I read Marina Hyde’s article with interest (So what is it about the brilliant, victorious sportswoman Mary Earps that bovine men just can’t abide?, 22 December). I did not agree with Mary Earps winning the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023, although perhaps not for the same reason as Piers Morgan.
I’ve always thought that the winner should be someone who has really achieved in their field, and although Earps is an outstanding goalkeeper and a member of a good football team, both the team and she as an individual did not achieve this year. They did not win the Women’s World Cup, and although she has been celebrated for saving Jenni Hermoso’s penalty, that’s hardly enough to qualify her. I suspect there was an element of sympathy for her, due to the debacle over her shirt, when replicas of it were initially not sold.
