Soccer: Fans can take allegiance to the grave

Fans of English soccer club Reading can now take their allegiance to the grave as a local funeral director is offering coffins in the club's colours.

Anyone not content with a scarf or replica kit can buy a 500 pounds ($1287) blue and white striped coffin adorned with the club crest, an image of the Madejski Stadium and a football.

An official of the second division club said the 50 pounds commission on each coffin would go directly to their Kicks 4 Kids charity scheme.

Reading spokesman Boyd Butler said the club were happy to endorse the new product and an associated blue and white ashes urn, aware that many fans ask to be buried in their favourite team's colours.

"People like to liven up their funerals these days," he told Sky Sports News.

Barry Kirk, formerly the club's chaplain and now pastor at a local church, told the Reading Evening Post: "You love your club through life and death.

"Increasingly over the years more and more people have wanted their last wishes to be honoured by having a ceremony at the football club or have their ashes scattered around there.

"The club was very helpful in that respect and to have an official Reading coffin to be cremated in, well I can imagine a lot of fans will say 'yes please'."

- REUTERS