 29/06/10
Newcastle United – They do not allow families to scatter ashes at St James’ Park. 29/07/10
Queens Park Rangers – The best club for honouring fan’s wishes by a long way. The procedure starts when you contact the club chaplain, Rev’d Bob Mayo (details below). He will arrange a time with the club for you, and up to 20 others, to come to Loftus Road for a special ceremony of remembrance. It may happen any weekday between 9.30am – 4.30pm, subject to the availability of the stadium.
When the day arrives, you bring about a coffee-jar’s worth of the ashes to Reception on South Africa Road where you will be welcomed by the chaplain. You will be taken to the players’ dressing room where you can look around and take photographs. You will be led down the tunnel and taken pitch-side (walking on the pitch itself is not permitted). The chaplain will lead you round to the goalposts at the Loftus Road end, where he will get you to lay the ashes on a small tray in the vicinity of the goal line, which he will have prepared. Over the next few minutes, he will encourage you and any others to recall together one or two stories and memories, perhaps linked to of your loved one’s keenness for QPR. This is followed by a couple of short prayers, ending with a moment’s quiet. You then return to the tunnel, stopping for photographs in the dugout, then through to Reception where the chaplain will say goodbye.
Once you have left, the chaplain will gather the open tray of ashes and look after them until the pitch is dug up and re-seeded at the end of the season – in late May. They are scattered carefully and respectfully, together with other ashes which have been looked after during the season. Again, please note that we can only accept about a coffee-jar’s worth of the ashes. There is no charge made by the club or chaplain for this service, and it’s also worth knowing that regrettably the club has no parking to offer. 12/11/15
The chaplain’s details are: Rev Dr Bob Mayo, Vicar of St Stephen and St Thomas, email bob.mayo@london.anglican.org
Reading F C – Are unable to have ashes scattered on the pitch at the Madejski Stadium. They do however have a garden of remembrance at the stadium where supporters are more than welcome to use at any time, details of which can be found on their website.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club based in Hillsborough in the north of the city have a designated area is directly outside the ground on the south stand bridge for the purposes of scattering ashes of the their fans and supporters. It is outside the ground rather than inside so family and friends can pay tributes at any given time should they so require.
Southampton – Unfortunately they no longer offer the facility to scatter/bury ashes at St Mary’s 11/8/14
Stoke City – Unfortunately they no longer allow scattering of ashes at The Britannia Stadium. 28/06/10
Sunderland – The club allow ashes to be buried at the stadium for SAFC supporters at certain times in the year. Dates need to be booked with the club. 16/06/10
Swansea City – They don’t allow fans ashes to be scattered inside the stadium. However, there is a small memorial around the Ivor Allchurch statue outside the ticket office. 11/8/14
Tottenham Hotspur – regretfully [the club] do not permit the scattering or internment of ashes at the White Hart Lane Stadium. This is due to the chemical reaction caused with the ashes and mixture of fertilisers and pesticides used on the playing surface cause a level of burning to the polypropylene system used to strengthen the pitch and can cause disease to the playing surface. The pitch is also “scraped” clean at the end of every season, so any remains that were to be scattered would be invariably lost at this time. 31/10/16
West Bromwich Albion – The club have a garden of remembrance at The Hawthorns which is where ashes can be scattered and small plaques left for loved ones that have passed away. The garden is situated in the corner of the East stand car park. Ashes can be scattered at any time (other than match days) and the family is welcome to have a minister or alike present if they so wish. The garden is currently being extended at present, with all works expected to be completed by the middle of July 2010. We do not permit the scattering of ashes on the pitch. 16/06/10
West Ham – West Ham [have] stopped scattering ashes on the pitch a number of year go, [they] did bury ashes in a memorial garden at the ground but have stopped as it is full. 18/06/10
Wigan – The club do not permit scattering of ashes at the DW Stadium. 16/06/10
Wolverhampton Wanderers – They don’t allow any scattering of ashes here at the ground. They do however, have a small memorial garden outside the stadium where a rose can be planted by the family. 11/8/14
And finally…
Wembley Stadium – They do not offer this service. 29/07/10