Popular Post sheepyvillian Posted Monday at 18:25 Popular Post Share Posted Monday at 18:25 (edited) I think it makes it so much more poignant in that he was one of our own, vicariously living our childhood dream. Edited Monday at 18:34 by sheepyvillian 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onmeedson Posted Monday at 18:34 Share Posted Monday at 18:34 The world is a cruel place, what a loss to all the Villa family and of course his own family You gave us moments of pure joy, heights we had never seen and all with that smile on your face. R.I.P Gary a true HEITS and you leave us with a future for the fans. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted Monday at 18:34 Share Posted Monday at 18:34 16 minutes ago, The Moustache of Teale said: It feels like as a club we have lost too many former players before their time but for me, this one hits hard. I really got hooked on supporting Villa at around 11-12 years old, at the time when Gary was on the verge of achieving every boyhood Villa fan’s dream. He was only 8 years older than me and I feel like I’ve got a whole lot of life still to live. Never met him personally but have heard and read nothing but good words about him. The timing is poignant too. Imagine how proud he’d have felt as we lined up against Bayern Munich in 2 week’s time. Heart-wrenching. ditto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post The_Steve Posted Monday at 18:39 Popular Post Share Posted Monday at 18:39 Rest well Gary, deeply sorry to hear of your passing. HEITS. Huge loss. So young still. Good to see the Guardian highlight his legend 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted Monday at 18:39 Share Posted Monday at 18:39 14 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said: Him, Spink or Williams. I know Spink was a sub, but he virtually played the whole game. He was younger than both and he was only 19/20 when we won the league in 81 and he must hsve scored neatly 20 goals that season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ferguson1 Posted Monday at 18:59 Popular Post Share Posted Monday at 18:59 A very fitting tribute from Mat Kendrick and worth the seven minutes of your time: So sad and he’ll certainly be missed by the Villa family. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepyvillian Posted Monday at 19:13 Share Posted Monday at 19:13 (edited) 2 hours ago, PaulC said: He was younger than both and he was only 19/20 when we won the league in 81 and he must hsve scored neatly 20 goals that season. I hardly missed a game, aside from the the first few due to three months detention centre. He was a pleasure to watch, so easy on the eye. Him and Withe, the proverbial salt and pepper. One all hustle and bustle, effectively, I may add. The other, a silky, smooth operator. That first touch, when pitches weren't the snooker tables they are today. Such a shame, Paul, especially for us that watched him in the flesh. Edited Monday at 20:50 by sheepyvillian 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted Monday at 19:31 VT Supporter Share Posted Monday at 19:31 HEITS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post John Posted Monday at 19:38 Popular Post Share Posted Monday at 19:38 From "The Times" tonight (unable to link due to paywall): Paying tribute to Shaw, Gabriel Agbonlahor, the former Villa attacker who spent 13 years at the club from 2005 to 2018, said: “[I grew up] hearing about that European Cup-winning team, and how good he was. He was a local lad like me. I was lucky enough to be coached by him from the age of 14 to 17. “He used to take me, Luke and Stefan Moore, and Darius Vassell off for drills. He took the strikers, did finishing with us, showed us the art of goalscoring. But he never mentioned what he achieved. “He was so humble. He should have been the guy who told everyone what he had done and what a good player he was. He should have been the one telling us. But he just concentrated on coaching the players.” Gary didn't need to boast, his medals and the record books did the speaking for him. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted Monday at 19:42 VT Supporter Share Posted Monday at 19:42 Too young to have seen Gary play. I stood next to him once, watching an Aston Villa “all star” team, that’s about as much as I can offer in lieu of having not watched him play for us. I doubt there will be many, if any, local lads who go on to achieve what he did, with Villa. Rest in peace, Gary. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChesterDad Posted Monday at 19:55 Share Posted Monday at 19:55 4 hours ago, John said: Brian Little has said on X "Gave Shawsy my number 8 shirt when I retired...he took it to another level...RIP. xx" A fitting tribute from one Villa legend to another. That is some quote from Brian - and in all fairness, he was just being honest. Gary was that good. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QldVilla Posted Monday at 20:14 VT Supporter Share Posted Monday at 20:14 Just woken up to this news and is a somber feeling. Growing up in Australia I never had the opportunity to watch Gary live, it was always highlights and interviews. As a young footballer I had many idols and Gary was one of them and still remember pretending to be him when playing with friends. It's a sad day, Gary is a Villa legend. My condolences to his family and friends. RIP. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post avfc1982am Posted Monday at 20:25 Popular Post Share Posted Monday at 20:25 I actually feel very empty and sad today. One of them days we all go through when someone really special passes away. Words just won't do justice in describing the sadness 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMcKenna Posted Monday at 20:25 VT Supporter Share Posted Monday at 20:25 (edited) I have written elsewhere that Gary was truly ‘one of our own’ but in some ways he was much more than that, he was ‘one of us’. He was born and lived in Kingshurst where I bought my first house up the road from where I lived as a teenager in Tile Cross. Although Kingshurst is officially in Solihull the lads round there considered themselves Brummies. Gary was the only Brummie in our European Cup winning team and as John references in Gabby’s comments, I am sure loads of local lads were inspired by him - he really was the ‘golden boy’. R.I.P. Gary Edited Monday at 20:44 by MikeMcKenna 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted Monday at 20:38 VT Supporter Share Posted Monday at 20:38 8 minutes ago, MikeMcKenna said: I have written elsewhere that Gary was truly ‘one of our own’ but in some ways he was much more than that, he was ‘one of us’. He was born and lived in Kingshurst where I bought my first house up the road from where I lived as a teenager in Tile Cross. Although Kingshurst is officially in Solihull the lads round there considered themselves Brummies. Gary was the only Brummie in our European Cup winning team and as John references Gabby’s comments, I am sure loads of local lads were inspired by him - he really was the ‘golden boy’. R.I.P. Gary Local lad like me , 50/50 blues and villa area but when push come to shove we're all cut from the same cloth. When people pass its a stark reminder to us all that life has an end and only the few make history, Gary was fortunate enough be one of those few, RIP Gary, we're all very lucky to have sat in the sunlight you gave out. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepyvillian Posted Monday at 20:48 Share Posted Monday at 20:48 2 hours ago, TRO said: Made his debut at 17. shows what a talent he was. Sure did, I was at Ashton Gate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted Monday at 20:50 Share Posted Monday at 20:50 Not only was he a great player…..he was a great guy too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Avcol Posted Tuesday at 04:44 Popular Post Share Posted Tuesday at 04:44 (edited) I used to be Gary's coaching assistant at kids football camps during a couple of summers 20ish years ago, which I have very fond memories of. I wasn't born in 82 but I was always told what a player he was and loved working with him every day. Was always very kind and used to drop me home in his black BMW, even though it was past where he lived. Saw him in Waitrose years later and he remembered who I was which was nice. Just my little personal anecdote to add that it's a huge loss and he was a great fella. RIP. Edited Tuesday at 04:49 by Avcol 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero7 Posted Tuesday at 05:18 Share Posted Tuesday at 05:18 So very sad. Too young. RIP HEITS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepyvillian Posted Tuesday at 08:20 Share Posted Tuesday at 08:20 13 hours ago, ferguson1 said: A very fitting tribute from Mat Kendrick and worth the seven minutes of your time: So sad and he’ll certainly be missed by the Villa family. Too much!! This really it's hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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