A young Manchester United fan who was killed when a car crashed onto a football pitch was buried in a coffin with a touching tribute to her favourite club.
Poppy Atkinson, 10, passed away after a BMW i4 electric car ended up on the pitch at Kendal Rugby Club on March 5.
The moving sight of her coffin showed an artist’s impression of the sun shining down on a young person in a poppy field with a football by her side, gazing up at the Old Trafford ‘Theatre of Dreams’ stadium.
Poppy’s death led to the local community from Kendal, Cumbria, sticking to requests from her family that mourners wear either red or any football shirt.
Players and officials from local junior football teams attended, many of them wearing United shirts with ‘Poppy’ written on the back, or the colours of their football club.
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They joined Poppy’s parents Ben and Clare, her bother Edward, seven, and family and friends in the congregation at Kendal Parish Church.
Some were seen wiping away tears as the funeral cortege passed by on its route to the church.
Four young boys with Poppy football shirts kicked a football around the church grounds before mourners formed a guard of honour in silence.
There were a number of tributes paid to Poppy during the service, including by her mum and dad, Nicky Turley, the headteacher of Old Hutton CE Primary where Poppy attended school and her football coach Corey Smith.
A pop medley was sung by her classmates, while music included ‘Can You Die From A Broken Heart?’ by Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne and Anna Kendrick’s ‘Get Back Up Again’ from The Trolls movie soundtrack.
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The service closed with ‘Beautiful Things’ by Benson Boone.
The congregation were given an order of service with a picture of Poppy playing football and the message ‘dare to dream’.
Applause could be heard later as the funeral procession made its way through the town of Highgate, Cumbria.
A budding young footballer, Poppy idolised the likes of England and United players Ella Toone and Kobbie Mainoo, along with Lionesses midfielder Georgia Stanway and all-time footballing great Lionel Messi.
Poppy played in her local team Kendal United’s under 12s and also at county level and was ‘100% determined to be a professional footballer’, her family said.
They said: ‘Many who know her, and who know her determination to improve and win, had no doubt she would achieve her goal to one day play for Manchester United.
‘Poppy touched so many lives, it was easy to see why, her energy, character, spirit and passion for football was infectious and touched huge numbers of people.’
A police investigation into Poppy’s death remains ongoing. One man from Lancaster, 40, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
He was later released from custody.
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