At Cornell University they have the world’s most powerful microscope called the transmission electron microscope, this microscope is so powerful that you can actually see images of the atom, the infinitesimally minute building blocks of our universe. You could use this microscope on some of the past winners of Sports Personality Of The Year and you still not find any personality in them.

Yes I’m looking at some past winners like, inter alia, Brits Nigel Mansell and Sir Andrew Murray, but the broader point is that is what they do in the sporting arenas is what gets you nominated, not personality.

We’ve been here before a footballer generally regarded as a secular saint by so many for his off the field work and considered a shoo-in for SPOTY but like Jermaine Defoe in 2017 I suspect Rashford will not be nominated for the main award because he’s not done much on the sporting field. Rashford’s not even been the best player at Manchester United in 2020, that honour goes to The Video Assistant Referee Bruno Fernandes.

If we’re looking at a footballer winning this year’s SPOTY then I reckon the value would be on the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year Jordan Henderson at 100/1 with Boylesports, in the last 18 months he’s captained Liverpool to champions of everything, Europe, the World, and England. He was also behind an initiative that raised millions for the NHS.

So my betting strategy is based on the BBC being consistent with their policies of 2017, I think they will because they want to avoid another row with the government, I suspect if they add Rashford to the list the backlash from Tories like Ben Bradley, he of Hovis for heroin and hookers infamy, will start moaning.

I’m quite comfortable in backing Lewis Hamilton, purely on sporting ability, he deserves it, he equalled the record of winning seven world championships previously held by Michael Schumacher. What makes Hamilton’s achievements so much better than Schumacher’s is that when won his world titles he was the undisputed number one in the team, the number two in the team was never allowed to compete for the world title, unlike Hamilton’s teammates at Mercedes. Hamilton, unlike the German shunt (sic), has never deliberately crashed into his rivals to try and win the the world title in the last race of the season.

If you think Hamilton’s tax situation should disbar him just remember he’s still in the top 5,000 UK taxpayers. If you earn an income in twenty countries and spend most of the year on the road then your taxes and residency is going to be complicated.

It has to be Hamilton, if it was solely down to the car, his teammates would have won more than just one world title in the last seven years.

TSE