John McGuinness granted freedom of Lancaster

John McGuinness has been given the Freedom of the City of Lancaster.

The historic city broke with tradition to honour the region’s newest history-maker in a special ceremony last Tuesday evening.

John McGuinness was granted the highest honour the city can award when he was made an Honorary Freeman of the City.

The award to John McGuinness, widely regarded as the best road racer in the world, follows a campaign by the Lancaster and Morecambe Citizen newspaper to honour the hero.

Hundreds of readers of the newspaper returned coupons in support of the racer while people from all over the world voted for JohnMcguinness on the Citizen website.

Lancaster City Council listened to the people and decided to make John a Freeman.

The Isle of Man TT legend – third in the all-time list of winners in the 100-year-old series – received the honour at a special meeting of the council.

He is, in the opinion of the city council, a person of distinction and as such deserves the award being bestowed upon him.

Councillor Abbott Bryning proposed the motion and Cllr John Day seconded it before John McGuinness was asked to take the Oath of a Free Citizen by chief executive Mark Cullinan.

A civic reception then took place in the town hall banqueting suite and John McGuinness is only the 10th person to be granted the Honorary Freedom of the City since the present Lancaster City Council was formed in 1974.

John McGuinness admitted he was ‘overwhelmed’ with the response at the specially called full council meeting and said: “I never would have thought this would have happened when my dad sat me on a 50cc bike 30 years ago and told me to go and rip around the local industrial estate.

“He probably wanted me out from under his feet – but that was that for me. I never wanted to do anything else and cricket and football never interested me. It was always bikes.

“All my family and friends helped me out to get me where I am today and I am so pleased and honoured to get this award, I’m overwhelmed to be honest.”

John Mcguinness is the first sportsperson to be granted the honour and only the 10th person to be made an honorary freeman of Lancaster since the council was reorganised in 1974.