Zara Phillips Mbe

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What a joke!!!

This is worse than the Ashes cricketers getting awards, whatever happened to getting awards for a lifetime contribution, rather than a short period of success
Steven Gerrard was also made MBE, anyone got a clue why?
Ricky Hatton MBE is also ridiculous, the bloke is a great boxer and is yet to be beaten but to be handed an award by the queen for this???
 
These awards are a nonsense, if you're going to have them they should be given for some contribution/act so outstanding that you'd only expect perhaps half a dozen to be dished out in a typical year.

I don't think Phillips's award is worse than the cricketers' last year, some of them hardly contributed anything at all, at least she's a world champion and risked her neck to do it, her friend was killed eventing only a few days before.

All I know about Gerrard is that he was the player that spectacularly dived to gain a penalty for England in a World Cup warm-up game - how pathetic is that?

But the worst "winners" of all are those who are given them because they come with the job - how many senior civil servants don't get one?
 
They have become completely meaningless, if anyone can remember back to when they did have any meaning but her award is on a par with others given, although it could be argue that being European and World Champion is a lot more than others have achived, especially our footballers. The whole of the cricket team being awarded MBEs last year for the Ashes win was another joke -complete over reaction by every one concerned. Bearing in mind her connections, it could have been a lot more. I don't begrudge it to her...I think she is a fine example of sporting achievement. The worst recent example I think was making Kelly Holmes a Dame. She won one race with her eyes shut and had virtually stopped. No idea what was going on.

Liverpool players must train at 'diving' - they have been experts for years. Ever since I can remember watching football from the early 70s, they have had an 'expert' who will get them a penalty when they were in trouble in a match. ( I used to watch football before that, but the memory is not so good back that far :cry: )
 
Originally posted by Venusian@Dec 30 2006, 06:23 PM
I don't think Phillips's award is worse than the cricketers' last year, some of them hardly contributed anything at all, at least she's a world champion
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Good point
 
Originally posted by Etta Place@Dec 30 2006, 07:36 PM
The worst recent example I think was making Kelly Holmes a Dame. She won one race with her eyes shut and had virtually stopped. No idea what was going on.

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How may DOUBLE Olympic Gold medalist athletes do you think we've produced (same Olympiad). Kelly's achievement is greater than ZP's and just about any female athlete we've ever produced
 
Steve Redgrave had to win five to be knighted, Matthew Pinsent four, never mind World titles they won. The highest standards maintained over two decades in Redgrave's case. Even if we had produced 100 double olympic gold female medallists, they wouldn't have deserved to be made dames either. Just because she won two finals in a fortnight doesn't make her worthy of being given, in the scale of the honours systems, the honour she received based on that fact alone, which it was.
 
I have to say that even knowing her I think its a bit over the top. I cant remeber if Pippa Funnell got an award when she won the eventing Grand Slam which involves winning all three of the Four star events in the world and is much tougher than winning euroepan and world gold medals.

I think what Zara has achieved is brillant and for all that being who she is has helped her it has also hindered her. The selectors that chose her to ride for Britian would have been much tougher on her than anyone one else as had she messed up they would have been given grief for chosing her and people would have said that she only got the place on the team because of who she is. At least shes proved that she deserved it.

MBE's now seem to be given out at the drop of a hat and I think its a bit of a shame. Surely they would mean much more to the people recieving them if they were more elusive.
 
:eek: I have contributed too many posts on the said subject! Of these so called, honours lets be quite candid about them, they are a total farce to most of these sportspeople, & Stars?etc.

I see an award was given to someone in north Wales for her work for MIND, surely this is the type of person (just like our late member & mentor to a lot on here, ALLAN MORGAN who worked hard for the under privileged children with the NSPCC and was a awarded a gong) that's surely what these honours should be about.
Not footballers and POP stars, and Athletes etc. I am very aware that ordinary people are supposed have nominated 46% of this years recipients and (the recipient that is) THEY can now buy a buttonhole badge @ £15 to put on their coat lapel if they need others to know as well..... :rolleyes:
 
I cannot forget that teacher guy in Coronation St who has had the same role for more than 40 years and got a gong for his services to acting :D

When you belong to a club of Z celebs, the awards are devalued to such a level that they are meaningless.

Would be nice if awards were given to people who helped others rather than those who did nothing other than do their job or pursue their interests.
 
I'd scrap the entire gongs 'n' honours stuff. So many have proved ultimately unworthy and so many are doing just what you've said above - their jobs! If you're an athlete representing your country, you get a gong anyway from the sporting authority, Olympics, whatever. 'Services to acting'? Good grief, why not services to shoe-making, just because you've racked up 40 years doing it, or services to hairdressing, road-making, or dog-breeding? Most people seem to think the system's a farce now, and I can see why.
 
Originally posted by Lee Chater@Dec 30 2006, 10:00 PM
I cannot forget that teacher guy in Coronation St who has had the same role for more than 40 years and got a gong for his services to acting :D

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Lee, If it's a reference to Bill Roach ? You might also bear in mind he's a well established Conservative party activist, 'celebrity supporter' and fund raiser, which opens up a well rehearsed can of worms on a related theme.

I should say however, that it might not be him whom your referring to (although he would seem to fit that description). I personally don't know if/ or what he received? and neither do I know who bequeathed it? So I'm guessing.

The only thing I think I'm pretty safe in saying though, is that it wouldn't be the first time the honours system has been used to say thankyou for peoples political activities, and a flag of convenience used to mask it.
 
I've just caught a News and it appears that it was Johnny Briggs and not Bill Roach. Oh well I never stated that it was :shy: Just taking a logical guess.
 
Originally posted by Venusian@Dec 30 2006, 06:23 PM
at least she's a world champion and risked her neck to do it, her friend was killed eventing only a few days before.
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ZP's award is also partly for her charity work in equestrianism. She's also had to take care of horses, exercise, etc etc in all weathers from an early age; you don't achieve what she did without very hard and constant work

Apparently Gerrard's award is also largely for charity work esp with kids
I expect the European Cup win had a lot ot do with it, as does the fact he has carried the whole Liverpool team for much of the last year or two. But any sort of an award to a footballer smacks of Bread and Circuses to me
 
not sour grapes they give one(GONG) to HATTON but fail to give CALZAHGE anything he is undeafeted in 11 yrs and have held a world championship for as many years...

Sorry........ in boxing that is................. :rolleyes: farcical or what??????????
 
It was William Roache I was talking of but couldn't remember his name ;)

He was awarded an MBE for his services to acting 6 years ago after being the longest serving ( 40 years and counting ) one in the soap, he certainly like a challenge !!
 
Originally posted by trudij@Dec 31 2006, 06:16 PM
Ok - I know Im thck, but whats
smacks of Bread and Circuses to me
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???
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Sorry Trudi. It refers to the way the ancient Roman Emperors, and Roman politicians, used to buy votes and defuse discontent, by making populist gestures, often this involved giving the poor free bread and putting on huge - and extremely cruel - extravaganzas in the Colosseum
 
Well, football is the national sport and is a big part of life in Britain, so i`d argue that people in the game who stand out deserve some kind of recognition. Not only is Gerrard carrying Liverpool on his shoulders but he deserves lots of kudos for resisting the Russian money at the Bridge.
 
Gerrard is my favourite footballer by a long way in fact. I'm always Horrified of Tunbridge Wells if I suspect he might have done the dirty to get a result :eek:

Hoevever, I don't feel anyone that well paid for doing something they love [eg footballers, actors etc] really deserve gongs. I'd keep them for people who do a lot of unsung charity work or do great things for disturbed or dying children etc. They are strewn about like confetti these days
 
True Euro, that soccer is a big part of some peoples lives but there are some whose lives are more focussed on more important things.

You see every saturday how people are devastated that their team has lost, it is sad that their lives revolve around a game.
I can understand it in the poorer countries where they have little in their lives but men are seen here on TV crying because they have lost or relegated PATHETIC :lol:

Years ago, fans supported their own town or city, now people latch onto already high profile teams either because their home team is in the lower divisions or because they want to be associated with sucess.
 
I read today that Naseem Hamed has been stripped of his MBE because of his driving offence that caused horrific injuries to another car driver.
His ex trainer B Ingle was quoted as saying that " he would be upset by the decision "

This just goes to show what happens when you make awards for the wrong reasons.
 
I thought about this when I heard it on the car radio. In the first case I always felt he was an undeserving receipient any way.

I think you've only reflected half of what Brenden Ingle said there too Lee. As it was clear that he paid particular attention to the damge and continued suffering of both Mr & Mrs Burgin, and implored the listener to keep a degree of perspective.

It did strike me though of a case of one rule for one, and one for another. How many other receipients of awards have been stripped. Archer and Porter would be two that come to mind. I've no problem with stripping Hamed of it, but would prefer a degree of consistency.
 
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