Honour on the cards for referee Webb

The match official, from Rotherham, who received the honour from the Prince of Wales, said: “I never dreamt when I started refereeing that I would get something like this. It’s on behalf of the lads who work with me,” he said.

“We’re quite often doing thankless work, week in week out. You develop a thick skin and you’ve got to have a lot of self-belief.”

Mr Webb set a record of showing 14 yellow cards and one red card during the Spain v The Netherlands final.

He added: “The Prince said it was nice that somebody had recognised referees as it’s such a difficult job. He mentioned that it wasn’t an easy game in the final.

Webb was joined at the Palace by his wife Kay and their three children Hollie, 12, Jack, 10, and seven-year-old Lucy.

Those receiving honours at yesterday’s ceremony included cancer patient Clive Stone, whose campaigning led to the Prime Minister setting up a £200m drugs fund, and record producer Trevor Horn.

Sir Richard Lambert, the Confederation of British Industry’s former director-general, was knighted for services to business”.