TEARY Beth Mead ditched the crutches as she was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2022 – the SIXTH footballer in 68 years to win the prestigious trophy.
Football came home this summer as England Women historically beat Germany 2-1 in extra-time in the Euro 2022 final.
Though she did not score in that Wembley showpiece, Mead was the vital component, top-scoring with six goals and assisting five to be named Player of the Tournament.
Mead, 27, arrived at the BBC Salford HQ tonight using a set of crutches for the red carpet because she is rehabbing after season-ending knee surgery.
But bravely she hobbled on to stage unaided as she was voted by the British public the star performer of the year ahead of cricketer Ben Stokes and curler Eve Muirhead.
The Arsenal striker – whose mum has terminal cancer – said: “I’m incredibly honoured to win this award.
“I wouldn’t have done it without those girls, who backed me.
“Yes, I did my job and scored a few goals but I wouldn’t have done it without them, my mum, dad and all of my family.
“This is for women’s sport and for it heading in the right direction. So, let’s keep pushing the girls and keep doing the right things.
“The girls are like a family away from home and when things at home haven’t been great, they supported me so well.”
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The Whitby ace has followed in the footsteps of fellow football stars Bobby Moore (1966), Paul Gascoigne (1990), Michael Owen (1998), David Beckham (2001) and Ryan Giggs (2009).
Crocked Mead is a big doubt for next year’s women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand due to her ruptured ACL.
Her partner Vivianne Miedema – a Holland footballer – is also sidelined with a similar serious knee injury until late next year.
Mead joked: “I got three weeks sympathy and then she thought she would join it. That wasn’t ideal. There are a few crutches around our house at the moment!”
Second place overall went to cricketer Stokes, who has won nine out of ten Tests as new captain and had a starring role as England beat Pakistan in the T20 World Cup final in Melbourne.
Yet having just returned home from a triumphant Pakistan Test tour, Stokes, 31, was laid low on the sofa with a “stomach bug”.
Third place went to Olympic gold medal-winning curler Muirhead – while Jessica Gadirova (gymnastics), Ronnie O’Sullivan (snooker) and Jake Wightman (athletics) were the other nominees.
Mead said: “I’ll die happy. I still find it quite surreal. I am Beth Mead, I kick a bag of air around a football pitch.
“It still doesn’t quite feel real that I’ve won this award tonight. But I am hugely honoured.
“It is quite humbling. Sometimes you can get things from team-mates and colleagues but when it’s the nation voting, and people who may not even know you personally voting, I think that’s a really nice feeling.
“Stokes didn’t look too chuffed tonight, did he?
“I do like cricket, I played when I was younger, so to beat those names is even more surreal.
“Women’s sport is heading in the right direction and that’s where we want it to continue to head. You look at the podium tonight, there are two women there.
“It is incredible how far football has come – cricket, rugby, curling, gymnastics. We want to keep pushing that even more so for the next generation to come.
“I have my fingers crossed I’m not the last (women’s footballer to win it). I really hope it is a kickstart for women’s football in general and there are some more footballing names up there.
“We’re quite a soft family inside and it comes out emotionally. They have done so much for me.
“Yes I have won this award and I can dedicate it to them, but it will still never feel like enough for what they have done for me in my career.”
The Lionesses scooped a hat-trick of top awards at the annual shindig as they were named Team of the Year and then Dutchwoman Sarina Wiegman was awarded Coach of the Year.
There was great controversy that golfer Matt Fitzpatrick – the winner of the US Open at Brookline – was omitted from the six-person top shortlist.
And during rehearsals on Wednesday morning, host Gary Lineker fuelled the fire by tweeting an “embarrassed” emoji that the Sheffield star, 28, had been overlooked.
In an emotionally-charged moment, rugby league legend Rob Burrow – who has Motor Neurone Disease – received the inspirational Helen Rollason Award.
His former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Kevin Sinfield – who is the new England rugby union defence coach – was given a ‘Special’ trophy for his magnificent £7milllion fundraising efforts.
Superstar Lionel Messi will get the World Sport Star of the Year trophy at some point but then he is quite busy partying in Buenos Aires at present following Argentine’s stunning World Cup triumph.
Eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt – who has retired from sprinting – was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award aged 36.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September aged 96, was commemorated for her love and involvement in horseracing.
