HE'S probably one of the unsung heroes of York sport, but the work done by Spen Allison should not go unrecognised.

Spen, 66, holds an almost endless number of positions on a long list of sporting bodies, mostly in his first love of rugby league, including being chairman of the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA).

Most of his work is behind the scenes in grassroots sport, bringing little fame or fortune, but he says he simply enjoys doing it.

He also feels the importance of sport in shaping the fabric of society should never be underestimated, which half explains why he puts so much time into it.

"I think it moulds youngsters, " he said. "It gives them discipline, stops them being selfish and teaches them to work as a team. It helps to form our model citizens for the future."

Amazingly, Spen has been involved in committee work for nearly 50 years. "I first got involved in about 1958, " he explained.

"I was playing rugby league for the (now defunct) Southlands amateur club and got a bad injury which stopped me playing. Nobody wants to go to committee meetings but I started going to York and District RL meetings as the Southlands representative, got co-opted onto the committee and it went on from there."

Spen last month celebrated a year as BARLA chairman.

He has been on that executive for five years, including one as vicechairman, and had been the BARLA open age delegate on the Rugby Football League council.

He was voted in after being nominated by the Yorkshire League, who last week made him a life member of their association, and reckons unifying all facets of the professional and amateur game is crucial, rugby league having had a history of division.

Staying with that sport, he is the team manager of the Yorkshire representative squad in the BARLA County Championship, and formerly of the York Ironsides at the York 9s.

He is also chairman of Yorkshire RL at county level and secretary for York Acorn ARLC, and has been York and District RL Association secretary since 1979 and treasurer since 1980.

On top of that, he is chairman of the influential York Sports Federation, formerly the York and District Sports Council, and for five years has been a governor of the Yorkshire and Humberside Sports Aid committee, which awards grants to young sportsmen and women - something which is close to his heart. He is also secretary of Scarcroft Bowls Club.

A retired painter and decorator, he said he did not know how long he would keep going.

"I'm enjoying what I'm doing although it does take its toll, " he said.

"I don't agree with people being chairman for years and years.

Being secretary is different - you're just a workhorse - but, for chairmen, you need fresh people with fresh ideas. With BARLA, for example, I'm on a two-year term and if, after that, I'm still enjoying it and making progress, I will stand for another two. But four years would be the maximum."