WELL done to Giggsy, partly for beating Jenson Button to be sports personality of the year, but chiefly for not dragging his family into things.
I can think of one well-known footballer, whose name escapes me, but his wife would have been very near the front at this event, pouting and preening. I have no idea of the name of Ryan Giggs's partner, let alone what she looks like. Until he mention
ed that it was time for Liberty and Zach to go to bed because they had school the next morning I had no idea how many kids he had and certainly not their names.
You might not like it but Sir Alex Ferguson deserves a lot of credit for the Giggs longevity because he stamped hard on him as a lad, protected him from the media and helped keep him level-headed.
These days it has become the trend for footballers, cricketers, rugby players etc, to drag their kids with them on a lap of honour or even to collect their medals. Some of the toddlers are frightened and you get the impression it's child cruelty. Next they'll be hauling round the budgie and the family dog.
By the way, there is nothing against Jenson Button but after one win in 150 races, he can't suddenly have become the greatest driver on earth, simply in the best car. He came second with Jessica Ennis third and that should have been the other way round.
Jess is only a slip of a lass but came back from a bad injury to win a world title over a series of a tough athletic track and field events. She didn't need four wheels, a team of mechanics and a computer to get her round or over things.
I didn't agree either with England's cricketers being team of the year for winning the Ashes. The Irish rugby union team were far better in winning the Grand Slam and some of their victories were away from home, so that didn't help in getting the Christmas tree trimmed, especially with the silly music.
One thing is certain, you won't hear the incredible longrange goal scored by Wigan's Maynor Figueroa against Stoke mentioned as often as the one by a certain England international whose name escapes me.
Maynor hit the ball 61 yards with stunning flight and accuracy and beat a goalkeeper who wasn't standing that far out. Never will you hear somebody say 'A Figueroa-type free-kick.'
TV commentman Alan Hansen was critical of the Stoke defenders and said somebody should have stood 'on the ball' to prevent the kick being quickly taken.
Lee Dixon, another defender, agreed and said players were taught that from being schoolboys. A pity they don't teach kids more skills.
Dixon said you stand on the ball and move back slowly until the ref says you have retreated far enough. I'm not certain about this, but isn't that cheating? The sort of thing Thierry Henry was savaged for against the Irish.
Wayne Rooney was booked for diving, which is also cheating but there was no public outcry, yet there is no difference between that and handball.
The so-called professional foul is cheating, so too is shirt pulling, running with the ball, delaying a throw-in and handing off an opponent but there is no fuss unless a foreigner does it against our lads and then all hell is let loose.
It might be better for Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez to keep his mouth shut. After an awful European Champions League effort, he said: 'The season starts here.' In which case the season began with a home defeat by Arsenal.
This must be the worst Liverpool team for about 30 years and they badly need to win the FA Cup or the dopey Europa thing to come close to rescuing their season. At this rate they can forget the top four and at the moment are rubbing shoulders with Birmingham and Fulham, teams not normally mentioned in the same breath.
KP and the 'guys' are ready for the Test series against South Africa. After winning a one-day series our boys are fancied. Times are changing.
