The Birch to Recieve Freedom of the City

[Profondo Rosso]

http://www.lcfc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10274~1570064,00.html

Leicester City Club Ambassador Alan Birchenall will receive the Honorary Freedom of Leicester at a ceremony due to be held in the spring.

Alan will receive the honour by virtue of his outstanding contribution to the sport of football and his contribution to charitable works, both within the city of Leicester and beyond.

Author Sue Townsend and Engelbert Humperdinck will also receive the Honorary Freedom of the City at the ceremony.

The announcement was made following a special meeting of the city council on Wednesday evening. Councillors backed a motion to honour the trio, recognising the distinction they have brought to the city of Leicester.
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Alan said: "I'm stunned. I was just an ordinary footballer that came to this city in 1971 to play for the Foxes and to have had this honour bestowed on me is unbelievable.

"I know I wasn't born here, but I have always said that I have been adopted by the city. To be linked alongside the other previous reciprocates of this honour is a bit embarrassing if I am honest. But I know that my mum, dad and sister would have been very proud - as I am.

"Thank you to all Leicestershire people, and especially all Foxes fans who I consider share this honour with me."

LCFC Chairman, Milan Mandaric, said: "This is a magnificent honour for Alan in recognition for all of the tremendous work he has done for the Football Club and various charities over the years. "

City Manager, Nigel Pearson, added: "I am personally delighted for Alan. He does a heck of a lot of good work - both at Leicester City and the in the general community.

"This honour is recognition for a lot of hard work over a period of nearly 40 years and we are extremely fortunate to have him as one of our own."

Chief executive, Lee Hoos, said: "Alan does a heck of a lot of hard work behind the scenes and he should be extremely proud to have received such a prestigious honour."

Leader of the council, Cllr Ross Willmott, added: "Each of these three individuals has made their mark, albeit in very different ways.

"But what they have in common is that all three have made people in Leicester very proud, thanks to their association with our city.

"Whether it's through their profession, or the work they've done for charity, each of them has become an ambassador for Leicester and fully deserves to be recognised in this way by the city they call home."

Alan joined Leicester City Football Club from Crystal Palace for £100,000 in 1971. As an attacking midfielder, he scored 12 goals for the club in his 163 appearances.

He left Leicester City in 1977 to join Notts County, before spending time in the USA with the San Jose Earthquakes and the Memphis Rogues.

'The Birch' returned to Leicester City some 30 years ago and has been a club ambassador ever since. In 2002 he was awarded an MBE for his charity work.

The Honorary Freedom of the City is the highest honour that a local authority can bestow. Previous recipients of the Freedom of Leicester include Rosemary Conley, Gary Lineker and Richard and David Attenborough.

 

[Melton Fox]

Words will come to me soon, I'm sure of that.

 

[homer]

Words will come to me soon, I'm sure of that.

Is one of them 'dewberries' ?

 

[Fox Fan]

He shouldn't even be allowed out the dirty fecking perv.

 

[homer]

He shouldn't even be allowed out the dirty fecking perv.

Melts ?

Spot on there FF, he sickens me to the core

 

[turnstileblue63]

In 2000 i received the freedom of the city also, although not honoury like the birch, but hereditary - my dad has it and so does my grandad.

Freemen of the City of Leicester,

In approximately the year 1107, Robert, Count of Meulan (who was the predecessor of the first Earl of Leicester) granted to the Merchants of Leicester a Charter, re-affirming their rights in the following words:


"KNOW YE THAT I HAVE GRANTED TO MY MERCHANTS OF LEICESTER THE GILD OF THEIR MERCHANTS WITH ALL THE CUSTOMS WHICH THEY HELD IN THE TIME OF KING WILLIAM (The Conqueror) AND OF KING WILLIAM HIS SON AND NOW IN THE TIME OF KING HENRY"


This Charter may be accepted as evidence that the Gild of Merchants was in existence in 1066, and implies that it is much oler than this, although there is no written evidence to support this theory.

The Freemen of the City of Leicester are an ancient body of people whose origins can be traced back to medieval history. It is recorded in the Domesday Book that in 1086 there were 65 burgesses (townsmen with certain privileges) in the borough of Leicester, and it is those burgesses who were the predecessors of today's Freemen.

Prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066 the burgesses were responsible for the civic administration of the town, the maintenance of law and order and for the punishment of crime. This responsibility was discharged by the Portmanmoot, a body of 24 jurats (officers similar to aldermen) who were elected from the burgesses.

Immediately after the Norman occupation of Leicester, this authority was withdrawn - probably in 1068 - but the power was regained in a charter granted by Robert Beaumont, the first Earl of Leicester, in 1120.

 

[MHS]

Good on ya Birch

 

[Matt_B]

Another thing people will no doubt take offence to and moan about rather than just ignorning it. Same as the Loughborough Uni thing.

 

[Melton Fox]

Standard Blue Mongie Issued Statement

What?

 

[Harbro-Fox]

Well done Birch ! Top man.

 

[SJN-Fox]

So he now has ...

the right to trade retail and wholesale in the borough, freedom from toll in other protected towns, the right to send sons to the Free Grammar School without payment, the obligation to pay local dues, the right to an allotment garden and the right to tenancy of a freemen's bungalow.

 

[newtonfox]

 

[newtonfox]

The Rights and Duties of a Freeman


Freemen's rights, duties and privileges were once very real and varied and have from time to time included the right to trade retail and wholesale in the borough, freedom from toll in other protected towns, the right to send sons to the Free Grammar School without payment, the obligation to pay local dues, the right to an allotment garden and the right to tenancy of a freemen's bungalow.

The Freemen's Estate originated in an Inclosure Act of 1804 which conferred on resident Freemen of the Borough (and the Widows of such Freemen) a common or pasture over some 490 acres of fields in St Mary's Parish and 116 acres of Burgesses' Meadows.

The Act appointed Commissioners who made an Inclosure Award in 1811 allotting to resident Freemen and Freemen's Widows 36 acres of land between Aylestone Road and the River Soar,two2 acres at Saffron Lane and 85 acres between Welford Road and Aylestone Road. The last mentioned was to become known as Freemen's Common. The allotment replaced the earlier rights of pasture.

Two further Acts in 1845 divided the Freemen's Allotments into plots of no more than 500 square yards. It empowered deputies to manage these and let them to Freemen and Freemen's widows for a small rent. The deputies were also empowered to purchase and sell lands and to build and endow cottages for aged Freemen and Freemen's widows to rent. The Freemen's Common was sold in 1965 and 7 acres of land purhased in Aylestone on which bungalows were built for aged and needy freemen and their widows.

The Leicester Freemen's Act of 1898 constituted 21 elected deputies as a body corporate with power to acquire and hold land for the purposes of their constitution.

In 1920 Leicester Corporation purchased Freemen's Meadows for a generating station.

In 1922-23 the Charity Commissioners made a scheme providing for the upkeep and management of the Freemen's allotment land and cottages. At that time the Leicester Freemen's Deputies held 112 acres of land. By 1926 this had been reduced to 95 acres through sales to Leicester Corporation. There were 24 Freemen's Cottages and 92 Freemen and widow pensioners receiving between three shillings and ten shillings a week from deputies.

Nowadays Freemen and Freemen's widows may still be entitled to reside in bungalows at Aylestone. Charitable payments are given out by the deputies and may vary according to the circumstances of the individual Freeman or Freeman's widow.

The estate is governed by the 21 deputies, all of course being Freemen, a full time clerk and part time welfare visitor.

The Matthew Simon's Charity provides for an annual payment to the eldest freemn or freeman's widow.

 

[Melton Fox]

Some things don't have a place in the modern world.

 

[newtonfox]

Some things don't have a place in the modern world.

Yes, but enough about the birch .........................

 

[bocadillo]

"To be linked alongside the other previous reciprocates of this honour is a bit embarrassing if I am honest. "

It's also a bit embarrassing to use the word 'reciprocates' when you what you meant was 'recipients'.

 

[DesertFox]

My favourite Birchisms:

"Biggest bloody Hampton in the village"
"Larruping up Bradgate"
And whenever we walked into his pub, "It's the students!" on the basis that we were quite young and did quite well in the pub quiz, despite the fact none of us were, or indeed ever had been students.
Oh, and Barry Pierpoint on top of the Christmas tree...

 

[Thrax]

does this mean Birch has the right to creep into my bedroom at night?

 

[Thrax]

hey, that rhymed

 

[highland fox]

Sad Old Bastard but I guess he's doing no harm