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:
The 'Transfer Talks' Flowchart – Football Cliches
Remembering Ivan Turina – A Football Report
Moyes Has Done Sod All To Deserve United Job – Johnny Nic For F365
Anfield: The Victims, The Anger And The Shameful Truth – Guardian
The A-Z Of Football Boot Brands – The Boot Room
Man Utd Coach Delivers Opinion On Rooney's Form – Off The Post
19 Rules Of Playing Football When You're A Kid – BuzzFeed
Chiles, Keane, Dixon & Southgate Preview Madrid vs Dortmund – The False Nine
Brilliant 'Punk Aesthetic' West Ham Artwork – Is Saitch Yer Daddy?
Very American, Not Very Good: The 1971 St Louis Stars – IBWM
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.