A number of British sport stars are enjoying a winning end to 1998 after receiving recognition in the New Year Honours list.

BBC Correspondent Katie Booth: Many of Britain's favourite sporting stars honoured

Top honour goes to Frank Williams, who will be Sir Frank when his cars line up for the opening Grand Prix of the season in March.

The Formula One team boss has managed his team to countless world titles, despite the tragedy of losing driver Ayrton Senna to an accident and himself being in a wheelchair.

Denise Lewis has finished a marvellous year with an MBE, following her European and Commonwealth heptathlete gold medals.

She was also runner-up in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year earlier this month, and won the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year title.

Stuart Pearce: That Euro 96 moment

The world of football is celebrating two contrasting characters receiving awards.

The image of England's Stuart Pearce celebrating his successful penalty during Euro 96 will never be forgotten by those who saw it.

The man nicknamed Psycho had missed a similar kick six years previously, and in 1996 he totally let go of his emotions after blasting his penalty home.

Trevor Brooking talking to BBC Radio 5 Live

BBC TV pundit and former England star Trevor Brooking is probably Pearce's complete opposite, and enjoys an image as a laid-back critic of the Premiership's current stars.

Pearce gets an MBE while Brooking receives the CBE for his work with the sports council.

Cricket's Angus Fraser, who has taken 58 Test wickets this year gets an MBE in recognition of his tireless work for his country throughout the 1990s.

He is another who has struggled against adversity, particularly serious hip injuries.

Ingle (left) and the Prince before their break-up

Jimmy White is the best snooker player never to have won the world title, but remains the undisputed people's champion.

"It's a great honour and totally unexpected," he said on hearing about his MBE.

"You're not trying to wind me up?

"It means I'll be opening 20 bottles of champagne on New Year's Eve, instead of just 10," laughed the man who lost five successive world titles.

"When am I going to Buckingham Palace?"

The outspoken Prince Naseem Hamed will probably never be as popular as White, but there is no question about his world championship status.

The World Boxing Organisation's featherweight title-holder gets an MBE, as ironically does his mentor Brendan Ingle.

Jimmy White, MBE and people's champion

The two split up recently after Ingle made shock revelations in a book that left Naz feeling reportedly "betrayed and angry".

Trainer Ingle's award is for services to disadvantaged young people and to boxing.

In rugby league, St Helens-born Alex Murphy gets an OBE for tremendous service as player, coach and personality.

"This is the biggest thing to have happened to me since I was picked to play for my country," he said.

"I thought it was a tax demand! It took me a few minutes to realise what it was. I was shell-shocked."

Blind swimmer Janice Burton heads a list of disabled stars honoured

There are also a number of awards for sportsmen and women who are less well known to the general public, particularly in the world of disabled sport.

Janice Burton, a successful blind swimmer in the Paralympic Games, receives an MBE while Peter Felix, president of the British Disabled Water Ski Association, is awarded an OBE.

But there are many others in a lengthy list, including Maurice Slapak from the Transplant Games, who gets a CBE.

There is also an OBE for Pat Smith, former deputy chief executive of the Football Association, who has always been regarded as the first lady of football.

Sally Stapleford, president of the National Ice Skating Association, and five times British women's figure skating champion gets an OBE.

The so-called bowling postman, Edinburgh-born Richard Corsie, one-time chairman of the Professional Bowls Association, receives the MBE.

There is a CBE for Craig Reedie, chairman of the British Olympics Association, and one for horse racing trainer Captain Tim Forster, who recently retired after a 36-year career.

Other MBE winners:

• Richard Brickley (Sport for Disabled)

• Henry Wuga (Sport for Disabled)

• Gillian Clarke (hockey)
• John Dalzell (amateur golf)

• Madge and Robert Elliott (tennis)

• John Rigby (wrestling)

• James Weir (youth football)

• Martin Wood (special Olympics)