The club are asking families of people to whom this applies to get in touch if they have any thoughts on the matter. Please read this AFCi page, especially if the above applies to you.

A local vicar, Reverend Stephen Cole of St Thomas's Church, Finsbury Park, has expressed some concern. Rev. Cole has conducted 2 scattering ceremonies at the ground, and has said that he wouldn't have done so "if I thought there was the slightest possibility that the pitch would be replaced by housing."

He also points out that it would be much less of a problem if any future plans for the site involved leaving the pitch as a playing field for local schools and youngsters, adding that this would provide a facility currently somewhat lacking in the area.

Seems to me that the people concerned would probably not have wished for their remains to stand in the way of Arsenal's future. But it doesn't look like this is the issue anyway. There's no law regading ashes (only bodies). It's more about what happens to the site afterwards, about how considerate Arsenal want to be to the wishes of both fans and local residents.

The nice way to think about it is that, if this issue helps make sure that the site is developed in a community-spirited way once Arsenal have gone, then the presence of those people's ashes will end up having helped create something more positive and permanent than they could ever have imagined.