David Healey MBE

David Healy has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday honours list - unfortunately it's not for a 25 goal season for Fulham, but even so....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/norther ... 453645.stm

For more info on what an MBE is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_t ... ish_Empire

 

Thanks . . . otherwise I would have thought it was some sort of honorary business degree.

Fulham definitely need to keep him now . . . he's almost a knight.

 

The list for NI was pretty thin, is that it?

Sorry if that seems snarky, but is that, or is that not, a fact?

 

Congrats to David, and let me add to Don's post that the 25 goal season be in a Fulham kit. 8)

 

The British are so silly... Sir this, Lady that. MBE blah. Congrats to David Healy for a great Euro 2008 qualifying campaign though.

 

Ah, it's built on 1000 years of history - since we no longer have to put down rebellion in the shires or colonies, what else can we do? I like that we honour my fellow subjects for acts of bravery, charity or for just bringing happiness to our lives. Public recognition is good - and it's the only way we have of doing it.

The birthday list is shorter than the new years list, but I think he deserves it. He achieved a fantastic feat, scoring that many goals in a poor team -and he made Irish Eyes smile - but yes - not many other NI's in the group .

 

As an American I'm glad my forefathers left that place and left all the ancient, silly name-calling/rank bull behind. One nice speech about someone can work just as well.

Yay forefathers!!!

 

It's a shame you feel that way. I don't think any place in the world runs without rank - and where they've tried it, it has been a disaster.

Countries decending from Eurpoean ancesotry seem to have some sort of honour system - for example - instead of making a speech about someone the US may give either the "Congressional Gold Medal" or a "Presidential Medal of Freedom". They also give honour citizenship to people.

In the UK we can recognise forign nationals by giving them titles - Colin Powel was made a KCB after the Gulf War and Eisenhower was given a knighthood at the end of the WWII (forigners are not allowed to use the prefix Sir and the only American who I know that does is Sir Allen Stanford).

A nice speech only works if you listen. For example I have an aquainence that has an MBE for services to industry. I did not know this and only found out because she used her title on letter headed paper sent to the local education authority. As a result I found out about a whole aspect of her life that was facinating - I was not born when they would have made the speech.

 

Well, America ain't exactly a disaster. History books inform us about our great ancestors. That's all we need. We don't need to call Abraham Lincoln, Sir Abraham Lincoln, to know he's special.

Kings and Queens, phooey!

 

Even as an American, it's sad to read. Very, very sad.

 

You mean you wish the American Revolution never happened? Personally I'm quite happy my forefathers hid behind trees and blew British soldiers heads off.

You know, I mean, who likes tyranny?

Thank God America doesn't have the class issues the British have. If I ever meet the King of England I'm going to greet him with a "what's up dude". Don't really care if he's offended.

 

Of all the historical figures to cite, you pick the guy who is attributed with saying http://www.quoteworld.org/quotes/8321.

 

I'm being facetious people. Lord have mercy you all are sensitive. If the Brits can't take a little stick... they shouldn't ever dish it out, which they do in buckets.

I will greet the King with a "what's up dude" if I ever meet him though. Much like Jim Thorpe did at the 1912 Olympics in Sweden. He greeted the Swedish majesty with a 'hey King' or some such. Fantastic.

 

What are the political implications of this? He is highly regarded by both sides of the sectarian divide in NI and has always come off as apolitical. He is however, the David that slew the mighty English Goliath. Now with the British royalty claiming him as one of their own, are they forcing him to choose sides? Do you think this may ruffle the feathers of some of his republican support? Will they see it as an honour, an insult, or be indifferent?