Rachel Davies has made history by becoming the first person to be honoured solely for services to Altrincham Football Club.

For the past 15 years, Rachel has been the inspiration behind a remarkable transformation in the girls' section at The J.Davidson Stadium, with numbers multiplying from barely double figures to around 600.

There is now a clear pathway to Alty women's first team for any young girl wishing  to join the junior set-up, and everyone at the club is absolutely thrilled that Rachel's immense contribution has led to her inclusion in the latest New Year's honours list as a recipient of the British Empire Medal.

Modest and humble as ever, she found news that her tireless efforts had received the royal seal of approval hard to believe, as she took in the sea air on holiday with her family.

Recalling the moment her phone pinged with an email, Rachel said, in an AltyTV interview:

"It was my daughter's sixth birthday, and we were at Butlins in Skegness, sitting in Wetherspoons, when the first message came through.

"I thought it was junk mail and deleted it, but, three minutes later, another came through, saying 'do not ignore' across the top.

"I showed it to my mum, and she said 'have you seen this' and then burst into tears!

"We couldn't believe it. It was overwhelming to be sitting in Wetherspoons one moment, eating burger and chips, and contacting the King's secretary the next to say I'd be delighted to accept.

"Being invited to the Palace to receive this medal speaks volumes for all the hard work done by so many people to make the girls' section a success, and I'm grateful to the club for being such strong advocates of what we are doing.

"I'm so proud of everything that has happened, particularly as I wanted to give something back and help provide facilities and opportunities for young girls that weren't around when I was their age.

"The aim now is to see more and more girls aged four or five coming along with the idea and ambition of progressing through the ranks and reaching the stage where they are stepping out on to the pitch at Moss Lane as senior Altrincham players."

You can watch and listen to the AltyTV interview in full by clicking on the image below.