Walk on, with hope in your heart

When a group of Liverpool Football Club fans read on Friday that one of their own had died playing the game they love, they were moved to act in the spirit of their motto: You'll Never Walk Alone.

The LFC fans decided to use their football matches the following day to start the ball rolling in raising funds for the fallen fan's family.

Mr Mohd Farid Muhaiyah had collapsed while playing football with his colleagues at the PSA Club at 3, Bukit Chermin Road in Telok Blangah last Monday.

Once The New Paper report came out on Friday, LFC Official Supporters Club Singapore tried to find ways to help his widow, Madam Nurlina Salim.

She had said in the report that she was going to have to go to work to support her son, 18, and two daughters, aged 11 and 14.

Mr Mohamad Faizal Ishak, 37, the club's committee member for special projects, told TNP that fan club members were asking on social media if there was a way to help.

Mr Faizal said: "We (the committee) were thinking it's not easy for a family who has lost their sole breadwinner, and also because Ramadan is coming up, we decided to help the family."

Members of the Liverpool FC Official Supporters Club Singapore gave the family of Mr Mohd Farid Muhaiyah a club pennant (above) and donations they had collected. PHOTO COURTESY OF HERMAN BAKAR

Fan club member Herman Bakar, 41, told TNP how the club's WhatsApp chat group and Facebook messages were bursting with notifications.

He said that two of the supporters' teams were playing football the next day so someone had suggested collecting donations afterwards.

CONSENSUS

He said: "We came to a consensus to keep it efficient, and make sure it gets to the hands of Mr Farid's family members, especially his wife."

The donations were collected after the two matches - one against Newcastle United Supporters Club Singapore and another match with Manchester United Supporters Club Singapore.

The matches were part of the Singapore EPL Fan Club League, where the supporters of different EPL clubs play against each other.

Mr Faizal and a few team members visited Madam Nurlina's home on Sunday to pass her the modest sum raised, which they did not wish to disclose.

They also gave Madam Nurlina's eldest son, Mr Muhammad Firdaus Mohd Farid, an autographed Liverpool pennant as a token.

The pennant included autographs from Ian Rush and Steve McManaman, two of Liverpool's greatest players.

Since they only had a short time to raise money, Mr Faizal said they will also be posting details on their Facebook page on how members can continue to help Madam Nurlina.

He said: "We will draft out a Facebook post, so that people who wish to help can transfer the money to a specific bank account."

Madam Nurlina said: "I'm so grateful for their help. I didn't expect that there would be so many people helping.

"At the same time, we want to keep it low-profile. So right now we're just trying to get our lives back on track."

Mr Faizal told TNP while his club is not a charity, they hope they can do something to help.

He said: "We don't wish to brag about this. Our intention is that there is hope for the family."