Real Fury should beatoverlooked Scottish success

TYSON FURY has already given BBC Sports Personality of the Year a right hook.

The boxing star took one look at his nomination and delivered a combination of blows which launched it right back out of the ring by stating he wants no part of it.

SPOTY has been losing its appeal for years. Shame, it used to be one of the highlights of the festive period.

Now we’re in a situation where some stars don’t even want to be associated with it.

Of course, it’s not the biggest surprise Scotland didn’t get a look in with the nominations for the main prize.

But, if we had our own version, who would be the individual who would be stepping up to collect the little trophy with the old TV camera on it?

It’s not been a vintage year for sport due to the lockdowns and the Covid restrictions with many events cancelled or postponed and some of our stars being kept out of the spotlight.

Nonetheless, there are still a few out there.

Josh Taylor continues his outstanding ascent up the boxing ranks and his September knockout of Apinun Khongsong kept his lightning Prestonpans paws on the WBA and IBF light welterweight belts. He’s going right to the top.

Robert MacIntyre overcame injury problems and a loss of form to back up his 2019 Rookie of the Year award by winning for the first time on the European Tour last month in the Cyprus Showdown.

He’s also going to the summit of his sport.

Of course, before all of this Covid struck, a Scot reached the very top when Peter Wright won the World Darts Championship on the second day of the year at a time when the only people wearing masks were inside football stadiums taking £2.50 off you for a cup of watered-down tea.

Wright may sound as Scottish as Vinnie Jones but he was born in West Lothian and you can’t get much more of a personality than someone who walks about on stage with a multi-coloured mohawk.

On the track, Laura Muir has won event after event in Europe and Beith’s Jemma Reekie, her training partner, is making waves in the athletics world with her Diamond League wins.

There will be others worthy of mention but there’s only one winner.

There have been times during the last two decades when we’ve felt

Scotland is finally heading back to the big time thanks to Steve Clarke

as far away from a major footballing finals as we are from getting 50,000 into Hampden next summer to watch us actually play in one.

But Scotland is finally heading back to the big stage thanks to the work of Steve Clarke.

His predecessors did not have the back door opportunity of the Nations League but that doesn’t matter one jot.

You can’t argue with an individual who put a smile on the face of an entire nation and ended 23 years of pain.

Andy Robertson is due a mention for helping Liverpool win a first title since Brookside came out but his boss did more.

Step forward, Sir Steve. Scotland’s Sporting Hero of 2020.

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