Team player Terry thrilled

FIRE walker . . . Terry Flanagan, chairman of Mahdlo, Oldham, walks over hot coals for charity

ALL his life Terry Flanagan has been a team player.

Whether it was pulling on the red and white of his beloved Oldham RLFC, lining up in the tunnel to represent Great Britain, or heading up the Mahdlo youth zone as chairman, the Oldham lad has always been first to praise his counterparts.

But for all that and more the 56-year-old has been honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours List with an MBE.

And the former St Anselm's School pupil could not be more delighted.

"I feel very proud and honoured to receive this and I truly believe this is a 'team award' for all the amazing things that I have been involved with over the years," he said.

Terry receives the honour for his work in rugby league and charities and he certainly leads from the front.

His playing career was as a one-club man at Watersheddings from 1979-89 in which he scored 42 tries in nearly 300 appearances.

In that time he also made four appearances for Great Britain.

The Flanagans is a family steeped in rugby league, with his father having played in the 1940s, brother Kevin, cousin Neil and son Mark all crossing the whitewash.

Once his playing days were over Terry became a successful businessman in the telecommunications industry and has since branched out into education projects such as Commando Joe's and Tootoot.

And that success has enabled him to give so much back to the communities he loves.

He has been a major influence at amateur club Saddleworth rangers - the new clubhouse was named in his honour earlier this year.

He helped set up Rugby League Cares, the charity that looks after the mental health side of the sport, and he was in at the start when the now Sir Norman Stoller was recruiting line-minded individuals to make the Mahdlo dream a reality.He is now chairman of the Mahdlo project as it looks to expand its offer to the youth of Oldham and Terry believes passionately in giving every youngster the very best opportunities to succeed.