The chief executive and deputy chair of Brighton and Hove Albion has become an OBE for services to football.
Paul Barber, 55, said: “I was quite shocked. It’s humbling because it’s for services to football which is a team sport – and I’ve always been part of a team from when I was young and playing football to being part of a professional environment in my working life.
“I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what I have without the teams I’ve had around me.
“If I look back on everything I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in in football, it’s always as part of a team.
“I’m particularly delighted for my family who have had to live this life, sometimes vicariously, and at times when they’d rather have not, because there are highs and lows in football – and sometimes the lows are tough.
“It’s a labour of love for me. It’s never something I’ve had to endure – but sometimes they have.”
Mr Barber thanked his family among others, adding that there were “too many people to name individually but obviously family and friends”.
He said: “Also a lot of visionary leaders – so Tony Bloom immediately comes to mind because the last 10 years have been so important.
“Also, Daniel Levy at Spurs, Adam Crozier, David Dein and David Davies when I worked at the FA … the owners who gave me an opportunity in Vancouver.
“All the time it’s been a privilege to do this job and it’s never been hard to get up in the morning. I feel luckier than most to be doing a job I love – something most people only dream of … It’s been a fascinating and rewarding journey.
The King also honoured four members of the England’s women’s football team who played two games at the Amex, in Falmer, during the Euros in July.
The beat Norway 8-0 in the group stage – and another full house at the Amex watched the Lionesses beat Spain 2-1 in their quarter-final.
All four also played in the final at Wembley when they became European champions with a 2-1 win over Germany on Sunday 31 July.
England’s Euro-winning captain Leah Williamson, 25, has been made an OBE while Lucy Bronze, 31, Beth Mead, 27, and Ellen White, 33, all become MBEs.
White scored two first-half goals in the 8-0 win against Norway at the Amex on Monday 11 July and Mead – the tournament’s top scorer – grabbed a hat-trick.
Bronze returned to the Amex on Tuesday 11 October and earned her 100th cap as England were held to a 0-0 draw by the Czech Republic. Mead came on as a sub – and earlier this month she was voted the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year.
The team’s Dutch head coach Sarina Wiegman, 53, was also made a CBE on the overseas list.
Sir Hugh Robertson, the chairman of the honours sport committee, was asked why more of the Lionesses squad had not been recognised.
He said: “The approach that we’ve tried to take with this is when we have these events there is a danger in sort of carpet bombing the entire squad because then you get people who’ve done five minutes on the pitch and get an award.
“So what we’ve tried to do is stick to the principle of the honours which is to recognise excellence and to recognise extraordinary contributions.”
To read about other recipients in the King’s first New Year Honours List, click here.
