CRICKET legend Dickie Bird shed those famous tears of joy again last night when he was honoured at The Star and St John Sports Awards.
The 75-year-old won the Lifetime Achievement Award during a glittering evening at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.
Old pal Sir Michael Parkinson paid tribute by video and two children helped into sport by his Dickie Bird Foundation turned up to say thanks.
It was enough to make any grown man cry. And Dickie was at the front of the queue as he hugged budding young diver Channein Francis, eight, and her brother Marius, 13, a trampoline star in the making.
Awards host Christa Ackroyd handed a box of tissues to Dickie, whose foundation has raised tens of thousands of pounds, and he said:
"This is a tremendous honour. Helping kids like these is what I now live for."
Barnsley man Dickie later told The Star: "Getting this honour means as much to me as when I received my MBE. I want to thank The Star for supporting me throughout my career and St John Ambulance – what a wonderful job you do. I got a lump in my throat when those Dickie Bird Foundation children joined me on stage and the Parky video set me off."
Parky said: "Dickie ended up being a world class umpire and a very famous man. I ended up being attacked by an Emu! We've been big mates all our lives. I'm very proud of you. Well done."
Also in the running for Lifetime Achievement, sponsored by Williams Fasteners, were fellow cricket legends Darren Gough and Michael Vaughan, boxing icon Brendan Ingle and the late, great Owls and Blades football hero, Derek Dooley.
The glittering Edge Telecom-sponsored Sports Awards recognised sporting excellence including amateurs and business, as well as OIympic heroes, football superstars, boxing idols, cricket legends and other sporting greats.
Boxing's Comeback King, Ryan Rhodes, 31, who this year regained and recently successfully defended his British light-middleweight title, 11 years after he first won it, was voted by Star readers as Sports Personality Of The Year, also sponsored by Edge Telecom.
"This tops an amazing year – and now I'm about to fight Vincent Vuma for the WBC International title at London's O2 Stadium, as support to David Haye's first heavyweight fight on November 15," he exclusively revealed. "I want a world title shot here in Sheffield."
Olympic hero Paul Goodison, 30, the Sheffield-born sailor from Rotherham, who won gold in the laser sailing class in Beijing, won the Olympic Achiever Award, sponsored by Sheffield Lighting The Flame For Sport. He was at a friend's wedding but proud parents Roy and Cynthia collected his award.
Sarah Stevenson, 24, of Doncaster, who won Britain's first ever taekwondo Olympic medal with a bronze in Beijing, celebrated with Team GB coach Gary Sykes when his Doncaster based Allstars Club won Amateur Sport Club, sponsored by 4funding.
ANSYS UK, which helped to design the swimsuit worn by greatest-ever Olympic athlete, swimmer Michael Phelps, won the Sporting Business Of The Year Award, sponsored by TAM (UK) Ltd.
A big cheer went up for little Charlie Daughtrey, aged seven, of the Phoenix Golf Club, in Rotherham – third in the US Kids World Championship but first at the Awards. Long after he should have been in bed he was presented with the Sheffield Telegraph-sponsored Amateur Sporting Achiever Award, handed over by editor David Todd.
Sheffield Steelers ice hockey coach Dave Matsos was Coach/Manager Of The Year, sponsored by Outokumpu.
Doncaster Rovers, promoted to the highest tier in their history, won Professional Sporting Achiever Award, sponsored by The Star, handed over by Editor Alan Powell and Sheffield Newspapers MD Mark Rodgers.
Sheffield United won a top honour for their work off the pitch – the Outstanding Community Contribution Award, sponsored by Sainsburys.
Young Achiever 2008, sponsored by The Green Un, was Sheffield's Danny Willett, 20, who was ranked the world's number one amateur golfer this year.
Jon Hall, born in Doncaster and living in Chesterfield, won a bronze medal with the Team GB basketball team at the Paralympics – which earned him the title of Disabled Sports Personality 2008, sponsored by Sheffield City Taxis.
Chesterfield superfan Jeff Hall, who has followed his club for 50-years and helps with everything from programme selling to sponsoring the corner flags, won the Unsung Hero Award, sponsored by Fluid HD.
St John Ambulance Outstanding Contributions Awards, sponsored by St John, went to volunteers Christine Barber, Andrew Feely, Sue Hansford, Richard Harrington, Terry Haynes, First Responders, Debbie and Sean Starbuck.
Alan Powell, Editor of The Star, said: "Day in and day out The Star reports on our heroes of sport who bring glory to the region by their dedication, enthusiasm, skill and sometime sheer bloody-mindedness. Some people call it Yorkshire grit. And that is what we were honouring tonight.''
Other supporters of the awards included Bravura Marketing, The Ivory at Harrisons, Sugarcane, Creative Sheffield, Pro Sheffield, Maserati, Monster-Sports, Sport England Yorkshire, a public body which backs sport development, and South Yorkshire Sport, which promotes activity and highlights the work of volunteers and coaches.
For more information about St John Ambulance, visit www.s-ja.org.uk or call 08700 10 49 50.
Here's a glance at the headline -makers at The Star and St John Ambulance Sports Awards 2008:St John Ambulance Outstanding Contributions Awards, sponsored by St John. Winners: Christine Barber, Andrew Feely, Sue Hansford, Richard Harrington, Terry Haynes, First Responders, Debbie and Sean Starbuck.
Unsung Hero, sponsored by Fluid HD. Winner: Jeff Hall
Outstanding Community Contribution, sponsored by Sainsbury's. Winner: Sheffield United
Amateur Sporting Achiever, sponsored by Sheffield Telegraph. Winner: Charlie Daughtrey
Professional Sporting Achiever, sponsored by The Star. Winner: Doncaster Rovers.
Amateur Sport Club, sponsored by 4funding. Winner: The Allstars Club
Coach/Manager of 2008, sponsored by Outo Kumpu. Winner: Dave Matsos.
Disabled Sports Personality 2008, sponsored by Sheffield City Taxis. Winner: Jon Hall.
Young Achiever 2008, sponsored by The Green Un. Winner: Danny Willett
2008 Olympic Achievement Award, sponsored by Sheffield Lighting The Flame For Sport. Winner: Paul Goodison
Sporting Business 2008, sponsored by TAM. Winner: ANSYS UK.
Sports Personality of The Year Award, sponsored by Edge Telecom. Winner: Ryan Rhodes
Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Williams Fasteners. Winner: Dickie Bird.
More:
SPORTS AWARDS: Top honours for Dickie Bird and Ryan Rhodes - VIDEOSPORTS AWARDS: Lifetime Achievement Dickie Bird - VIDEOSPORTS AWARDS: Boxer Ryan Rhodes is Sports Personality 2008 - VIDEOSPORTS AWARDS: Steelers boss Matsos is Coach of 2008 - VIDEOSPORTS AWARDS: Blades win Community Award - VIDEOThe full article contains 1105 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
