Sol Campbell, a former defender for both England and Arsenal, has outlined the nine reasons why he should be knighted after being omitted from the most recent list of New Year’s Honors.
The 48-year-old former Southend United boss was perplexed as to why he wasn’t included on the list after having a good playing career with clubs like Spurs, Arsenal, and Portsmouth.
Lionesses stars Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze, Beth Mead, and Ellen White were the only members of England’s Euro 2022 winning team to receive rewards for their services; an honour Sol Campbell has not won despite his illustrious football career.
In his reaction to his absence from the list , Campbell gave nine justifications for why he should be honored.
“I’ve seen a lot of people get MBE OBE Sir’s for services to sport,” he wrote. “I will put my name down reasons why!
“First is the 56 games without losing is a record. 2. Invincible Arsenal team 49 games without losing a record. 3. First black player to score in World Cup final for England!”
He went on to say: “4. First black captain to lift a cup at Wembley. 5. First black English speaking player to score in a Champions League final. 6. “I played two decades and over 500 games in the Premiership. 7. Stood up for racism in football here and abroad!
“8. Only English player to play in six consecutive tournaments for England. 9. Got into the World Cup best team 1998 and 2002 and one European team 2004 so at one stage I was pound for pound the best defender in the world. How many English men can say that?”
Here is how Campbell’s Twitter request was received on social media.
One said: “Two days into 2023 and Sol Campbell is already making up that he scored in a World Cup final. Strap in, it’s gonna be a wild year,” while another commented: “You scored in a World Cup final for England?”
Another fan said: “Slightly unorthodox to ask for honours, Sol, but I absolutely agree you deserve to be recognised by the honours system.”
Another one added: “I know a few people who got OBE’s and have never done sh*t. The reality is you don’t need some fluffy BS to validate you. You’re a legend. Always will be. Those who matter will always know that.”
Beyond Campbell’s tweet, the choice to award only four members of England’s Euro 2022 winning squad generated a lot of discussion.
The chairman of the honors sports committee, Sir Hugh Robertson, gave an explanation for why not all of the Lionesses had been chosen.
“The approach that we’ve tried to take with this is when we have these events there is a danger in sort of carpet bombing the entire squad because then you get people who’ve done five minutes on the pitch and get an award,” he said.
“So what we’ve tried to do is stick to the principle of the honours system which is to recognise excellence and to recognise extraordinary contributions.”
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell, a former player and professional football manager from England, was most recently in charge of Southend United, a National League team. He was born on September 18, 1974.
Previously, from November 2018 to August 2019, he served as manager of Macclesfield Town.
He played center back for the England national team for 11 years while spending 20 years in the Premier League.
Campbell started his professional career in December 1992 with Tottenham Hotspur. He was born in East London to Jamaican parents.
During his nine years at Spurs, he made 255 appearances, scored 10 goals, and led the squad to win against Leicester City in the 1999 Football League Cup Final.
He joined Arsenal, a rival team in North London, on a free transfer in 2001, and as a result, he has remained a very hated figure among Spurs supporters.
In his five years and 195 games with Arsenal, he won two Premier League winners medals and two FA Cup winners medals, including the 2001–02 league and FA Cup double. He was also a member of the squad that won the 2003–04 Premier League without a loss, earning the nickname The Invincibles.
In their 2-1 loss to Barcelona in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final, he scored the lone goal for Arsenal. He made a free transfer to Portsmouth in August 2006.
He led the team to win in the 2008 FA Cup Final during his three years with the organization.
At the conclusion of the 2008–09 season, he took the unexpected decision to join League Two team Notts County on a free transfer, falling three levels in the English football pyramid.
In September 2009, after only one game for the club, he left by mutual consent.
He briefly returned to Arsenal the next year before concluding his playing days at Newcastle United.
What is the OBE, MBE and CBE honors?
People with extraordinary accomplishments and contributions to the United Kingdom are recognized with special honors like OBE, MBE, and CBE.
Here’s everything you need to know about the awards, which are presented twice a year in the UK.
Who receives the honors?
A separate committee decides who receives an honor and what kind of honor they receive. The conclusions of the committee are reviewed by the Queen/King and then the prime minister.
The list of honors includes knighthoods and damehoods, appointments to the Order of the British Empire, and medals for valor and bravery.
Depending on what they have accomplished, various persons receive different rewards. The major honors are:
- Companion of honour
- Knight or Dame
- CBE
- OBE
- MBE
- BEM
There are yet others, such as the Royal Red Cross for nurses and the Queen’s Police and Fire Service Medals for professionals in such fields.
