New Year Honours: Bernstein gets CBE for football

Former FA chairman David Bernstein: CBE for services to football. Picture: Getty

Mr Bernstein, who stepped down in July after reaching the age limit of 70, is made a CBE for services to football.

He said he believed the honour also recognised his previous roles as chairman of Manchester City and Wembley.

“I think this honour relates to all my 20 years in football and I am really delighted,” he said.

“I had ten years at Manchester City and it was a fantastic period to be involved at a key moment in its history, getting the club back on its feet and organising the deal for the new stadium.”

Bernstein, who becomes chairman of British Red Cross tomorrow, added: “My greatest satisfaction at the FA was being involved with development at the grassroots and in disabled football, and then in anti-discrimination culminating in the report to the Prime Minister.”

Andy Murray may have missed out on another honour this year, but one former Wimbledon winner is recognised – Ann Jones, who beat Billie Jean King to win the 1969 Ladies title, receives a CBE after many years of work in tennis administration.

Other notable recipients include a CBE for West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady, for services to entrepreneurship and women in business, and an OBE to London Marathon race director Dave Bedford, a former 10,000m world record holder.

Geoff Miller, who has retired as England cricket’s national selector after seven years, which included three Ashes triumphs and England becoming world No 1, is made an OBE.

Professor Peter Sonksen, the scientist who spearheaded the test for human growth hormone, is made an OBE. Prof Sonksen has worked on anti-doping with the International Olympic Committee since 1992 and his team project GH-2000 developed a test for the hormone that was first used at the London 2012 Olympics.

Prof Sonksen, emeritus professor at London’s King’s College, said: “I was thrilled to discover I was to receive this honour – it was completely unexpected.”

An MBE goes to Stuart Cummings, a much-respected rugby league referee who retired as RFL match officials director earlier this year.

“I am really pleased with the way things turned out and I am pleased my career has been marked in this way.”

Rachel Yankey, the most capped England women’s footballer, receives at OBE to add to the MBE she won in 2006, and there is an MBE for Katy McLean, captain of the England women’s rugby union team. McLean, who has won 65 caps, said her honour could serve as both a reward and an inspiration for women and girls in the sport.

She said: ”It’s a truly amazing honour, something I never thought I would receive. “This kind of award shows how much our sport is growing.”