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BRAMWELL SPEAKS OUT: Auntie's social club mars personality prize
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Thursday 12th Dec 1996.
POOR Justin Fashanu has enough problems - just look at his brother, writes NEIL BRAMWELL.
But because a certain group of well-wishers mistook E-mail for a mating call and flooded the voting system with Justin Fashanu nominations, the former soccer star has also been ruled out of the running for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year this weekend.
It sets a puzzling precedent for anyone to be disqualified from an event which is so blatantly biased.
And Fashanu probably has more of a claim to the title than many of this year's leading contenders.
At least Fashanu could be said to have exhibited a modicum of personality.
Madame Tussaud herself would struggle to create a bigger collection of lifeless dummies.
Take a look at the leading contenders: Steve Redgrave, Nick Faldo, Damon Hill, Alan Shearer, Tim Henman, Stephen Hendry and Frankie Dettori.
With one notable exception, this group has the collective charisma of Nigel Mansell on Mogadon.
For me, ignoring the "personality" label and taking the competition to mean Sports Star of the Year, there is only one winner. Steven Redgrave's achievements over three Olympic Games have been phenomenal.
The Overseas Award can only - and surely will - go to Irish swimmer Michelle Smith for her dazzling three gold and one bronze medals in Atlanta. In the absence of other worthy contenders, the team winners should be the England cricket team for their stirring one-day victory over Matabeleland last weekend.
But if the "sports personality" title was taken at face value there could only be one winner.
And Frankie Dettori's magnificent Ascot achievement of winning every race at a seven-card meeting pushes Redgrave close in terms of sporting excellence alone.
Dettori, though, a British passport holder and so eligible for the main award, retains a refreshing passion for his sport and a genuine, intense desire for success. This, however, is the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
And, as with Jonathan Edwards' embarrassing victory last year, the Director General will have more influence over the final voting than any pro-Fashanu faction could hope to exert.
The Beeb will again be looking to protect and promote their paltry sporting service.
So with Grand Prix switching to ITV and golf and soccer the virtual exclusive domain of Sky Sports, expect Tim Henman and Stephen Hendry to occupy ridiculously high placings.
And don't be too surprised if the cox of the Oxford Boat Race crew sneaks into the top three.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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