Knighthoods

Post by **CakeStop** » 29 Dec 2012 00:09

I'm pleased that Brailsford is knighted too - Wiggins may be the first Brit to win TdF but I don't think it would have happened without DB.

AlanW · Post by **AlanW** » 29 Dec 2012 08:29

Nice little interview with Sir Wiggo - HERE

And with Sir Brailsford - HERE

Philip Whiteman · Post by **Philip Whiteman** » 29 Dec 2012 14:51

It is such a terrible shame that Armstrong is not British. It would have been a great sight to see him kneel on one knee before Her Majesty. At which point, she lifts the ceremonial knighthood sword way above her head then takes a sweeping movement and cuts his head off.

keith · Post by **keith** » 29 Dec 2012 20:22

Philip Whiteman wrote:It is such a terrible shame that Armstrong is not British. It would have been a great sight to see him kneel on one knee before Her Majesty. At which point, she lifts the ceremonial knighthood sword way above her head then takes a sweeping movement and cuts his head off.

Alternatively Her Maj brings down the razor sharp blade and deftly arranges a small amount of white powder into an neat line

But seriously very amusing interview. The clip of Wiggo with Paul Weller is pretty good too

George · Post by **George** » 30 Dec 2012 11:22

Very deserving recipients ... and yet, I do feel slightly uncomfortable about recognising a career still in progress.

Between Peaks · Post by **Between Peaks** » 30 Dec 2012 12:51

George wrote:Very deserving recipients ... and yet, I do feel slightly uncomfortable about recognising a career still in progress.

Does that apply to Brailsford as well?

rdleaper · Post by **rdleaper** » 30 Dec 2012 22:58

George wrote:Very deserving recipients ... and yet, I do feel slightly uncomfortable about recognising a career still in progress.

I'm OK with it myself; I don't see that it does any harm. I guess there's a feeling they need to recognise the success of London 2012 soon afterwards in one go. Also there are precedents to follow; that's where the argument surrounding the Paralympics (though mostly not from current athletes) comes in. I'm not sure I want to go too far into that one though!

I suppose the real question is what are the awards for? They don't need to be a form of Lifetime Achievement award; plus with trophies/medals and even SPOTY as recognition maybe that's enough? It's nice to recognise them in this way but knighthoods, dame-hoods (is that what you call them?) and MBEs do sound a bit antiquated and don't really sit right with the likes of Wiggo and Brailsford. Still, I'm not bothered enough by that to want anything changed.

I think athletes covet trophies/gold medals more than letters after their name, and that's what people will remember them by.

George · Post by **George** » 31 Dec 2012 11:49

Between Peaks wrote:
George wrote:Very deserving recipients ... and yet, I do feel slightly uncomfortable about recognising a career still in progress.
Does that apply to Brailsford as well?

My feelings on this whole thing are mixed, which is why I said I was slightly uncomfortable about it, rather than that I was opposed to it. I accept Richard's point about celebrating the Olympics and I accept that Brailsford's career is still in progress, just as much as Wiggo's is. Nevertheless, I feel that a managerial figure is in a slightly different position to a competing sportsperson and it sort of feels more natural (for reasons that I can't quite rationalise) that a managerial figure should be knighted while still in the job. Now's the time for knighting Brailsford and Hoy; after Rio's the time for knighting Wiggo.

Albert Cox · Post by **Albert Cox** » 31 Dec 2012 16:34

There are plenty of percedents for the knighting of serving sports managers.
Man. United would be the most obvious.
Cycling need not be otherwise, I suggest.

The main problem, as I see it, is in the titling:- '...of the British Empire '
Makes British honours seem, to the world in general, a farce.
And now,it get's worse, we have the return British Empire Medal!

As an aside: What a tremendous decoration was 'Mother Hero of the Soviet Union'
bestowed after a lady had given birth to a set number of children.
Now that is worthy public honoured recognition, for you!

Les Ladbury · Post by **Les Ladbury** » 20 Jan 2013 10:41

I understand from a very reliable source that Sir Bradley has moved his finacial affairs off-shore. The only reason can be to avoid paying UK levels of tax.

Discus

laurence_cooley · Post by **laurence_cooley** » 20 Jan 2013 11:09

Les Ladbury wrote:I understand from a very reliable source that Sir Bradley has moved his finacial affairs off-shore. The only reason can be to avoid paying UK levels of tax.

Discus

Don't tell me he's doing a Depardieu, signing for Katusha and representing Russia at Rio 2016?

According to an interview he gave in November, he's withdrawn from the tax-avoidance scheme he was part of.