In case you haven't heard, today marks Aston Villa 's first season in the Champions League, Europe's top club competition, since the 1982-83 season. However, the big day comes less than 24 hours after the club's legendary European Cup winner, Gary Shaw, sadly passed away. The Prince of Wales marked the occasion by sharing a personal statement on his Instagram Story. He wrote, "The last time @AVFCOfficial won in the top European competition, it was the month before I was born. Let’s hope tonight is the first step towards another European adventure!"
To honor the late Shaw, the royal added, "My thoughts this evening are also with Villa legend Gary Shaw’s friends and family following his passing yesterday."
Instagram/@ princeandprincessofwales
The prince then concluded his remarks by adding the #UTV hashtag (which stands for "Up the Villa," a popular slogan for the club) and his first initial , "W."
Fortunately for William, the team brought their A-game and scored a 3-0 victory against Young Boys—less than three months after the prince's 42nd birthday. (Talk about a full circle moment.) The team's official account wasted no time celebrating on social media, and per The Guardian , Unai Emery, manager of the club, told TNT Sports , “This victory is for Gary Shaw. We followed in the Champions League like they finished, winning. We want to dedicate it to Gary Shaw."
Royal enthusiasts might recall that Prince William has been quite vocal about his support for the team. In a 2015 interview with BBC News , he said, "I didn't really want to sort of follow the run-of-the-mill teams, I wanted to have a team that was more mid of the table, that could give me the more emotional rollercoaster [experience]."
He added, "Aston Villa has always had a great history. I've got friends of mine who support us in Villa, and one of the first FA Cup games I went to was Bolton vs. Aston Villa, so back in about 2000...it was fantastic, I sat with all the fans and my red beanie...and had a great time. It was just the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt there was something I could connect with."
I imagine the prince is throwing confetti right about now. Major congrats to Aston Villa on their victory!
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