Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has been controversially omitted again from the Queen's Birthday Honours list, but Premier League chairman Dave Richards is knighted and Scotland captain Barry Ferguson receives an MBE.

It had been expected that Gerrard would be honoured for captaining Liverpool to Champions League glory last year, but he will now have to wait at least until the New Year.

Instead Richards, chairman of the Premier League and Football Foundation since 1998, becomes Sir Dave, and Rangers midfielder Ferguson is also honoured.

Richards, formerly chairman of Sheffield Wednesday, told PA Sport: ``For me this is just beyond belief, it's a fantastic honour for me personally and recognition as well for the work the Football Foundation does with kids.

``Many people do not realise just how much the Premier League does for young people through the foundation.''

There is sure to be criticism of Gerrard's omission - there was an outcry in Liverpool after he was not honoured at New Year and there have been unsuccessful attempts by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to secure him recognition this time.

Ferguson, now in his second spell with Rangers, has won 33 caps for Scotland.

Rangers chairman David Murray said: ``Everyone associated with Rangers Football Club is very proud of Barry and I'm sure his family is very proud of the recognition he has had for his football and his charity work.''

Other sporting honours go to former England batsman Graham Thorpe, who retired from cricket last year after playing his 100th Test. He receives an MBE.

Lynn Davies, the president of UK Athletics who won Olympic long-jump gold in 1964, is made a CBE. He had previously been awarded an MBE in 1967 having also won European and Commonwealth titles.

Davies, manager of the British athletics team at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, said: ``I was delighted when I found out the news but I see this as recognition for all those volunteers who give up so much of their spare time for athletics.''

David Luckes, the former British Olympic hockey player who helped design the original bid for London 2012 Games, receives an MBE.

The oldest rugby player in the world receives an MBE too. Desmond Pastore still turns out for a veterans side aged 88.

Gordon Jago, the former Millwall, QPR and USA manager, receives an MBE for services to the promotion of international youth football. Other sporting honours include OBEs for: Bill Hogg, former secretary of the Scottish rugby union; Peter Lee, lately the chief executive Football Foundation; Liz Nicholl, director UK Sport; James Nicholson, for services to horse racing in Northern Ireland, and Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of Business in Sport and Leisure.

Other MBEs go to Brian Conyon, president of the Cornwall County FA; Craig Crowley, chair UK Deaf Sport; Stephen Curtis, powerboat racer, Southampton; Jill Edwards, for services to golf in Wales; Hugh Foster, president of the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation; rower Katherine Grainger from Aberdeen; swimmer Richard Hudson, for services to disabled sport, Melton Mowbray; Robert Jack, services to bowls, Southport; Bernard and Valerie Lancaster, coach and co-founders of Banks Gymnastic Club, Southport; Patricia Ann Lovell, the senior selector of the England women's cricket team; John Mackenzie, president Camanachd Association, services to shinty; rally driver Niall McShea, from Enniskillen; Colin Philpott, services to sport and the community in Maldon, Essex; Eileen Pitman, coach and founder, Portslade Fencing Club, Lewes; Judith Roe, services to swimming, Torpoint, Cornwall; John Stubbs, archer, services to disabled sport, Warrington.