Farewell to Villa fanatic Mick

Feb 13 2007 By Lisa Smith, Birmingham Mail

MORE than 200 mourners packed into a tiny Midland church to pay their last respects to Villa fanatic Mick Hartigan who was found dead at home, aged 57.

Mick was found by police after a fall at his Studley home on January 31.

Fellow Villa fans had raised the alarm after he did not turn up to catch the coach to the Newcastle United game.

Mick, who friends say had claret and blue blood running through his veins, was given a fitting send-off by his friends and fellow supporters who clubbed together to pay for the service because Mick had no immediate relatives.

And his "adopted family" did him proud hoisting a 35ft Villa flag up onto the front of Mick's haunt - the Needlemakers Pub, in Watts Road, Studley -where the funeral cortege passed by.

Mick's funeral was organised by members of the Redditch, Studley and Alcester Villa supporters' clubs.

Many wore Villa shirts emblazoned with Mick's name as they carried his coffin into Studley Church after first standing in silence as thecortege passed by.

Among the fans who led the service was Steve Todd, of Redditch, who was also one of the pall bearers.

He said: "Mick was a great character and will be missed by everyone who knew him.

"We all agreed we wanted to do him proud as he had no close family. Aston Villa was his life and the fans were his family in the end."