A Nottinghamshire woman who campaigned to get ‘tough guys to talk’ about dementia in the footballing community has been recognised in the New Year Honours List for 2025.
The list is released each year, and recipients are typically awarded for “outstanding contributions across all parts of the UK” for work in areas such as sustained public service and work in the community.
Recommendations for honours are decided by a committee and then passed to the Prime Minister and the King for approval.
Penelope Watson, 74, who lives in Tollerton, is the wife of former Notts County and England football player Dave Watson, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2014.
Mr Watson began his career with Notts County in 1966 and played for England between 1974 and 1982.
He was later diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive and fatal brain disease – associated with the development of dementia – which can be caused by repeated brain injuries such as concussions.
Mrs Watson has been honoured for her work in convincing the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to set up a separate department to help families who were suffering as a result of their loved ones being diagnosed with dementia.
She further secured a financial fund from the football authorities to help families adjust to living with the disease, including adaptations to their homes.
“Football in the 80s was very much a man’s game,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“Dave was considered a tough player. Any flaw was seen as a weakness in that generation.”
Mrs Watson says she helped “break down” these barriers by successfully campaigning to get professional clubs, including Rotherham United, Sheffield United, Chesterfield and Notts County, to create ‘memory clubs’, where former players could meet and share their experiences of living with dementia.
She said the aim was to get the guys together to talk, using her husband’s profile to create a positive atmosphere for them to feel comfortable sharing their feelings and experiences.
Mrs Watson, who worked as a chartered manager and accountant, added: “There are an awful lot of families that will be having a better Christmas period this year thanks to the fund.
“The majority of players from the 80s did not have a lot of money to sustain themselves after they retired.
“That’s what gives me a warm heart. I’m hoping to continue spreading the word; there is still a lot of educating to be done on the disease.
“[Being recognised] is surreal. It’s hard to believe and wasn’t expected.”
She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire – or MBE.
Also recognised in the New Year Honours List is West Nottinghamshire College principal and chief executive Andrew Cropley, who has also been made an MBE.
The 58-year-old was recognised for services to the communities across Ashfield and Mansfield, helping to secure investments in new campuses and educational facilities, which have transformed opportunities for students, apprentices and employers since joining the college in 2019.
Through his work as chair of the Mansfield Place Board, a partnership between the district council and public and private sector organisations, he helped secure £72.3m in funding from the Government’s Towns, Levelling-Up, and Long-Term Plan for Towns funds.
“I feel proud to be awarded this honour, although it is important to me that everyone understands that I am receiving it as part of an incredible team at West Nottinghamshire College,” he said.
“The credit must go to all those who have worked so hard and creatively to make us the college that our communities need us to be, and to those who are working with us to improve the lives of everyone in Ashfield and Mansfield.
“We have come so far over the last five-and-a-half years, and I hope that the people of both districts, and the employers that operate here, see our college as a real asset.
“The colleagues I am privileged to work with are extremely talented and dedicated to helping our students find positive futures, and partners on the Mansfield Place Board are all determined to seize the chance to create a community full of aspiration and opportunity.”
Another person honoured is Maggie Waring, who has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in recognition of her dedication to the care industry.
She has nearly 35 years’ experience working in care, including more than two decades at the Portland Charity in Mansfield and Ashfield, where she is a registered manager.
One of her many achievements was the introduction and development of Portland’s Independent Living Service, delivering a high-quality residential provision that supports many young people with disabilities to achieve their lifelong dreams of living independently.
She said: “I am extremely proud to be recognised in this way.
“I have worked with so many wonderful people over the years, including residents, staff and partners, and while I have been able to make a difference in their lives, they also make a huge difference to mine.
“I see this award as a wonderful celebration of the fabulous things we have achieved together.”
Full list:
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- Robert Harris, Nottingham, novelist, for services to literature.
- Sonia Penny Briscoe, Nottingham, for services to Paralympic sport.
- Professor Linda Mary Field, Luton, Emeritus Fellow, Rothamsted Research and Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham, for services to Protecting Crops and to the Environment.
- Professor Thomas Anthony Rodden, Nottingham, Professor of Computing and lately Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, for services to Science, Technology, and Academia.
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- Carl Cavers, Nottingham, Founder of the Sumo Group, for services to the Video Games Industry.
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- Penelope Watson, 74, Tollerton, for services to Dementia Care in Football.
- Peter Robert Worth, 68, Nottingham, for services to Short Track Speed Skating.
- Andrew Cropley, Nottingham, for services to the community of Ashfield and Mansfield.
- Professor Sara Leslie Kenyon, Nottingham, Professor of Evidence-Based Maternity Care, University of Birmingham, for services to Midwifery.
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
- Suzey Elizabeth Joseph, 62, Kimberley, for services to those who are homeless across Nottinghamshire.
- Margaret Waring, 62, Sutton-in-Ashfield, for services to People with a Disability or Social Care Need.
- Kelvin Langford, 57, Newark, for services to the Civilian Services Contingent and to the Veteran Community.
- David Hamilton Nunn, 75, Kimberley, lately Researcher, Nottinghamshire County Council, for services to the Great War Memorial.
- Jagrupe Binnig, Newark, for services to the community in Tuxford, Nottinghamshire.
