Chas Banks of Manchester United has been rewarded for his outstanding efforts as secretary of the club’s disabled supporters’ association by being named in the New Year’s Honors list.
The leader of the Manchester United Disabled Supporters Association (MUDSA) has been working tirelessly over the years to improve standards for disabled fans attending matches.
And as Henry Winter reported on Twitter, Banks will receive an MBE in King Charles’s First Honors List.
Many congratulations to the tireless Chas Banks, Manchester United Disabled Supporters Association Secretary @MudsaO, on his MBE for disability services in Greater Manchester and the North West of England. 1/5
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) December 31, 2022
He will receive his MBE for “services to persons with disabilities” in the 2023 honor roll.
The title is a nod to the work Chas has done not just at the club, but across Greater Manchester and the North West.
Banks has not only been at the heart of the upgraded facility at Old Trafford, but also works with the Manchester United Foundation, promoting diversity and inclusion.
A lifelong United fan, Chas Banks has overseen the club’s £11m upgrade to disabled facilities.
Old Trafford now offers 278 wheelchair positions, as well as 278 personal attendant seats, not to mention the same number of courtesy seats, available to both home and away fans.
“I am absolutely thrilled to receive this honor and it was an incredible surprise when I was informed,” Banks said.
“There has been great progress in the way disabled fans are treated at football matches and I am proud of the role MUDSA continues to play in that ongoing process, particularly at Old Trafford,” he enthused.
“It’s an ongoing process, and more is needed in all of football,” added the 72-year-old.
Chas Banks has been a United fan for 65 years, ever since the first game he attended with his father, a Christmas Day game against Luton Town.
With 25 years of involvement with MUDSA, he is also credited with the great success of the ‘Ability Counts’ sessions and the Manchester United Foundation National Cup.
Hosting annual dinners since 1998, where Sir Alex Ferguson was the inaugural guest of honour, Banks has also been instrumental in the journey of 300 disabled fans to each of the 1999, 2008 and 2009 Champions League finals.
“Congratulations to Chas on this fantastic achievement! He is a great character with a great heart and there are few people who better embody the spirit of Manchester United than he does,” said the club’s chief operating officer, Collette Roche.
Finally, and deservedly, Chas Banks, a wheelchair user since 1996 due to a neurological condition, has been hailed as a hero by his nation, after being regarded as such for many, many years.
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