A lifelong Sunderland supporter who was a season ticket holder until the ripe old age of 94 was given the perfect send-off after passing away over the summer.
As well as one of the most recognised supporters in the Stadium of Light, Muriel Crawford also attended over 100 away matches, visiting over 50 stadiums around the country.
Remarkably, Muriel once won £1,000 in a half time draw and generously gifted it all to her family.
When she lost her battle with dementia in August, John Delanoy and Julie Stout from Delanoy Funeral Services, who had been asked to conduct Muriel’s funeral, decided they couldn’t let her final farewell pass without a fitting Mackem tribute.
Julie said: “Prior to the funeral we decided to take Muriel to the Stadium of Light one last time, with her beloved Sunderland blanket, which we also placed on her coffin. The journey was filmed and resonated deeply with the local community and Sunderland supporters, as Muriel was so incredibly popular.
“That was also evident at her funeral, which was attended by over 200 people who created a sea of red and white.
“The family couldn’t believe we had done all of that for their mam. They were so emotional and knew Muriel would approve.”
Muriel was a recognisable figure in Easington, having worked in the chemist until she was 78. She was then a resident in Grampian Court in Peterlee until her passing.
Her son John Crawford, from Peterlee, organised his mam’s funeral along with his twin brother Alan and sisters Marjorie and Lorna.
He said: “Honestly, we had no idea what John and Julie had planned.
“John had known my mam personally for many years so he knew she was a massive Sunderland fan and they decided to organise this final farewell for her.
“We were all blown away by what they did. It was such a wonderful surprise.
“I know my mam would have loved this. She adored Sunderland and went to Wembley in 1992.
“Although she had dementia and forgot a lot of things, she remembered her love of Sunderland and knew we had been promoted which she was so happy about.
“We were delighted by John and Julie’s thoughtful care. the video they produced of it all was just fantastic and they went above and beyond. We as a family cannot thank them enough.”