Sporting honour for county’s chief cop
LANCASHIRE Constabulary’s longserving Chief Constable has been awarded Sports Personality of the Year 2015/16.
Steve Finnigan, 58, from Southport, was nominated for the accolade by members of the Constabulary’s Sports Club for his years of commitment and contribution to sport, both across the Constabulary and beyond.
In sport, his passion has always been football. Aged 14 years, he played for Blackburn Rovers Football Club for a year, before representing Great Britain Catholic Schoolboys aged 17-18 years, as well as Merseyside County under 19’s. While at Cambridge University, he was awarded two “Blues” after playing in two “Varsity” matches.
Nex month, he celebrates 40 years as a police officer. In this time, while a member of Merseyside Police Football Team in his late 20s, he also played for Lancashire County FA before going on to repre- sent the English and British Police Football Teams for 10 years (1981-90) where he won many annual tournaments.
A lifelong Everton fan, Mr Finnigan played in the England Police v Scotland Police football match in 1986 at Goodison Park, scoring a goal at the Park End and winning the match 2-0. He remains a season ticket holder, with his son, Adam, and regularly watches his team play.
In 1989, he captained the British Police Football Team in the European Police Championships, winning the Tournament outright, proudly lifting the European Championship trophy at Bloomfield Road, the home of Blackpool Football Club, beating Italy 1-0. Mr Finnigan was also named the “Player of the Tournament’.
Although he no longer plays football, Mr Finnigan has been Chairman of the Police Sport UK Football Section since 2003 and is Chairman of Police Sport UK, which covers 34 different sporting disciplines.
He is also the senior UK representative on the USPE (Union Sportive des Polices d’Europe) Council.
His other commitments include being President of Lancashire Boys and Girls Clubs and Vice-President of Lancashire Outward Bound Association.
Mr Finnigan said: “It was a total shock. I’d been asking my staff throughout the day for more information about who had won the award, as I like to prepare beforehand, and I now know that they were avoiding me to keep it a surprise! I have presented this award to many great sportsmen and women over the years and I am genuinely honoured.
“Sport is a real passion of mine and I fully believe it is beneficial in terms of community engagement, team building and leadership, as well as the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our officers and staff.
“Most people won’t know of my footballing past and, while I’ve hung up my own boots, I am still an avid supporter of Everton FC and of all sport across ‘ Police Sport UK’. To be recognised for that commitment is a real honour.”