Aston Villa paid tribute to ex-striker Dalian Atkinson with umbrellas and a minute’s applause during their game with Huddersfield.
Fans gave the 48-year-old a standing ovation in the 10th minute of the Sky Bet Championship match after he died when he was Tasered by police while visiting his father in Telford on Monday.
Ernest Atkinson, 85, reportedly said his son was agitated and according to relatives Dalian Atkinson was suffering from a number of health issues and had a weak heart when he was hit by the weapon at around 1.30am.
Atkinson played for Villa between 1991 and 1995, bagging 38 goals, including a famous one against Wimbledon, where he ran from his own half to score, which won the 1992-93 goal of the season.
The umbrella pitch invasion after Dalian Atkinson took on half of Wimbledon's team and bagged. RIP pic.twitter.com/ZvfBdNlm8E
— James Tambinho (@Zenit_geezer) August 15, 2016
Villa fans wanted to bring their own umbrellas as a tribute after one supporter celebrated Atkinson’s strike at Wimbledon by running onto the pitch and shielding him from the rain with a brolly. But the club would not allow them to bring in their own due to health and safety issues.
Instead several designated members of the club’s fan squad raised umbrellas in the corner of the pitch to commemorate the forward’s life.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating his death.
