THE family of an avid football fan from Weston Rhyn have thanked the community for supporting them after his death.

Steven Norcross, known affectionately as 'Ginge', died in Wrexham Maelor Hospital after being hit by a car on the A5 in Gobowen near to the junction with the B5009.

An inquest into Mr Norcross' death is set to be held on Monday, January 21 at Shirehall in Shrewsbury.

His niece Alexandra Sudlow told how the family has coped since the death of Mr Norcross , who worked at milking equipment manufacturers Fullwood Ltd in Ellesmere.

"It’s been an extremely hard time for all of us especially for [his parents] Dave and Eileen who have lost their beloved son," she said.

"We have been overwhelmed with the comments we received on the Facebook page ‘around the Rhyn’ Where many expressed their condolences and love.

"We feel extreme blessed to have had Steven in our lives. We have also had the amazing support from the Venue who have helped with getting through this hard time and hosting the wake for us at the venue with Steven being a huge TNS supporter."

Mr Norcross is also survived by his brother Paul, sister-in-law Sherry as well as nephews Scott and Robert.

Glowing tributes were paid by TNS officials and fans alike after Mr Norcross' death in October, Ms Sudlow added that her uncle was known in Weston Rhyn as a "kind and loveable person".

A total of £1,054 in donations was raised at Mr Norcross' funeral at St John's Church in Weston Rhyn, where Saints players formed guard of honour for the keen supporter.

Ms Sudlow added: "We are so grateful for the amount raised as it shows generosity and the amount of that attended the funeral. The church was full and it overflowed outside of the church.

The funds will be split equally between the Lingen Davies cancer unit – in recognition of the way Mr Norcross's father was treated there – and the TNS Academy, which was close to Mr Norcross' heart and Ms Sudlow added that the family "want Steven's memory to live on there".