Button runner-up in BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award 2009
Like new team mate Hamilton, Button missed out on a SPOTY win
Jenson Button failed to win this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award – having gone into the competition as favourite.
He finished runner-up to footballer Ryan Giggs.
It’s the third year in a row an F1 driver has missed out on the prize. Button’s new team mate Lewis Hamilton was runner-up for the award in 2007 and 2008.
Still it’s not all bad for Button – he collected his world drivers’ championship trophy at the FIA Gala on Friday.
Do you think Button should have won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award? Have your say below.
Previous motor racing Sports Personality of the Year Award winners
John Surtees – 1959 (for motorbike racing, before becoming F1 world champion)
Stirling Moss – 1961
Jackie Stewart – 1973
Nigel Mansell – 1986, 1992
Damon Hill – 1994, 1996
Read more: Lewis Hamilton loses 2008 Sports Personality of the Year Award
Patstyle said on 14th December 2009, 21:46
Ryan Giggs probably deserved some sort of award yesterday, but I don’t think he should have won the main one. Mind you, the vast majority of those who voted for him would have been Man. Utd. fans. To be honest, my money would have been on Jessica Ennis, Mark Cavendish or Jenson, with Beth Tweddle coming a very creditable fourth. I’m not the biggest F1 fan, but I would have thought that Jenson would have had more of a case than Ryan Giggs. But, there you are..
David BR said on 15th December 2009, 11:04
Just to give some idea of who’s been F1 champion while Giggs was busy winning his eleven Premier League titles (not counting his 12 other major trophies!)
93 – Prost
94 – Schumacher
96 – Hill
97 – Villeneuve
99 – Hakkinen
00 – Schumacher
01 – Schumacher
03 – Schumacher
07 – Raikonnen
08 – Hamilton
09 – Button
10 – ?
Okay so I’m a United fan too ;0)
gazzap said on 15th December 2009, 12:30
The format of SPOTY changed in recent years so that the BBC actually nominate 10 people. Before this it was a completely open contest, where the public could vote for anyone at all by sending in their vote to the BBC before the night. In other words, any public voting for footballers would have been spread around many many different footballers.
At the same time F1 fans voting would have clearly voted for just one person.
Secondly, this year the footballer up for the award was Ryan giggs. This is a player who has not done anything THAT spectacular this year. People love him beacuse he has been around for so long and people love an old timer. Man U conducted a campaign for all man u fans to vote for ryan giggs. This could never have happened before the times of a shortlist. Almost all Welsh people would have voted for Giggs as well.
If Theo Walcott was nominated, he would win. All Arsenal fans would vote even though he has had a bad year.
Basically the BBC should never have shortlisted someone from a team sport like this, because it meant the result was fixed from that moment. The BBC can fix the result any time they like simply by nominating an English Man united player.
Congrats to Button, who was the true winner in my eyes.
K said on 15th December 2009, 17:23
Cavendish should have won but road cycling doesn’t get any recognition in the UK so he didn’t. His achievements far out-stip any of the other nominees and he has personality to match.
30% of this poll knew what they were voting for.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/poll/2009/nov/30/bbc-sports-personality-of-the-year-poll