SOME of football's best known names helped secure an MBE for a Pendle pensioner, it was claimed today.

Syd Parkinson, 91, of Barrowford Road, Colne, was given the gong in the Queen's New Year Honours list at the weekend for his services to local football.

For 75 years, Syd has been involved in the local football scene and is currently the physiotherapist at Barnoldswick Town.

Today, Bacup Borough manager Brent Peters said he was aware of two very well-known football managers writing letters to Government calling for Syd to be honoured.

Mr Peters said: "It is something which has been spoken about for a while and a campaign got going.

"I could not believe that Syd, who was 90 at the time, was still contributing to football and had never been recognised by the Queen for his contributions.

"It was first talked about when David May, who used to play for Manchester United, signed here and the TV crews came too.

"I got talking to some of them about Syd and I think it went from there.

"I know a couple of Premiership managers agreed to write letters.

"It is great that he has been nominated.

Syd said: "I got a letter about three weeks ago telling me about the award and I have to say I was very surprised, it was certainly not something I ever expected.

"Although I have spent most of my life in football I don't really think of it as a service, it is just something I enjoy and I count myself very lucky that I am still able to run onto a football field."

Syd first got a taste of the game when he organised a match a week after he was demobbed from the RAF at the end of the Second World War.

He later started a team while working as a fitter for Rolls-Royce at its Barnoldswick factory and later he was the physio at Colne Dynamoes during their rapid rise through the pyramid leagues in the 1980s.