THIS week, I see that 13-time world darts champion, Phil The Power Taylor has complained that he never gets invited to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards. I wouldn t worry too much Phil. Nobody watches that anymore do they? The days of the BB

THIS week, I see that 13-time world darts champion, Phil 'The Power' Taylor has complained that he never gets invited to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.

I wouldn't worry too much Phil. Nobody watches that anymore do they? The days of the BBC awards meaning anything are gone now surely?

Of course, we should recognise the achievements of our top sportsman but one single award ceremony from a television station that refuses to bring us any high standard sports coverage is not the way to do it.

I remember the days when the BBC awards ceremony did mean something and it was a big deal. However, like the New Year's Honours List, the awards have become nothing more than a twee and antiquated tradition.

I saw an interesting advert in the Sunday paper last week Phil. Apparently If you pay £89 you receive a nice scroll of paper and the title 'Lord of the Manor of Eckiethorpe'.

Now I don't know where that is but it sounds good and it's cheaper than the television licence.

THE good old Aussies know how to bring a touch of class to sport don't they?

Today, they begin their 'Big Bash' or in other words, the Australian Twenty20 competition.

Now that's fine but what they intend to do is print the players' nicknames on their shirts rather than their surnames.

Therefore, we are going to see the likes of 'Diz' (Jason Gillespie) bowling to 'Cheese' (Tasmania's Xavier Doherty).

Can we please stop with this 'light-hearted' and 'interesting innovation' in an attempt to make 'the sport more accessible'?

I am sick of people sticking their oar in, thinking they can make sport better by coming up with some half-brained idea.

If this had been introduced at my school or university, I dread to think what names would have been printed on our shirts. I know that I certainly wouldn't have taken my shirt home to be washed by mum.

And anyway, if I am a young sportsman dreaming of seeing my name in lights and on the back of newspapers, I don't want to see 'Bezzer', I want to see 'Mark Berry', thank you very much.

However, now I think about it, it should make for more commentary classics along the lines of 'the bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey' ... in that case, great idea!