10:40am Friday 6th November 2009
Exclusive By Craig Manning
TRIBUTES have been paid to a life-long Tranmere Rovers fan who died suddenly last week.
Lee Fairclough had supported the club since he was a boy and even named his 11-month-old son Hayden Prenton after the team’s Prenton Park ground.
He died, aged 34, at his home in Leicester on Friday, October 30. His funeral will be held at the city’s Glenrose Crematorium this Thursday, November 12, at 12.45pm.
Speaking to the Globe at the family home in Wallasey, his mother Thelma said: “He was a lovely son, and I was proud to be his mum. He was sensitive but sensible. As a child he had lots of friends and people still asked me how he was doing.
“Because he was living in Leicester, he didn’t get the chance to come up and watch Tranmere at Prenton Park. But he kept up to date with the club online and came back to watch particular games."
Married to Alison, Lee was assistant principal at Riverside Business and Enterprise College in Leicester and his support for Tranmere Rovers was well-known.
Mum Thelma said: “Everyone at the school knew of his love for Rovers, from pupils to fellow teachers. He took a bit of stick for walking around Leicester in a Tranmere shirt."
One of six children, Lee was born in Seacombe. He attended Riverside Primary School and later Mosslands school. After graduating from university he started working in Leicester as a teacher, specialising in history and humanities.
Although living in Leicester, Lee still travelled back for Tranmere games whenever he could, and tried to covert his pupils to the team. He last visited Wirral to see HMS Illustrious when it visited Liverpool three weeks ago.
A tribute page has been set on social networking site Facebook by pupils at Riverside College and currently almost 800 members are signed up.
Among those paying tribute were pupil Olivia Carter who wrote, "You were one of the best teachers ever, and you will be missed by everyone. You were very, very funny, and I miss your jokes."
Mum Thelma said: “I feel absolutely thrilled that so many people have bothered to put a tribute page online. I’ve had calls from members of my family, who have read out some of the tributes that are on there. I feel so proud that he was so well liked.”
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