Willy Collins King of Sheffield: Future of giant gravestone which has divided opinion is now uncertain

The monument in Shiregreen Cemetery was unveiled last week at the final resting place of Willy Collins, who was affectionately known so some as the ‘King of Sheffield' and ‘Big Willy’.

He was 49 when he died unexpectedly during a holiday in Majorca in July 2020.

Willy, a former bare-knuckle boxer, was laid to rest in a gold casket one month later at a funeral attended by hundreds of mourners from across the country.

Now, as a lasting tribute to the patriarch of the Collins family in Sheffield, his loved ones commissioned a 37 ton monument for his grave complete with life-sized statues of the dad-of-nine, who was one of 16 siblings and had 400 nieces and nephews.

MORE: 'King of Sheffield' Willy Collins: Council claims permission for huge headstone in city cemetery was not granted

It is created from Italian marble and features flagpoles, depictions of Jesus Christ and biblical scenes, and a solar-powered jukebox playing Willy’s favourite tracks.

The headstone is lit up in LED lights that change colour and is under 24-hour CCTV monitoring.

Following the unveiling of the monument, Sheffield Council claimed permission for it was not granted beforehand.

Councillor Alison Teal, Executive Member for Sustainable Neighbourhoods, Wellbeing, Parks and Leisure, said: “We are aware of a large memorial which has been erected in Shiregreen Cemetery. This memorial was built without permission and we are currently considering our next steps.

“Cemeteries are a place where people can come, pay their respects and visit loved ones who are no longer with us. We understand memorials are deeply personal, however we must have rules in place to ensure fairness.”

The Collins family disputes the claim and insists permission for the headstone was granted.

Willy’s wife, Kathleen, pointed out that the memorial was installed over a two week period but concerns were never raised.

Since the monument was unveiled last week, thousands of people have shared their opinions online.

Many object, claiming that families normally have to adhere to strict guidelines around graves.

But others claim the family should be proud of their efforts to honour Willy.

One woman, posting on Facebook, said: “We had to apply for permission for a standard headstone for my mum’s grave. My mother-in-law’s cemetery don’t even allow a vase without permission.

“I’ll be honest, a grave playing music with coloured lights sounds like a nightmare if you’re grieving a loved on nearby, especially as I’m sure it’s soon going to be a hangout for all the local kids. It’s a place of rest not a rave, and we all have to follow the rules.”

Willy's daughter said: “Love him or hate him you will never forget his name and now he’s known all over the world.”

She added: “That part of the graveyard is the catholic side with massive headstones from all different travellers. It’s a family plot and there’s about 20-25 of my family members already next to my father buried there.

“It wasn’t put up to upset anybody, we just wanted to give our late father the best we possibly could, never mind what he’s done in his past, we adored him, and this is what makes us happy.”