Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is to be awarded a knighthood for services to soccer after spearheading the club's recent wins in the FA Cup, the League and the European Cup.
He was joined by an eclectic mixture of sports stars, show-business personalities, scientists and ordinary folk who found their way on to Queen Elizabeth's birthday honours list yesterday. It contained a few surprises and illustrated once again Mr Tony Blair's flair for populism laced with political cuteness.
The future Sir Alex of Old Trafford said he was "delighted and honoured" with the award. Meanwhile, the wife of the former British prime minister John Major is to become Dame Norma Major for her fund-raising with friends which raised £6 million for Mencap over the last few years.
Also knighted was the newsreader Trevor McDonald, ITN's anchor on the now defunct News At 10 who said he was dumbfounded when he heard. "I never thought it would happen to me," he said. Another broadcaster, BBC sports presenter Helen Rollason (43), who continued her job despite having cancer, is also to receive an MBE. Her award is for services to sport, broadcasting and charities. The presenter of BBC radio Woman's Hour on Radio 4, Jenni Murray, is to get an OBE.
In show-business, the actress Julie Walters was awarded an OBE while her fellow actress, Juliet Stevenson, the star of Truly, Madly, Deeply, received a CBE.
Simon Callow, star of the film A Room With A View and biographer of Orson Welles, received a CBE, while the same award went to John Barry who wrote the theme music for 10 James Bond films. Also recognised for services to the music industry was the jazz and soul star Kanya King, the creator of MOBO, the Music of Black Origin awards.
The adventurer who last year became the first man to travel around the world in a hot air balloon, Brian Jones, receives the OBE for services to ballooning.
MBEs went to Tony Adams, the former Arsenal player and England captain who famously struggled with alcoholism, and to the Jamaican international and Wimbledon midfielder, Robbie Earle.
An MBE goes to Stephani Moore, widow of the former England football captain, Bobby Moore, who led the successful English team in 1966. She was honoured for her services to the Bobby Moore fund.
The grand master chess player, Nigel Short, ranked by experts as Britain's second most talented exponent of the game, received one of the more unexpected honours. He is to get an MBE for services to chess.
The scientist responsible for the cloned sheep, Dolly, was awarded an OBE for services to embryo development. Prof Ian Wilmut of the Roslin Institute in Scotland created the sheep named after the country and western singer, Dolly Parton.
Perhaps some of the most deserving awards went to postmen, milkmen and school-crossing patrollers.