Thousands of mourners paid their respects to Keith Alexander at Lincoln Cathedral on Monday afternoon at an hour-long service of thanksgiving and celebration of his life.

Amongst those present was Macclesfield Town chairman Mike Rance and after the ceremony he issued a heartfelt message to the many people who have offered their sympathy and support to the club over the last two weeks.

"Without the support we've received from around the town and throughout the game we would have found it difficult to cope" he said.

"I'd particularly like to thank the many people who have worked hard behind the scenes keep the club on an even keel during a very emotional period.

"Keith's funeral was a fitting tribute to the man and the presence of so many football people, right across the spectrum - from grieving supporters to some of the greats of the game - was a true reflection of his impact on football.

"But now we come to the hard part. We have to look to the future. I'm sure Keith would have wanted us to build on the foundation he created. We owe it to him to keep together, get on with the job and look forward to celebrating his life with our good friends from Lincoln City at Sincil Bank on May 8th."