He is a trustee of Rugby League Cares and a director of Hull Kingston Rovers’ Community Trust. He was formerly the head of the former Leeds Metropolitan Institute of Northern Studies and more recently the director of De Montfort University’s International Centre for Sports History and Culture.

He also serves on the committee of the Rugby Football Union’s World Rugby Museum and has been a historical consultant on television and radio programmes on BBC Four, the History Channel and BBC Radio 4.

A native of Hull who has lived in Leeds for almost 30 years, Tony has a wide range of experience of developing and delivering heritage projects of all types. He is especially committed to bringing history and heritage to communities that have traditionally felt excluded from heritage activities, and believes strongly in making it possible for ordinary people to discover their pasts and tell the stories of their lives and localities.