ASTON VILLA paid tribute to boss Dean Smith’s late father Ron by placing a steward’s jacket on his seat for the game against Sheffield United.
The Villa manager’s dad – a lifelong Villan – died last month aged 79 after contracting coronavirus following a previous dementia diagnosis.
A jacket was placed on a seat in the Holte End in honour of boss Smith’s late dad RonCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Ron was a steward at Villa Park and a jacket in his memory was placed on a chair in the Holte End prior to kick-off.
Speaking of the touching and classy gesture, Smith said: “It’s a fantastic gesture for the club and one you come to expect from this club.
“I think the supporters were involved with it and it’s a great gesture.
“My mum I know will get very upset about that but I’m not the only manager – Pep Guardiola lost his mother as well.
“My heart goes out to everybody who’s lost people during this period.”
Ron passed after testing positive for coronavirus just four weeks earlier.
He worked at Villa Park for 25 years and passed on his love for the club to his sons.
As well as being a regular at home games, Ron was also there to witness Villa winning the European Cup in Rotterdam in 1982.
Smith was touched by the club’s gesture before the game against Sheffield UnitedCredit: PA:Press Association
Speaking previously of his dad’s passing, Smith said: “He was in the care home when he contracted coronavirus.
“But he was asymptomatic and then, three days later, we had a call to say that he had been taken to hospital by paramedics.
“It was tough for my mum because she couldn’t see him for 11 weeks.
“But he ended up coming out to a nursing home and we were allowed to go and see him in our full PPE at the moment he passed.
“The timing is never good to lose a parent, but he’s probably in a better place now because he hadn’t been well for a long time.
“So it was one of those things you have to deal with.”
Smith spoke about his father after winning promotion to the Premier League last year in the Championship Play-off final against Derby.
Then he said: “Dad suffers from dementia. He doesn’t know that I’m Villa head coach. That’s probably the toughest part of it.
“I went to see my old man on Friday and he kept his eyes open for two minutes. I told him the next time I come to see him I’ll be a Premier League manager, and he smiled.”
Aston Villa fan is confident that Mauricio Pochettino would be a better manager than Dean Smith
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
