Simon Cope, chair of Scarborough Athletic, has been awarded the Richard Lillicrap Award at the annual national conference of Supporters' Direct.

The government backed group are the umbrella organisation of all supporters Trusts and supporter-owned football clubs.

The conference, held at the QEII Centre in London, was attended by FA chairman Lord Triesman, who was the event's keynote speaker, and Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture Media & Sport, and former chair of Supporters' Direct.

Cope's award is in recognition of his continuing commitment and effort in forwarding the Supporters Trust movement, and is named after a former Supporters' Direct and Swansea City Trust board member.

Cope, who was nominated by his fellow board members for the award, said: "This award has come as a complete surprise to me, and I am immensely proud for our work here at Boro to be recognised by the wider Supporters' Trust community.

"It is a testament not just to my work but to all those who have helped in the creation of the Trust and subsequently Scarborough Athletic FC."