Piers Morgan says Mary Earps didn’t ‘deserve’ BBC honour over Rory McIlroy – ‘Trying to get my head around it’
Joey Barton launches social media tirade against England goalkeeper’s award success
Mary Earps crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year
Piers Morgan has questioned whether England goalkeepers Mary Earps deserved to win the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award over her fellow nominees, while appearing to misunderstand the meaning of the award.
Earps was presented with the award at a ceremony on Tuesday night after a year in which she helped England to the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney and won the Golden Glove at the tournament following a series of outstanding performances, including a penalty save in the final, which Spain won 1-0.
The 30-year-old Manchester United player also earned praise after speaking out against Nike’s decision to not make the England goalkeeping jersey available for sale during the World Cup. Following a public petition that received over 170,000 signatures, Nike U-turned and Earps’ shirt sold out in minutes amid “unprecedented” demand when it was eventually made available to buy this winter.
Earps was odds-on favourite to win Sports Personality of the Year and topped the public vote ahead of recently retired England bowler Stuart Broad, jockey Frankie Dettori, athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, tennis player Alfie Hewett and golfer Rory McIlroy.
After 14 consecutive years of male winners of the Sports Personality of the Year award between 2007 and 2020, there have now been three female winners in a row. Earps follows Lionesses forward Beth Mead, who won after England’s Euros triumph in 2022, and tennis player Emma Raducanu after her US Open success in 2021.
But Morgan suggested the BBC had overlooked her fellow nominees.
“Trying to get my head around two of England’s women
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