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TIBS EXCLUSIVE – Matt Le Tissier: “Let the ‘Mandela Medal of Honour’ reward true sportsmanship.”

Goalden Goals

People are always talking about the controversial aspects in sport so why not promote the positives.

(Don’t forget to play my FREE goal-prediction game and win £200 in January by logging on to www.goaldengoals.co.uk)

With this in mind I love the idea of having a special award for all those who show sportsmanship of the highest order.

I am sure there are several candidates you could honour by naming the award after so please let me have your suggestions.

But at this moment in time is there anyone more worthy than the late Nelson Mandela?

He was a worldwide iconic figure who was recognised throughout all sports.

Mandela crossed all colours and sectors of the sporting as well as the political world.

It’s not often that one person does that but the former President of South Africa joins both sides up without being controversial.

And there would have been a few noticeable winners of the “Mandela Medal of Honour” over the years.

West Ham’s Paulo Di Canio comes to mind in 2000 when he passed up the opportunity to score against Everton when goalkeeper Paul Gerrard was on the ground injured.

The year before Arsene Wenger agreed to re-stage an FA Cup tie with Sheffield United after Marc Overmars netted a controversial Arsenal winner when the Blades were expecting to be given the ball back.

In 1997 Liverpool’s Robbie Fowler was not happy about the penalty his team had been awarded against Arsenal so hit it tamely straight at goalkeeper Dave Seaman to save.

Just under a decade ago Yeovil manager Gary Johnson allowed Plymouth to walk in a goal unchallenged in a League Cup tie after his son Lee had inadvertently netted a pass-back to the goalkeeper.

Who can forget that iconic cricket picture of England’s Andrew Flintoff consoling Australia’s Brett Lee during the 2005 Ashes Series?

Only recently we’ve been reading about Round the World yachtsmen abandoning their own race to go to the rescue of fellow competitors in trouble on the high seas.

We are always hearing about the negatives in sport like cheating and play-acting in football.

Promoting these acts of good sportsmanship will hopefully re-address the balance of some of the rubbish stuff that goes on.

*Play Matt’s goal-prediction game for free now by logging on to www.goaldengoals.co.uk and win £200 in January.

This photograph was provided by Goalden Goals.

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