Gallery: Ryan Giggs wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year
What’s this!? A professional footballer winning a public vote, over a heavyweight boxing world champion and an F1 world champ. I didn’t see that coming.
Generally, the British public prefers any sportsmen to footballers. But, as Gary Lineker pointed out last night, Ryan Giggs is a transcendent figure, liked by people who don’t even like football. His SPotY win was a shock – to Giggs himself , above all – but a welcome shock. For all of the bad stuff in football today, it’s great that a world-class model pro like Giggs gets this acclaim, even if it’s more of a lifetime achievement gong than based on his efforst in 2009 alone.
Fabio Capello won the Coach of the Year award for his admirable work in charge of England. The prize he wants is in 2010, but this will do for now.
Gallery of Giggsy and F-Cap at the awards:
8129294
Piers Morgan On Twitter, The 'Highlights' – The FCF
Goodbye And Good Luck: European Football Weekends – The Last Post
January Transfer Window Horseshit Infographic – Bootiful Game
Umbro's New Universitario De Deportes Home Shirt Is Beautiful – TBG
Sexual Adventures Of Demarcus La Shonda – Fitba Thatba
A Year In Non-League Football Photos – Pitch Invasion
Who The Big Four (And Liverpool) Should Sign In January – The FCF
Top 5 Footballing Candidates For Prime Minister – OTP
Why Belgium Will Win The 2018 World Cup – SOTB
Top 10 Goalie Goals – The Coin Toss
He might, perhaps, the most admirable footballer in the premiership today, but winning a title you’ve won 10 out of 17 and getting (very strangely considering the number of games he played) the PFA player of the year award to amount to having the greatest year in sport of his life. He should get the lifetime achievement though, any day. The only Man United player I can stand.