Daughter of West Brom legend Jeff Astle dedicates MBE to late father and 'Albion family'

She was nominated for the award along with Penny Watson, the wife of former Sunderland and England defender and FA Cup winner Dave.

Both have campaigned to raise awareness of the impact of heading footballs on health, and have achieved a number of breakthroughs in recent years in an attempt to make the game safer.

Dawn's father died in 2002 at the age of 59, and after an inquest, a coroner recorded a verdict of death by industrial disease owing to his repeated heading of a ball.

A subsequent postmortem examination of Astle’s brain confirmed he had been suffering from the progressive disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition more commonly linked to boxers.

In September last year, both campaigners welcomed the creation of a new fund designed to support ex-professionals living with neurodegenerative disease.

The Brain Health Fund, which has an initial £1million available immediately to support former players and their loved ones, has been set up by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and the Premier League.

Dawn - who campaigned under the banner "Justice for Jeff" said the work she had carried out was dedicated to the memory of her late father.

She said: "I’m filled with a profound sense of gratitude, humility, pride, but also reflection on the fact this recognition comes on the loss of my dad who I dedicate this recognition to.

“I’m deeply thankful for the support of my amazing family, our trustees, my colleagues and of course, the West Bromwich Albion fans – my football family.

"It has been a long road of campaigning and work towards getting the biggest sport in the world to recognise the dangers of CTE and those associated with heading the ball.

"We have had a number of breakthroughs such as professional players being limited to ten 'higher force headers' and the restriction of heading the ball in youth football and this award would not have come about had me and Penny not worked so hard towards those goals."

Dave Watson, who is living with dementia and whose consultants suspect also has CTE, secured a landmark ruling last year from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) that his brain injuries were “industrial accidents”.

Penny Watson said: "To be included in the New Year’s Honours List is most unexpected – I am still finding it difficult to believe, after all I am just a girl with very humble beginnings but reality is now kicking in and I am bursting with pride which doesn’t naturally come easy to me. This is an immense honour.

“I began fighting for the provision of care for the former footballers blighted by neurodegeneration, and eradicate the stigma of dementia, so I wish to dedicate this award to those players, past and present but most of all to my dear husband Dave .”