16/12/2014
NEWS STORY
Not all were happy with Lewis Hamilton being named the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year.
Whilst F1 fans, in particular, were delighted at the two-time world champion being voted winner of the award, the first F1 driver to win it since Damon Hill in 1996, others were not.
Inevitably they took to Twitter to vent their outrage - don’t they always? - most feeling that golfer Rory McIlroy was the rightful winner.
Much of the anger at Hamilton being awarded the title comes from the fact that he lives in Monaco, partly for tax reasons.
Whilst the main criteria for the award is that it should go to the sportsperson "whose actions have most captured the public's imagination", the recipient must also either be British or reside and play a significant amount of their sport in the United Kingdom.
Amongst those that blasted the decision to award Hamilton the trophy, based on the fact that he resides in Monaco, was footballer Joey Barton.
"Can't believe they gave SPOTY to Hamilton," tweeted Barton. "1. Formula 1 is the most boring sport ever. 2. He brought a dog with him. 3. He's a tax exile.
"McIlroy, wins multiple golf Majors and Ryder Cup. Froch, boxing World champion," he continued. "In fact every other nominee was more deserving the Hamilton.
"Tax exile's should be exempt from winning trophies paid and voted for by the tax/licence payer. He should never have won. He is a terrible role model to any Britain. What precedent does that set. Bad day in our history."
Those familiar with Mr Barton will be aware that despite his 2.8 million followers on Twitter and the fact that some of the chattering classes appear to think he has something worthwhile to say, he is not what most would cite as a role model as a brief Google or a trip to Wikipedia will soon reveal.
Currently playing for Queens Park Rangers, just a couple spots from the bottom of the Premiership, if Mr Barton really wants to vent his moral indignation at income tax issues he could do worse than discuss the subject with team manager Harry Redknapp who has good experience of such matters.
Indeed, if he can get off his high horse long enough, and wants to discuss his outrage at how those with money are able to ride roughshod over the working masses, he could have a brief chat with ony Fernandes, there remain over 200 former Caterham employees who have a few questions for the QPR owner.