The 75-year-old won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

He was awarded the accolade for his services to cricket and charity work.

Since retiring his Dickie Bird Foundation has raised tens of thousands of pounds to help young people into sport.

Budding young diver Channein Francis, eight, and her brother Marius, 13, a trampoline star in the making, turned up to help present the award at Sheffield's Ponds Forge.

And his lifelong Sir Michael Parkinson paid tribute in a pre-recorded tribute.

Click on the green play button to see our exclusive video - including Parky's message.

Parky said: "It seems like only yesterday that me, Dickie and Geoffrey Boycott were sat on the balcony at Barnsley Cricket Club

"Boycott new he would play for Yorkshire and England, Dickie guessed he might and I thought I would.

"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 and I'm very proud of you.''
Awards host Christa Ackroyd handed a box of tissues to Barnsley man

Dickie, who said: "This is a tremendous honour. Helping kids like these is what I now live for.''

The world's most famous ever cricket umpire 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.''

Dickie, real name Harold Dennis Bird, MBE, stood in his first county game in 1970 and within three years he had officiated at his first Test match (England v New Zealand at Headingley, Leeds).

He went on to umpire in 66 Test cricket matches (at the time a world record) and 69 One Day Internationals, including three World Cup Finals.

The glittering Edge Telecom sponsored Sports Awards recognised sporting excellence including amateurs and business, as well as Olympic heroes, football superstars, boxing idols, cricket legends and other sporting greats.

Other finalists for Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Williams Fasteners, were:

Darren Gough, from Monk Bretton, Barnsley is a former England cricket star who this summer retired from the game as captain of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He is England's all-time highest wicket-taker in one-day internationals with 234, taking 229 wickets in his 58 Test matches, making him England's ninth most successful wicket-taker of all time.

Brendan Ingle MBE is the well renowned boxing coach who has helped produce great talents such as Herol Bomber Graham, Prince Hamed, Johnny Nelson and Junior Witter. His Wincobank gym in Sheffield continues to provide opportunities to hundreds of youngsters in the city offering coaching as well as fitness sessions.

Derek Dooley MBE is the late, great football legend who brought together the two divides of Sheffield. He played and managed the Owls, before rising to the position of chairman with the Blades. The city lost a great man when he sadly passed away in March of this year.

Michael Vaughan was one of England's most successful cricket captains. He led them in 51 Tests, from 2003 up to his resignation in August, won 26, losing just 11. The pinnacle was a 2–1 victory against the Aussies in 2005, England's first Ashes triumph since 1986/7. Vaughan was ranked the best batsman in the world following the 2002/3 Ashes, in which he scored 633 runs, including three centuries.

For more about the Sports Awards, a full list of winners and video clips, click here.