A Manchester United icon honoured by King Charles has revealed he was sworn to secrecy after learning of the prestigious accolade. Former United and Scotland stalwart Lou Macari was awarded an MBE in last week's King's Birthday Honours for services to football and homeless people in Stoke-on-Trent.
The Edinburgh-born midfielder relocated to the area following two separate managerial stints at Stoke City during the 1990s, but became increasingly troubled by the number of rough sleepers he witnessed. This prompted him to establish the Macari Foundation, a charity launched in 2016 that provides accommodation and support services to homeless individuals in the local area.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Macari has now disclosed he was aware of the MBE for some time but was obliged to keep it confidential until the honours were formally announced late on Friday. "Yeah – I got a letter and the first two paragraphs said, 'Keep this a secret, don't let anyone know until a certain date'. I didn't tell anybody," he said.
"I have been walking past people and they're saying, 'You deserve a medal, you do' – and I couldn't say anything!"
Those receiving an MBE or other honour are typically informed around four to six weeks before the official honours list is published, with a strict embargo on disclosing the news to colleagues, friends or extended family members.
A prolific goal-scoring midfielder throughout his playing days, Macari netted 97 goals in 404 appearances during a 12-year stint at Old Trafford and even represented Scotland at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. He joined United in 1973 for a £200,000 fee after making his name at Celtic as one of the so-called Quality Street Gang that also included Kenny Dalglish and Danny McGrain.
Lou Macari set up a homeless charity in Stoke-on-Trent in 2016. Following his retirement, he returned to Celtic for an ill-fated one-year tenure as manager. He also took charge of Swindon Town, West Ham, Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town before dedicating himself to charitable endeavours.
Reflecting on his recognition, Macari told the Press Association: "It all started when I saw six homeless people in a doorway in Stoke on a cold winter's night and went over to speak to them. I told them I would try to help them, I went to the council, got the keys to a property they had repossessed and quite simply that was the start of it all. I had no idea where it was going to go from there."
"Hopefully this honour will help increase awareness because although we are still trying and having some success, none of us have found a way to get rid of this problem."
