Frampton blasts BBC SPOTY snub – “There’s people on that list that I deserved to be on in front of”
Carl Frampton has hit out at the selectors for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award shortlist.
Despite having a 2016 that saw him win BBBoC Fighter of the Year and being mentioned as the potential worldwide Fighter of the Year, Frampton was not included on the sixteen-person shortlist for the award.
Frampton this year unified his IBF 122lbs title with Scott Quigg’s WBA belt in a big grudge match in Manchester, before moving up to featherweight and defeating WBA champion Leo Santa Cruz in New York.
Fans of ‘The Jackal’ let their feelings be known about their man being overlooked last night, and these were echoed by Frampton’s mentor Barry McGuigan – who himself won the award in 1985.
Speaking this morning on The Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster, Frampton admitted that “I feel like there’s people on that list that I deserved to be on, in front of. I unified a title, defended a title and beat a three-weight champion, and all on the road.”
“But I’ll not complain, I wasn’t picked for whatever reason, maybe they didn’t have the space. I’m not going to cry about it, I’ll get on with my career.”
Frampton feels there may be some bias against Northern Irish sportspeople on the list, and cited how their are five Yorkshire athletes. The Tigers Bay star mused that “what it looks to me is maybe anti-boxing and maybe anti-Northern Ireland.”
“I think at least one of Jonny Rea, Bethany Firth, and myself should have been on it.”
The 29 year old backed last year’s winner to retain the gong, and predicted that “Andy Murray’s going to run away with it, he’s going to win it – and deservedly so – but I still feel out of the 16 I would like to have got in.”
The sixteen sportspeople nominated are:
Nicola Adams – Boxing
Gareth Bale – Football
Alistair Brownlee – Triathlon
Sophie Christiansen – Equestrian
Kadeena Cox – Athletics/Cycling
Mo Farah – Athletics
Jason Kenny – Cycling
Laura Kenny – Cycling
Andy Murray – Tennis
Adam Peaty – Swimming
Kate Richardson-Walsh – Hockey
Nick Skelton – Equestrian
Sarah Storey – Cycling
Jamie Vardy – Football
Max Whitlock – Gymnastics
Danny Willett – Golf.
