'We are so proud of our Paul'
The family of Liverpool supporter Paul Rice today spoke of their pride after collecting his posthumous Standard Chartered Fan of the Month trophy.
Paul passed away last month after a long battle with illness, but such was his commitment to Liverpool Football Club, his nomination for January's award won the unanimous backing of our judging panel.
The 54-year-old chaired the inaugural meeting of the Spirit of Shankly (SOS) Supporters' Union before being elected as chair and then vice-chair and lifetime vice-president in recognition of his work for the organisation.
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More recently he was elected to the newly formed Liverpool FC Supporters' Committee, where he was chosen to represent fans in the Merseyside area.
Daughters Janine and Louise arrived at the club's Chapel Street office to collect his award today along with Paul's wife Ruth and mother June.
Janine said: "We are really proud of everything he did and it's nice for that to be recognised by the club. He'd be very proud that so many people have responded so well to what he did and that he's been remembered so fondly.
"We've been really overwhelmed by everything we've received. We've had so many people from all over the world passing on kind comments. We even had a letter from the Houses of Parliament (from MP Steve Rotheram)."
Managing director Ian Ayre also presented the family with a squad-signed shirt and tickets for our home match against Arsenal.