Citation from ceremony: Maurice Watkins was educated at Manchester Grammar School, where he is currently Chair of Governors. He read law at UCL, and he has been an outstanding ambassador for us in the North West. He is a joint senior partner at Brabners Chaffe Street, and his reputation is unrivalled in the field of sports law. He is a key member of the Board of Manchester United Football Club, a tolerably gifted team by any standards; and he also acts as solicitor for the club. He has handled a number of high-profile and multi-million-pound transfers and has been a key figure in representing clubs and players before FIFA, the FA, and various Premier League disciplinary bodies. His matchless experience, wisdom, and commitment have ensured that he is a supreme authority on sports law issues in this country and abroad. It is, I think, worth noting that Maurice Watkins was asked to become a Director of Manchester United Football Club in May 1984 – on the very same day as Bobby Charlton. To be appointed alongside that great footballer is, I suspect, an accolade that few of us in this hall can emulate. He has been involved in various all-important legal cases – involving, for example, Tommy Docherty, Eric Cantona, and Roy Keane. He describes himself as a good supporter rather than a fan of MU. Asked to explain what he meant, he said: ‘It is a useful distinction. If we lose, I can sleep at night.’ And, on another occasion, he said: ‘I can turn off from football.’ Still, no doubt he is delighted at the season that MU have had this past year. I have no idea whether any of you here today who are hoping for a season ticket for MU's games at Old Trafford will have any chance of success if you nobble Mr Watkins after the ceremony; but you can but try. In any event, whether it works or not, I am sure you will join me in celebrating his many achievements. And those achievements are by no means confined to football. Maurice Watkins is a man of profound loyalties – to MU, as we have seen. But also to Manchester Grammar School, and he has achieved an immense amount in fund raising for that great school. He also cares deeply about hospitals in the Manchester area – particularly the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust and the children’s hospital, and he is a trustee of Breakthrough Breast Cancer. And he has involved himself with all his usual flair, skill, and passion in UCL affairs – in, for example, our Campaign Executive Committee. He has himself endowed a bursary for students in need -– he cares passionately about access to education for young people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Provost and President, I present to you one of the greatest sports lawyers in the business and a wonderfully generous philanthropist, Mr Maurice Watkins.

I was sitting in my house near the backdoor when the transformer decided to have a WTF moment. It sounded like someone shooting a 12ga shot gun right out side my backdoor. Went out back and started walking down the alley. I made it about a third of the way to the box when it did it again. It shot a blue flame about four feet in diameter about twenty feet across the alley. At about that time I decided that was enough for me. As I’m sure you can guess my power, along with about six other of my neighbors, was out for 8.5 hours today. The explosion, for lack of a better term, blew the lid up like that. The Oncore guy said in twenty years of doing this he has never seen one do that… for whatever that’s worth. I found out that this transformer was installed in 1983. It has been doing its job for that long. Why it decided to WTF today is anyone’s guess. It was about 56 degrees with sunny skies. We had planed a birthday party for my daughter at the house that turned into plan B. What is that famous saying again…Murphy somebody? This was as close as I dared to get .