Two elaborate memorials for brothers Michael and Willy Collins, dubbed the 'Traveller King,' have become a point of contention at Shiregreen Cemetery in Sheffield. The most recent, a nine-foot-high structure honoring Michael Collins, has drawn criticism and is situated near a towering 37-ton marble headstone dedicated to his brother, Willy Collins. Willy, a bare-knuckle boxer described as the 'King of Sheffield,' was buried in 2020 following his death in Majorca. His memorial, which reportedly broke planning rules, features a 22-carat gold coffin and inscriptions including the word 'KING.'

Michael Collins passed away in December 2021 at the age of 51. His memorial, erected this month, is described as nine-and-a-half feet tall and features white life-size statues atop a black marble base. Adornments include depictions of Coca-Cola bottles, a pint of Guinness, a bottle of Budweiser, a Bluetooth marble jukebox, and a sculpture of a Ford Transit van. A photograph of the four Collins brothers—Michael, Willy, Terry, and Anthony—is also part of the monument. Terry Collins died in September 2024 at 52, and Anthony passed away in 2002 at 22 after suffering fatal stab wounds.

Dozens of local residents have expressed dissatisfaction with the scale of the memorials. One resident compared Michael's monument to "haunted crazy golf," while others questioned the approval process, suggesting a lack of enforcement following the initial dispute over Willy's grave. Some locals feel the elaborate shrines are inappropriate for a council-run cemetery and are more suited to private grounds.

Conversely, some residents have defended the memorials, describing them as "a beautiful place to remember their loved ones." Tributes from Michael's family describe him as a "loving father, uncle, brother, husband and son and grandfather" and a "true blue of Sheffield." His daughter, Paris, stated her father was a devoted family man, now reunited in heaven with his brother Willy, sister-in-law Josie, and Willy's daughter Bonnie.

Memorials of this size typically require planning permission. Sheffield City Council has been approached for comment.