Willy Collins' grave Sheffield: Talks over 'future of memorial' ongoing between council and family

The controversial giant headstone for a man known as the ‘King of Sheffield’ is a 37-ton installation, made from Italian marble, and believed to have cost tens of thousands.

It was unveiled in Shiregreen Cemetery in March in a tribute to 49-year-old Willy Collins, known to many as ‘Big Willy’ Collins, who died in July 2020 after collapsing during a holiday with his family in Majorca.

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The dad-of-nine’s headstone has caused controversy because although the family believe they had permission, Sheffield City Council says the memorial breaches what was agreed.

It features two life-sized statues of the bare-knuckle boxer’s six-foot-two frame, four flagpoles, depictions of Jesus Christ and biblical scenes.

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It also has a solar-powered jukebox playing the patriarch’s favourite tracks.

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

The family said there would be 'war' if the memorial was damaged or taken down.

Lisa Firth, Director of Parks, Leisure and Libraries at Sheffield City Council, said: “Contact with the Collins family is still ongoing regarding the future of the memorial. Until we have reached agreement it is not appropriate for us to comment further on this matter.”

One of 16 children, Willy, who was originally from a traveller family in Ireland and moved to Sheffield as a child, was the patriarch of the Collins family and had around 400 nieces and nephews.