Terry Pateman has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List for his outstanding contribution to grassroots sport and community relations in Northern Ireland.
A stalwart of the Northern Amateur Football League (NAFL) and a former Vice President of the Irish Football Association, Pateman has been an influential figure in local football for nearly 60 years.
Reacting to the honour, the Belfast native said:
“I am very proud and privileged to have received this recognition. I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of a team at the Northern Amateur Football League who have been able to work closely with all communities in our shared love of football.”
Terry’s involvement in the NAFL dates back to 1965, when he began his service as Secretary, a role he held for two decades. He went on to serve as Vice-Chairman (1985–2011), Chairman (2011–2023), and currently leads as Chair of the League Management Committee. Now entering his seventh decade of service, his leadership has helped the NAFL grow into the largest adult football league in Northern Ireland.
Throughout his tenure, Terry championed the power of football to unite communities. During the most divided chapters in Northern Ireland’s history, he worked to ensure the NAFL was a welcoming space for all sides, using sport as a bridge for mutual respect and understanding.
In 2010, he was elected Vice President of the Irish FA, a position he held until 2013. In this role, he represented Northern Ireland at international level, including on the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body responsible for the global laws of the game.
Terry’s service to the community goes beyond football From 1962 to 1973, he was a Boys’ Brigade officer with St James’ Parish Church in North Belfast, helping to build cross-community relations by engaging young people through youth activities and outreach initiatives.
Irish FA President Conrad Kirkwood paid tribute, saying:
“I could not be more delighted than to see Amateur League stalwart Terry Pateman awarded an OBE. Terry was a leading light in the League when I attended my first meeting as a young secretary in the late 1990s. His forthrightness and relentless hard work commands respect. That he is now in his seventh decade of service to football is incredible. He has done so much to help so many clubs down the years and to help bring communities together through football.”
“I’m also delighted to see Marie Lacey being awarded. She has done tremendous work with the Irish FA with her choir who performed at the Billy Bingham memorial event in 2023 and our recent hosting of the IFAB in Belfast at the Titanic earlier this year. She has tremendous energy and a positive spirit.”
