CRICKET legend Dickie Bird shed those famous tears of joy again when he was honoured at The Star and St John Ambulance Sports Awards - with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Boxing's Comeback King, Ryan Rhodes, 31, was Sports Personality Of The Year.
click the green play button to watch Sports Awards video highlightsDickie's 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 as 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.''
The Barnsley 75-year-old, the world's most famous ever cricket umpire, later told The Star at the Ponds Forge venue: "Getting this honour means as much to me as when I received my MBE."
Parky, in his pre recorded tribute, 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.''
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.
Ryan Rhodes, who this year regained 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.
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.
Here's the full list of winners – click on their names for category details.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 UnitedAmateur Sporting Achiever, sponsored by Sheffield Telegraph. Winner: Charlie DaughtreyProfessional Sporting Achiever, sponsored by The Star. Winner: Doncaster Rovers.Amateur Sport Club, sponsored by 4funding. Winner: The Allstars ClubCoach/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 Willett2008 Olympic Achievement Award, sponsored by Sheffield Lighting The Flame For Sport. Winner: Paul GoodisonSporting Business 2008, sponsored by TAM. Winner: ANSYS UK.Sports Personality of The Year Award, sponsored by Edge Telecom. Winner: Ryan RhodesLifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Williams Fasteners. Winner: Dickie Bird.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 please visit www.sja.org.uk or call 08700 10 49 50.
For a full report and photos see The Star on Friday, October 10, 2008.What do you think? Post your comments below. READ MORE Blades Watch 08-09 - The Season So FarOwls Watch 08-09 - The Season So FarWatch Premiership highlights, international football, golf, tennis, darts and much moreFootball headlinesMore BladesMore OwlsMore SpireitesMore RoversMore RedsMore MillersMore Ice HockeyMore rugby leagueMore rugby unionMore boxingSports columnistsAll sport categories The full article contains 655 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
