Kendal turns red as funeral held for 10-year-old Man United fan Poppy Atkinson

The family of the 10-year-old from Kendal, Cumbria, requested that mourners at her funeral service, and those lined on surrounding roads to pay their respects, wear red, or any football shirt.

People watched on in silence, some wiping away tears, as the cortege passed en route to Monday’s service.

The youngster’s coffin sported a poignant artist’s impression of the youngster, with a football by her side, in a poppy field looking ahead to Old Trafford’s “Theatre of Dreams” stadium with the sun on the horizon.

Poppy’s parents, Ben and Clare, and seven-year-old brother Edward, joined other family members and friends in the congregation at Kendal Parish Church.

Also in attendance were players and officials from local junior football teams, with many wearing Manchester United shirts with the number 10 and Poppy on the back. Mourners formed a guard of honour in the church grounds where earlier four young boys with “Poppy” football shirts kicked around a football.

Inside, tributes to the talented footballer were read out by her parents, her headteacher at Old Hutton CE Primary School, Nick Turley, and one of her local football coaches, Corey Smith.

Classmates from the school’s choir sang a pop medley for the congregation in her honour. Other music played was Anna Kendrick’s Get Back Up Again from The Trolls movie soundtrack, Can You Die From A Broken Heart? by Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne and the service’s closing tune Beautiful Things by Benson Boone.

On the front of the order of service was a photograph of Poppy playing football with the accompanying message “Dare To Dream”.

Later hundreds applauded as the funeral procession wound its way through Highgate in the town centre. A private burial followed.

Following Poppy’s death, her family said the schoolgirl, who was in the under-12s team at Kendal United and also played at county level, was “100% determined to be a professional footballer”.

They added: “Many who know her, and who know her determination to improve and win, had no doubt she would achieve her goal to one day to 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.”

Her family said Poppy idolised United and England players Ella Toone and Kobbie Mainoo as well as Lioness Georgia Stanway and former Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi “to name a few”.

A police investigation into the collision during a football practice session with a BMW i4 electric car at Kendal Rugby Club on March 5 remains ongoing. A 40-year-old man from Lancaster arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving was later released from custody.