At the age of sixty-three, Gary Shaw, a hero of Aston Villa’s 1982 European Cup, passed away. After being admitted to the hospital this month due to a brain injury, the former striker became very unwell.
Shaw played for a highly regarded Villa team that saw unprecedented and unmatched success in the early 1980s, winning the European Cup and European Super Cup in 1982 in addition to the First Division title under Ron Saunders in 1981.
He was named European Young Player of the Year in 1982 and Professional Footballers’ Association Young Player of the Year in 1981 for his outstanding performances. He did not make the final 22-man team for the 1982 World Cup in Spain, but he was part of England’s 40-man preparatory squad. Shaw played for England’s Under-21 team seven times.
After joining the team as an apprentice at the age of 16, he has scored 79 goals in 213 games, making him one of Villa’s greatest forwards. Shaw, a native of Kingshurst, Solihull, who, as a young fan of Villa idolized Bruce Rioch and Brian Little, was the hometown hero at the center of Villa’s greatest day.
“The news that Gary Shaw, one of our heroes from winning the European Cup, has passed away has shocked and saddened the entire Aston Villa Football Club,” the club stated. Gary was a gifted striker who thrilled fans by scoring goals and propelling Villa to victory in the 1980s. He was one of our own. Individual recognition would also come for a player who many on the terraces looked up to. He died quietly in his family’s presence early today.
Shaw’s contribution to Villa’s goal that won the European Cup is commemorated with a banner that has been a mainstay on the North Stand. The sign in Rotterdam, which quotes Brian Moore’s analysis of Peter Withe’s game-winning goal against Bayern Munich, says, “Shaw, [Gary] Williams, ready to go down the left.” Tony Morley has a nice ball played in. Oh, that’s right, it really is! Peter Withe!
After a difficult period hampered by a knee injury suffered at Nottingham Forest five years earlier, which he later felt “killed my career” and cost him England caps, Shaw departed Villa for Danish side Kjøbenhavns Boldklub in 1988. He signed with the now-dissolved Klagenfurt club shortly after leaving for Austria, although he returned to the Midlands with Walsall in 1990 before moving on to play for Kilmarnock and Shrewsbury Town. He played for Ernest Borel FC in Hong Kong till the end of his career.
Shaw worked as a statistics analyst for Opta and as a sports media pundit for the Press Association after retirement. He was well-liked in press rooms after covering Villa’s 2-1 victory at King Power Stadium in Leicester last month.
Shaw, who played well for Coleshill Town in the former Midland Combination division, joined with Villa despite interest from Manchester City and QPR. But he remarked, “Villa was my team.” “I witnessed the League Cup final in 1971, and Martin Chivers’ two late goals for Tottenham crushed my heart.”
Brian Little, the former manager and player at Villa, posted on X with the following message: “I gave Shawsy my number 8 shirt when I retired. He took it to another level. R.I.P.”
Stan Collymore, a former Villa striker, called Shaw “one of our greatest” after learning of his failing health.
