Tributes paid to ‘Aston Villa legend’ Gary Shaw at his funeral

Aston Villa fans paid tribute to former striker Gary Shaw as his funeral service took place on Wednesday.

Solihull-born Shaw died on September 16 at the age of 63 and had been in hospital after suffering a head injury in a fall.

He was a member of the Villa team who won the First Division title in 1981 and the European Cup the following year.

Shaw’s funeral procession began at Villa Park and supporters gathered at the stadium to pay their respects.

Former team-mates Peter Withe and Mark Walters were among those in attendance.

“He was a great person as well as a great footballer,” Walters told the PA news agency.

“A good friend of mine, I’ve known him ever since I was 16, so we’re all gutted that he’s gone so soon. We’re really disappointed that he’s not here with us anymore.

“He’s an Aston Villa legend and always will be. Well thought of throughout the club now and in the past, it’s a great tribute to him and his family.”

Funeral cars left the ground and proceeded past mourners in the stadium’s fan zone before exiting en route to the funeral service.

Shaw joined Villa as an apprentice and went on to score 79 goals in 213 appearances for the club, including 20 in their title-winning campaign as he was named PFA Young Player of the Year.

He then played an important role in the side who achieved European Cup glory in 1982, where they beat Bayern Munich in the final. Shaw scored three goals in the competition including a quarter-final strike against Dynamo Kyiv.

Shaw left Villa in 1988 and played in Denmark, Austria, Scotland and Hong Kong before retiring in 1992. He later worked as a statistical analyst and was a matchday ambassador for Villa.

Shaw’s death in September came on the eve of Villa’s return to the Champions League and manager Unai Emery dedicated their opening 3-0 win over Young Boys to him.