Willy Collins, Sheffield: Huge headstone for 'King of Sheffield' still standing two years on despite breaking planning law

The expansive monument was built on the grave of bare-knuckle boxer Willy Collins, dubbed the traveller 'King of Sheffield', who died on holiday aged 49 in 2020. The marble gravestone, adorned with Irish flags and featuring two life-sized statues of Big Willy's six-foot-two frame, was unveiled in March 2022.

It sparked a row between the council - who said the structure broke planning law as it didn’t match its original plans - and his family, including widow Kathleen who previously threatened 'war' if it was pulled down. Almost two years on, the the gravestone - which is believed to have cost around £200,000 and also includes depictions of Jesus Christ and biblical scenes - remains standing at Shiregreen cemetery in the city.

A spokesperson for Sheffield City Council said: “We are currently trying to address this situation and there are no other updates to report at the moment.”

The father-of-nine died while on a family holiday to Mallorca to celebrate his wife's birthday in 2020. A lavish funeral was thrown in his honour which saw a 22 carat gold coffin carried through the streets of Sheffield, followed by 40 Rolls Royce limousines. Hundreds of mourners sparked blue and yellow smoke bombs in his honour, while Irish flags were proudly waved in the air.

He was initially laid to rest at Shiregreen Cemetery in a tiled plot lined with images of the Last Supper, alongside his brother Anthony. Two years later, the extravagant mural was unveiled, sparking the row. Initially, the council said that the massive mausoleum had been constructed “without permission”.

It later clarified that while the Collins family did obtain permission for a headstone, the final structure had failed to match the designs they had submitted.

Sheffield City Council said it had “reached out” to the family to discuss changes that will be needed to bring it back in line with the cemetery’s regulations.

Willy's daughter Mary said at the time: “We bought all the plots as it’s a family grave, so we’re not taking over more space than it should be. It’s well taken care off. We jet wash that road all the time. We have a lot of respect.

“My father’s grave is on a hill, so it has to be raised anyway. It’s in line with other headstones. It was never about a price. It wasn’t done as a brag. We’ve done it for our father and us, and for our grandchildren to remember him, and what a great man he was to us.”

One of 16 children, Willy was the patriarch of the Collins family. As well as nine children, he had around 400 nieces and nephews, it is believed.

Widow Mary said at the time of his death: “He loved Sheffield. He was as much a Sheffield man as he was an Irish man. If you met him once for five minutes you would never forget him. We now have somewhere where we can meet and talk about him and for others to remember him. He was my best friend. Not a day goes by where we all don’t think of him.”