Stevo: Honoured for services to the game

The centre is there to make sure all the great players from the past are never forgotten. It is for everyone who has ever laced up a pair of boots.

Stevo
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Sky Sports rugby league presenter Stevo was recently inducted into the Rugby Football League Roll Of Honour for services to the game.

Stevo was among the 170 guests at the Rugby League Heritage Awards lunch at the The Galpharm Stadium where great names from the past were honoured and awards presented to those who give outstanding service to the sport.

"I am very proud of getting this award," said Stevo.

"I had no idea, it came as a real surprise and I was stunned. I just thought I was going to the luncheon to honour some great players and people."

Honouring players

As a former player in England and in Australia, Stevo founded the Rugby League Heritage Centre at the George Hotel in Huddersfield and it is for this that eh believes he has been honoured.

"The major reason I got this award is not because of my playing career or my journalistic work," explained Stevo who was part of Great Britain's victorious 1972 World Cup-winning side.

"In Australia I gutted five train carriages out and made it into a travelling museum. I have been collecting memorabilia for years and years. I took that train all around New South Wales in 1977 for 16 weeks. The following year I did it again for 22 weeks.

"I have always wanted to build a museum in this country, and three years ago I went to see the people at the George Hotel. That is where our game started on the 29th Aug 1895 and I opened my own museum three years ago.

"It has memorabilia from all over the world and I think it is safe to say that it is the finest private collection of Rugby League memorabilia in the world.

"I have several prize possessions. We have honour caps from 1895, we have the first gold medal in rugby league for winning the championship and we have the first trophy as well. There is some fantastic stuff there.

"We have four big screens always showing different games ranging all the way back to the early 1900's. Sky has been very good in allowing me to use any of our games which is a great advantage. We have a tremendous library of footage and it is incredible to watch."

A Family affair

The Heritage centre is a family affair and Stevo is quick to point out the people who help the heritage centre run so smoothly.

"The centre is there to make sure all the great players from the past are never forgotten. It is for everyone who has ever laced up a pair of boots.

"My oldest daughter Hayley is the director and she runs it on my behalf. She is a great kid and she is doing a fantastic job. She is well supported by the general manager Sam Morton who used to be a top amateur player and was one the first coach to take the BARLA team down to Australia. Sow e are steeped with history all the way through.

"I am very pleased to accept it, not only for myself, but for my staff at the heritage centre who have worked very hard to make it a success."