98-444: Stephen Prescott MBE (26 December 1973 – 9 November 2013) was a professional rugby league footballer who played as a fullback during the 1990s and 2000s. Prescott made his début for St Helens in 1993, and soon established himself as the club's first choice fullback. He made his senior international début in 1996, playing both games for England in their 1996 European Championship victory, and touring with Great Britain in
196-406: A winger , or deputising for Dave Lyon at fullback . Although there were still concerns about his size, he established himself as the team's first-choice fullback during the 1994–95 season , with Lyon moving to the centres. On 20 December 1994, he scored his first career hat-trick in a 50–22 victory over Batley in a Regal Trophy third-round replay . A couple of days later, he was rewarded with
294-481: A 26–12 win. Later that year, he was selected in the squad for the Great Britain tour of Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand, but did not feature in any Test matches. In 1998, Prescott changed his international allegiance to Ireland , qualifying under the grandparent rule . He represented Ireland at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup , playing in all four of their games before being knocked out by England in
392-530: A Friday and a Saturday game on most weeks. Up to seventeen cameras, including seven replay angles, were used. Video judges now replaced in-goal judges during games broadcast on Sky. On 29 March 1996, Super League kicked off in Paris before 17,873 people at the Charlety Stadium when new team Paris Saint Germain overcame Sheffield Eagles 30–24. Despite air traffic disruptions that forced members of
490-543: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
588-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
686-553: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
784-453: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
882-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
980-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
1078-534: A hat trick in the opening Super League fixture against former club the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. On 26 June 2003, two weeks after signing a new contract with Hull FC, Prescott played his last game for the club, also against the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, scoring two tries and six goals in a 44–4 win before sustaining a career-ending knee injury a week later while representing Lancashire. Despite only playing 19 games, Prescott scored 216 points –
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#17328009012431176-542: A lawsuit of its own against the RFL. It was summarily dismissed at the end of May, but Widnes and Keighley kept dragging their feet to sign the Super League agreement, demanding formal guarantees that a promotion and relegation system be preserved. In mid-July, the RFL voted in favour of a "one up, one down" scheme with immediate effect. Keighley dropped their lawsuit shortly after. Game presentation: Rules to ensure
1274-602: A long tradition in British rugby league of crowning a season champion and an end of season Premier. The final was played between the Wigan and St. Helens on Sunday, 8 September at Old Trafford before a crowd of 35,013. Wigan won the match 44-14 and their loose forward Andy Farrell received the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man-of-the-match. The following are the top points scorers in the Super League during
1372-465: A more modern top-flight setup for some time, his previous efforts had only resulted in a tepid reform during the 1995 offseason . The more radical Super League came together over just ninety-six hours in early April 1995, following overtures by emissaries of Australian media conglomerate News Ltd. , who were looking for international partners to sway the battle for the control of Australian rugby league in their favour. The first rumours transpiring from
1470-483: A new four-year contract. He was a near-ever present throughout the season, appearing 34 times and scoring 20 tries. Steve Prescott played fullback in St. Helens ' 16-25 defeat by Wigan in the 1995–96 Regal Trophy Final during the 1995–96 at Alfred McAlpine Stadium , Huddersfield on Saturday 13 January 1996. Prescott won his first silverware during the inaugural Super League season in 1996, scoring four tries against
1568-492: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
1666-408: A second knee operation after suffering from discomfort when returning to pre-season training ahead of the 2004's Super League IX . In June 2004, after failing to fully recover from the injury, Prescott announced his retirement at the age of 30. In September 2006, Prescott was diagnosed with pseudomyxoma peritonei , a rare form of cancer, and was told that he would not see his two children grow up; he
1764-410: A single, state-of-the-art venue in the future. Clubs could turn down the merger and be assigned to the second tier instead. Two French teams were added to give the competition the requisite European stature. Their management was entrusted to veteran coach Jacques Fouroux , who had recently founded a summer competition of his own called France Rugby League . Promotion and relegation would be frozen for
1862-516: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
1960-973: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
2058-690: The London Marathon , and cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats while completing the National Three Peaks Challenge en route. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to rugby league and charity. Shortly after Prescott's death in 2013, the foundation had raised almost £500,000. Steve Prescott died on 9 November 2013, more than seven years after his diagnosis with cancer. In February 2014, it
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#17328009012432156-495: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
2254-574: The Rugby League Professional Players' Association . Additionally, second-tier champions Keighley threatened to sue to get the promotion they had earned on the field prior to the reform. RFL chairman Maurice Lindsay suggested that they enter the Super League via a merger with Bradford, which the club strenuously refused. Halifax was also briefly in talks to merge with Bradford or Huddersfield due to their outdated stadium. Their board of director did vote to merge with
2352-466: The Sheffield Eagles in the penultimate game of the season as the club went on to secure its first league championship since 1975. He also played for St. Helens at fullback in the 1996 Challenge Cup Final, scoring two tries in the first seventeen minutes and helping his team to a 40–32 victory against Bradford Bulls . At the start of the following season, Prescott, who was reportedly one of
2450-546: The civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition
2548-586: The 2014 season onwards. The Saints Way Bridge at Langtree Park was also renamed the Steve Prescott Bridge in tribute to him. Club International Individual Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside
2646-473: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
2744-792: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
2842-494: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
2940-402: The British press to seek alternate means of transport, the Super League received ample plaudits for its opener, with PSG president Jacques Fouroux declaring that night: "Ninety eight per cent of them [the crowd] were new to the game, but they understood it right away. They saw tries, lots of commitment and lots of movement. They saw beauty. They attended a great party." Pundits announced that
3038-824: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
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3136-524: The Murdoch money was set aside for ground improvements. Salford, who did not make the cut, put in a bid to convince the RFL to let them represent Manchester in place of higher ranked Oldham, but ultimately chose to accept the new plan for the good of the game. However, Widnes, which had just been reinstated thanks to Toulouse's withdrawal, found itself out of the league once more, on the basis of its uncharacteristically poor 1994–95 ranking. The club launched
3234-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
3332-520: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
3430-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
3528-589: The Southern Hemisphere. In the same year, he also helped St Helens win the Championship ( Super League I ) and Challenge Cup for the first time in two decades. He went on to win a second consecutive Challenge Cup with the club in 1997, but was sold to Hull Sharks at the end of the season. After spending two years at Hull, Prescott joined Wakefield Trinity in 2000, but re-joined Hull a year later after being released by Wakefield Trinity due to
3626-657: The Steve Prescott Foundation in 2007, and went on to organise a series of money-raising initiatives. He raised almost half a million pounds for charity through the foundation, and was awarded an MBE in 2009 for his efforts. After a long battle with the disease, he died in 2013, aged 39. A year later, the Rugby Football League renamed the Man of Steel Award in Prescott's honour. Steve Prescott
3724-491: The Steve Prescott Foundation, which aimed to raise funds for two organisations: Christie Hospital , a leading cancer treatment centre in Europe, and Try Assist, the Rugby Football League 's benevolent fund. To raise funds, Prescott went to organise a number of charity boxing tournaments and rugby league games, with a number of Prescott's former teammates taking part. He also took part in a series of challenges, including running in
3822-488: The Super League waiting list, due to the likely cancellation of the second French team based in Toulouse, which was confirmed a few days later when Fouroux opted to focus his efforts on a single club. However, following another meeting on May 1, 1995, Murdoch's financial contribution was increased to £87 million and a new format was agreed upon by a majority of clubs. The mergers were abandoned but, rather than enlarge
3920-467: The Superleague contingent as speculated, it was decided to trim it further to twelve teams: the capital cities of Paris and London , plus the top ten of the 1994–95 First Division campaign. This was supposed to amount to £1.1 million for each Super League club, although these projections were later lowered to £830,000 after the RFL took its share of it to finance central operating costs. Half of
4018-463: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
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4116-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
4214-474: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
4312-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
4410-524: The club being unable to afford his wages, Prescott confirmed he was likely to leave when his contract expired in the winter. Hull F.C. won their last match for the season against the Sheffield Eagles, with Prescott kicking 6- goals , and finished in 13th place – one position above bottom club Huddersfield Giants due to a superior goal difference. Prescott signed for Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in 2000, scoring 3 tries in 25 games, but his contract
4508-505: The club in a 70–6 defeat against World Club Challenge opponents Auckland Warriors . In November 1997, he was signed by newly promoted Hull Sharks , along with Alan Hunte and Simon Booth , for a combined transfer fee of £350,000. In his 117 games for the club, he scored 52 tries and kicked 66 goals. In February 1998, Prescott made his début for Hull F.C. in the Challenge Cup against Whitehaven , and scored his first try for
4606-403: The club in the next round against Ellenborough Rangers . In April 1998, he scored two tries against the Sheffield Eagles in his first Super League match for the club, and became the club's regular goal -kicker later that year. In 1999's Super League IV , Prescott missed two months of the season through injury due to a dislocated elbow. With Hull F.C. struggling near the bottom of the table, and
4704-414: The club's financial difficulties. He changed his international allegiance to Ireland , who he represented at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup . He also made one appearance for Lancashire in 2003, but suffered a serious knee injury while playing for the team, which ultimately ended his playing career. In 2006, Prescott was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer and was given months to live. He set up
4802-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
4900-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
4998-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
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#17328009012435096-626: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
5194-424: The first two seasons. A Cardiff side was also slated to begin play in the second tier with an eye on promotion (a hastily thrown together Welsh club did take the field , but never reached those heights). An agent claimed that three Wales union stars, Mike Hall , Tony Clement and Robert Jones had inquired via a third party about the salaries on offer in the Super League, which Hall angrily denied, accusing
5292-529: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
5390-429: The former, but met with strong hostility from the community and did not proceed. Wigan president Jack Robinson even threatened an unlikely merger with the sport's other powerhouse St Helens, although this was primarily a political powerplay to put pressure on the city as he was looking for subsidies to upgrade his club's ground. Widnes, for its part, refused to merge with Warrington and instead opted to take first place on
5488-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
5586-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
5684-533: The highest total in his career that he achieved during a single season, and finished as Hull FC's second highest try scorer for the season with 18 tries. He made a total of 107 appearances and scored 56 tries during his two spells at Hull FC. Prescott made his representative début in November 1994, playing at fullback for Great Britain 's under-21 side against Australia , who were touring Great Britain and France . Despite Great Britain's heavy 54–10 defeat, Prescott
5782-618: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". Super League I The year 1996's Stones Bitter Super League I
5880-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
5978-640: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
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#17328009012436076-528: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
6174-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
6272-516: The lowest-paid first team players at the club, was transfer listed at his own request after failing to negotiate an improved contract with the club. He remained in the first team however, and was part of the side that won the 1997 Challenge Cup , once again defeating Bradford Bulls in the Challenge Cup Final. The rest of Prescott's season was interrupted by a number of injuries, and on 25 July 1997 he played what would be his last game for
6370-419: The match performance against France, scoring two tries and kicking seven goals in the 73–6 win, a then-record margin of victory for England. The 22 points scored by Prescott was also an individual record for most points scored in a single match for England until this was surpassed by Richie Myler in 2009. He also scored a try in the deciding game against Wales , helping the team finish as tournament winners with
6468-588: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
6566-559: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
6664-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
6762-473: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
6860-399: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
6958-661: The odds, finishing at the bottom of the standings for the second successive season. To date this is their only Super League season and no other club from Cumbria has competed since, Salford Reds were promoted to take their place in Super League II . The top four finishing teams competed in a short play-off series for the Premiership Trophy. This competition was separate to the Super League Championship awarded to St. Helens, and continued
7056-620: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
7154-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
7252-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
7350-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
7448-471: The quarter-final. Prescott scored one try (in the opening game against Samoa ) and kicked 17 goals during the tournament. Prescott also made one appearance for Lancashire against Yorkshire in July 2003 at Odsal Stadium . He suffered a broken kneecap during the game, which was initially expected to keep him out of action for two months. Prescott did not play again for the rest of the year, however, and required
7546-603: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
7644-466: The season would be more competitive than seen in recent memory, and predicted that St. Helens would mount a serious challenge for Wigan 's title. The Saints fulfilled those promises, and were crowned inaugural Super League champions after a win over Warrington Wolves at Knowsley Road , finishing in first position on the league ladder. During the year a secondary title, known as the Premiership
7742-461: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
7840-492: The sustainability of Super League clubs were introduced: To protect global Super League interests: Four new rules were introduced for the inaugural Super League season: In an attempt to "clean up" the ruck: The beginning of the Super League era coincided with that of a new TV contract with Murdoch's Sky Sports , which was already the First Division's broadcaster, but now offered a more thorough schedule, featuring
7938-554: The talks mentioned a 1997 start. News' plan entailed moving the RFL season to summer to align it with the southern hemisphere, to which St Helen and Leeds were said to be the most reticent. In particular, Leeds feared scheduling conflicts with the Yorkshire County Cricket Club , but they were quickly won over by the financial opportunities promised by the Murdoch deal. The English game's new era officially began on 8 April 1995, when RFL clubs voted to approve
8036-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
8134-589: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
8232-513: The younger code of using his name for publicity. More hypothetic were plans for a team in Dublin , and Jacques Fouroux's dream of teams in Barcelona (made of players from French Catalonia ) and Milan , which even the progressive Maurice Lindsay called into question. The reform immediately drew the opposition of the fanbases involved in the planned mergers, as well as a group of MPs and
8330-527: The £77 million package negotiated with News to help the transition. The initial plan for the European Super League (so named because it was then supposed to share the Super League moniker with an Australasian equivalent ) included fourteen teams. Several of the twelve projected English teams were composites of existing small-town clubs. The initial plan was for the amalgamated teams to rotate between several stadiums, which would be replaced by
8428-426: Was also played, with the final being contested between Wigan and the championship winners St. Helens with Wigan coming out victorious and Andy Farrell winning the Harry Sunderland Trophy . While a French team was an unknown quantity at this level, Paris Saint-Germain was deemed capable of at least avoiding relegation. Workington Town were the overwhelming favourites for the wooden spoon, and failed to beat
8526-465: Was born in St Helens , Lancashire , England on 26 December 1973. He attended De La Salle High School , and he was the son of the rugby league footballer; Eric Prescott . Steve Prescott was introduced to sports from an early age, often playing both football and rugby league on the same weekend. Prescott trialled with several football clubs before opting to focus on rugby league during his teens. He
8624-419: Was confirmed that Prescott's former clubs, St Helens and Hull, would compete annually for the "Steve Prescott Cup" in tribute to the player. A petition with over 12,000 signatures was also sent to the Rugby Football League (RFL), calling for the Man of Steel award to be renamed in Prescott's honour. In March 2014, the RFL officially announced that the award would be called the "Steve Prescott Man of Steel" from
8722-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
8820-582: Was given months to live. He underwent an emergency operation in Basingstoke Hospital and a tumour was removed from his stomach. In February 2007, a charity boxing event, featuring a bout between Stuart Fielden and Lee Radford , helped raise more than £50,000 in aid of Prescott. In 2013 three weeks before his death he allowed for an experimental surgery under which he had five transplants during 32 hours of operations in an attempt to advance research and help others. In August 2007, Prescott set up
8918-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
9016-557: Was one of the players singled out for praise, having scored all of the team's points (one try and three goals). In January 1995, he was selected to represent Great Britain in the Rugby League World Sevens . He made a second appearance for the under-21s later that year in a 17–16 loss against France . In 1996, Prescott played both games for England in the European Championship , including a man of
9114-513: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
9212-518: Was playing for local amateur side Nutgrove before signing for St Helens in 1992. Although he was initially deemed too small to make the grade by St Helens, Prescott secured his future at the club with some impressive performances for the reserve team. He made his début for the first team in September 1993 against Leigh , and scored his first try later that year against Hull He made 15 appearances and kicked 29 goals during his début season, playing as
9310-585: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
9408-400: Was terminated after one season to ease the club's financial problems. He subsequently rejoined Hull. In April 2001, Prescott was one of 12 former Wakefield Trinity Wildcats players to take the club to an employment tribunal claiming unfair dismissal, and was awarded compensation after the club was found to be in breach of contract. At the start of the 2003's Super League VIII , Prescott scored
9506-476: Was the official name for the 102nd season of top-level rugby league football, and the first year of Europe's new championship : Super League . It is also the first season of rugby league to be played in summer. The competition featured all eleven teams from the 1995-96 RFL First Division plus one expansion club, Paris Saint-Germain . Twelve teams were selected to play in the inaugural Super League season. Although RFL chairman Maurice Lindsay had pushed for
9604-526: Was to be given for services rendered in the UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
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