According to Auntie, he's been given an OBE by Wor Liz:

Shearer honour

Former England captain Alan Shearer, 30, has been one of the most prolific Premiership and international goalscorers.

The Newcastle United striker has been dogged with a knee injury which kept him out of the game for weeks on end last season.

In 1996, he became the first player to reach 100 goals in the Premiership.

In that year, too, he won the Golden Boot as top scorer in Euro 96, netting five times.

He quit the international game at the end of Euro 2000, after his goal had clinched a famous victory over England's arch rivals, Germany.

After he had made his name at Southampton, his move from Blackburn to his home-town club Newcastle in 1996 set a British transfer record of £15m.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

Answers

Aah'm Pleased it wasn't a Knighthood. It would have done him "knee gud at aal" if Liz had to say "Arise Sir Alan".

Well done Bonnie Lad. You and Motty!!

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

Very fitting honour for Al.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

Well deserved (in as much as any of these awards are deserved at all).

Al has been a model pro throughout his career and clearly wore the England shirt with considerable pride. Freedom of the City of Newcastle, OBE - all he needs now is a Premiership medal for his home town club ...

I'm always amused by the "Order of the British Empire" ever since an episode of Hancock's Half Hour where Bill Kerr explains to Hancock that he has an OBE. Hancock says disdainfully "Order of the British Empire? Bill - you were ordered out of the British Empire".

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

Absolutely thrilled for the lad - well done Wor Al.
Yet another medal for the trophy cabinet - we'll be needing a bigger one at this rate!

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

Agree with Jonno - Al has been a great professional and is a great advert for the game.

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

By the way, what British Empire? Shouldn't these honours be made a tad more uo-to-date ... something like "Notable Person of Cool Britannia"?

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

When someone you like gets the OBE it stands for Order of the British Empire. When some you don't think deserves it gets one it stands for Other Buggers' Efforts. Al is, of course, in the first category!

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

Actually the O stands for Officer. Officer of the most excellent Order of the British Empire - what a load of bollocks!

-- Anonymous, June 16, 2001

Caught 30 minutes of a phone-in on Sport Talk or some such radio channel last night, hosted by Alan Brazil and some opinionated Scouse geek whose name was never mentioned.

Most of the bile being spouted was from Spurs fans against Sol Campbell - the hatred between Arsenal and Spurs fans actually seems more engrained and genuine than that between the Toon and the Mackems. Some of the calls were truly frightening - basically overt physical threats against the blerk.

There were also a number of calls slagging off Wor Al's OBE award.
I have to say these calls highlighted yet again for me the sad, churlish state this country has descended to where anyones success - however humble their origins - is to be denigrated and belittled by sad, bitter and twisted people who are pathologically incabable of celebrating the good in life, and who's only source of pleasure lies in denying or belittling the successes of others.
Cool Britannia, my arse!

-- Anonymous, June 17, 2001