BLACKBURN Rovers fans have maintained a quirky tradition with the ‘raising of the coffin’ following their promotion back to the Championship.

Video provided courtesy of Shane King

The ceremony, which took place in Bamber Bridge, dates back to 1948, when a greengrocer packed a coffin full of vegetables and buried it following Blackburn’s relegation to the old Division Two.

Since then, whenever Rovers have been promoted or relegated a coffin ceremony has been held in the village with a mock funeral to mark a relegation and resurrection to mark a promotion.

On Sunday, dozens of people lined the streets for the parade of the coffin, and cameraman Shane King captured the action using a special camera crane.

The ceremony involves the parade of a coffin for the team being promoted or relegated, followed by members of the ‘clergy’ and a carnival style parade of floats and representatives from clubs and businesses.

The event raises money for charity.

Mathew Bickerton, who works at the Trades Hall, where the resurrection ceremony took place, hailed the event as ‘brilliant’.

He said: “The event had a really good atmosphere.

“It’s a really unique event and raises money for good causes.

“The staff who helped organise the event were amazing.”

The ceremony is part of football folklore and has been featured in the press, including Sky Sports and When Saturday Comes magazine.

A team of made up of Bamber Bridge FC Committee members and supporters came together to organise a float for this year’s resurrection.

This year’s procession started at the Hob Inn at noon.

The Rovers coffin was paraded down Station Road, to the Trades Hall where the resurrection ceremony took place. The procession then continued to School Lane where it turned round and headed back down Station Road finishing with a ceremony at the Withy Arms.

In the tradition, fans of Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End bury a coffin of relegation in the cellar of the Trades Hall.