Malcolm (Matt) Lord of Cross Hills was presented with the Football Association Long Service award at last Thursday's annual general meeting of the Craven Football Association.
Peter Marsden, the president of the West Riding County Football Association, made the presentation and acknowledged the contribution Matt had made to football over the past 50 years in particularly since returning to the area in 1978.
From 1954 he played occasionally with Cowling FC however on commencing National service with RAF in the 1958 he became involved in organising football and took the referee's course and continued to officiate in both service and civilian football until leaving the RAF in 1978.
Matt quickly became involved in Craven football joining the Craven Referee's Society becoming the representative on the Craven FA.
He followed this by joining the Craven & District Football League in 1980 and taking up the position of registration secretary, a role which he continues to do to this day.
In the same year he became a full member of the Craven FA and in 1993 was elected as the district representative to the WRCFA, an office he still continues in.
Matt has had much involvement in football at junior level and was chairman for several years of the Craven Aire Wharfe Junior League. He is a life member of both the Craven FA and Craven Aire Wharfe Junior League.
He joins a select band of local people who have gained the Football Association Long Service award in the Craven area including Dennis French, George Saunders, Herbert Spencer and Alec Riddiough and Barry Pearce of the Cross Hills Football Club.
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