York City: Bootham Crescent pitch dug up to find fans' ashes

York City played at Bootham Crescent for 89 years until 2021 when they moved to the York Community Stadium

A pitch at a former football ground is being dug up in an effort to find caskets containing the ashes of several of the club's fans buried there.

York City's Bootham Crescent was sold for redevelopment when the club moved to a new stadium earlier this year.

Archaeologists are now searching for 15 small caskets buried underneath the pitch so they can be relocated before houses are built on the ground.

Seven have so far been located, but the others have yet to be found.

The ashes were buried during the club's 89-year tenure at Bootham Crescent, with most of the caskets being buried around the goalmouth at York City's home end.

Archaeologist Jason Wood finds the location of some buried ashes underneath the former playing surface

Archaeologist Jason Wood said: "This morning as we cleaned off a new area, we found another set of ashes here.

"You can just see how different the texture and colour is of the ashes compared to the soil around."

Fan Paul Wood said he hoped his father's ashes would be found so they could be moved to a final resting place.

Paul Wood says the ashes of his father, John, are buried near where he used to sit as a season ticket holder

Mr Wood said the ashes of his father, John, had been buried further down the pitch, close to where he sat to watch his beloved Minstermen.

"This was where we used to sit as season ticket holders. So, when he passed away, we thought this would be a nice place to have his ashes.

"I would like to find him, but whether we will or not, I don't know," said Mr Wood.

Joanne Best and Helen Kitchen hope the ashes of their mother and stepfather can be found so they can be moved

Sisters Joanne Best and Helen Kitchen have been trying to find the ashes of their mum and stepfather who were also familiar faces at the ground.

They said being back at the former York City ground brought many memories back for them.

Ms Kitchen added: "Mum expected to be here forever, which isn't probably going to be the case."

The recovered caskets are expected to be reburied in a special memorial ground being built as part of the new housing development.