THE widow of a man murdered in his Huddersfield shop has spoken out for the first time since his death.

And Mrs Mohinder Kaur did so to thank all the people who have paid tribute to Mr Gurmail Singh, who died after an alleged robbery at his Cowcliffe shop.

Mrs Kaur made her comments as a new football club revealed their own special tribute to sports-mad shopkeeper Gurmail Singh.

Holmfirth Town begin their first ever season on September 4.

They will run out at Holmfirth High School for a home match against AFC Black Horse in division four of the Huddersfield District League.

And, above the club badge, the red and black strip they will be sporting will be stitched with the initials G.S., in memory of the late Cowcliffe shopkeeper.

Mr Singh was allegedly beaten to death during a robbery at Cowcliffe Convenience Store on Cowcliffe Hill Road on February 20.

Former Huddersfield Town director and chairman Andrew Watson, one of the men behind Holmfirth Town, said the shop had played an important part in the creation of the club.

Mr Watson, who lives in Fixby, teamed up with fellow former Town players Rob Edwards and Ian Wadsworth, to set up the new venture.

He said: "Rob and I first had a chat about forming Holmfirth Town outside Mr Singh’s shop in January of 2009.

"He was my local newsagent and a good friend. He was a massive football fan and we’d talk football every time I went in.

"There wasn’t a nicer man in Huddersfield and no better shopkeeper. Like everyone else, I was devastated when he died."

The trio have framed one of the special shirts, set to be installed in the shop, and the club will also award the Gurmail Singh Trophy to their player-of-the-year each season.

Speaking for the first time since the tragic death of her husband, Mr Singh’s widow said she was "very happy" about the tribute.

She added: "It’s important that we remember him and keep his memory alive and that’s part and parcel of opening the shop and saying thank you to the community."

Mr Singh’s brother, Dula, said: "We’re really honoured, I applaud what they’re doing, it’s really touching.

"I think he would loved it because he was a football fanatic."

Mr Singh’s oldest son, Bobby, 38, said: "They have done us proud. It means a great deal and it’s stuff like this that shows how much people loved my old man.

"It’s touching when people that you don’t even know are prepared to do something like this."

Bobby said the newly reopened shop, which has Mr Singh’s name above the door and his framed picture over the counter, was doing "Okay."

He added: "We didn’t open the shop to make loads of money. We did it to remember dad and as a thank-you to his customers.

"They have all been brilliant – asking after my mum and being really supportive."

Mr Singh, a father-of-three and grandfather-of-five, was attacked by robbers as he closed for the night on February 20 – the day after his 63rd birthday.

He died from head injuries in the early hours of the following morning.

The trial of five men accused of his murder starts on Tuesday, August 31.

They are: Umare Aslam, 20, of Coniston Avenue, Dalton; Muawaz Khalid, 20, of Blackmoorfoot Road, Crosland Moor; Shoaib Khan, 18, of Calton Street, Hillhouse; Nabeel Shafi, 18, of Park Hill, Bradley; and Rehman Afzal, 18, of Jacinth Court, Fartown.

The five are also charged with robbery.