Sir Trevor to be honoured

West Ham United are delighted to confirm that Sir Trevor Brooking will be the second recipient of the Club's Lifetime Achievement Award - sponsored by ACL.

The gifted attacking midfielder spent virtually his entire professional career at the Boleyn Ground, making 647 first-team appearances, scoring 102 goals, including the winner in the 1980 FA Cup final and being voted Hammer of the Year an unrivalled five times.

Sir Trevor, who made his West Ham debut at 18 in 1967 and also won the FA Cup in 1975, earned 47 England caps, scoring for his country at Euro 1980 and appearing at the 1982 FIFA World Cup finals.

In April 2003, Sir Trevor took over for a brief but hugely successful spell as caretaker manager, winning nine and losing just one of the 14 matches he took charge of.

In August 2009, the Boleyn Ground's Centenary Stand was renamed the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand in his honour.

An outstanding footballer and a true gentleman, Sir Trevor has contributed hugely to English football in recent years, holding a variety of roles within the Football Association and Sport England, among others.

He becomes the second recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, following in the footsteps of his long-time team-mate and two-times FA Cup winning captain Billy Bonds MBE, who was presented with the trophy in 2013.

BOOK YOUR PLACE AT THE 2013/14 AWARDS DINNER NOW!

Born in Barking on 2 October 1948 to mother Margaret and father Harry, Sir Trevor Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and Ilford County High School, leaving the latter with eleven O-Levels and two A-Levels.

At the age of 15, he was scouted by a number of London's top clubs, picking West Ham because the club would allow him to complete his schooling. He joined the Hammers in July 1965, aged 16.

After graduating from the Academy of Football, he made a first-team debut in a 3-3 Division One draw at Burnley on 29 August 1967, five weeks short of his 19th birthday.

Despite his tender years, Sir Trevor quickly established himself in Ron Greenwood's side, scoring eight goals in 37 games in 1967/68, including his only career hat-trick in a 5-0 home win over Newcastle United in April 1968.

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A young Trevor Brooking made his debut at 18

Sir Trevor was an automatic choice throughout the 1970s, with his form attracting the attention of the great Brian Clough during his time in charge at Derby County and later Bill Nicholson's Tottenham Hotspur.

His loyalty to the West Ham cause was rewarded in 1975, when he was part of the side which lifted the FA Cup at Wembley courtesy of a 2-0 win over former team-mate Bobby Moore's Fulham.

Five years later, he was the hero as the Hammers lifted the trophy again, this time as a Division Two club, stooping low to head in Stuart Pearson's wayward shot to secure a shock 1-0 victory over top-flight Arsenal.

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Sir Trevor Brooking scores the winner in the 1980 FA Cup final

In between, Sir Trevor had featured in the 1975 Charity Shield and 1976 European Cup Winners' Cup final defeats by Derby and Anderlecht respectively.

The midfielder again illustrated his outstanding loyalty by sticking with the Club following relegation in 1978 - despite the fact he was a current England international.

A year after his FA Cup final heroics, he returned to Wembley for the 1981 League Cup final, only for the Hammers to be edged out by Liverpool following a replay.

Sir Trevor's 647th and final first-team appearance for West Ham came on 18 May 1984 in a 1-0 Division One defeat by Everton at the Boleyn Ground.

After two appearances for Cork City and Newcastle-based Blue Star in 1985, Sir Trevor hung up his boots for good.

Off the pitch, Sir Trevor married his wife Hilkka, with whom he lives in Brentwood, in 1970 and has two children, daughter Collette and son Warren.

After holding the roles of Chairman of the Eastern Region Council for Sport and Recreation and of Sport England, Sir Trevor joined the Football Association as Director of Football Development - an important job he still fills to today.

He was made an MBE in 1981 and elevated to be made a CBE in 1999 before being knighted in 2004 for his services to sport.

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Sir Trevor Brooking was knighted in 2004

Aside from his career in sports administration, he has also worked successfully as a media pundit and has run the binding company Colbrook Plastics Limited with schoolfriend Colin McGowan since 1970.

Sir Trevor Brooking's Lifetime Achievement Award will be one of a host of prestigious trophies awarded at the 2013/14 Player Awards in Aid of the Academy.

Who will take the honours this season? You can be there at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Tuesday 6 May to find out!

Our annual Player Awards night promises a night of fine dining and Hammers entertainment as we look back at the highlights of the year.

Tables of ten are still available from £2,750+VAT, while individual places are priced at £300+VAT.

Call 0871 091 1811* now or click here to book your place.

*Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras.