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Sinead Butler
Dec 22, 2022
Beth Mead: Lioness named BBC Sports Personality of the Year
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England and Arsenal footballer Beth Mead has won BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) 2022.
The 27-year-old was part of the Lioness squad that saw England defeat Germany in the Euro 2022 finals at Wembley to become European champions.
Mead, who is the first women's footballer to win SPOTY, was also the player of the tournament as well as the top scorer at Euro 2022 (six goals and five assists) to take home the Golden Boot, so she played an important role in bringing the trophy home.
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"I'm incredibly honoured to win this award," Mead in her speech. "I wouldn't have done it without the girls. The team have backed me. Yes, I've won this accolade, I've scored a few goals but I wouldn't have done it without them.
"This is for women's sport and women's sport heading in the right direction. Let's keep pushing girls, let's keep doing the right thing," she added.
On the red carpet, Mead posed with partner and Arsenal teammate Vivianne Miedema where the two were on crutches as a result of both suffering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) last month.
\u201c\ud835\ude3d\ud835\ude3d\ud835\ude3e \ud835\ude4e\ud835\ude4b\ud835\ude4a\ud835\ude4d\ud835\ude4f\ud835\ude4e \ud835\ude4b\ud835\ude40\ud835\ude4d\ud835\ude4e\ud835\ude4a\ud835\ude49\ud835\ude3c\ud835\ude47\ud835\ude44\ud835\ude4f\ud835\ude54 \ud835\ude4a\ud835\ude41 \ud835\ude4f\ud835\ude43\ud835\ude40 \ud835\ude54\ud835\ude40\ud835\ude3c\ud835\ude4d \n\ud835\udfee\ud835\udfec\ud835\udfee\ud835\udfee\n\nWow wow wow, still can\u2019t quite believe it. Thank you so so much to everyone who voted for me, I am truly humbled & honoured to win such an iconic award. Women\u2019s sport is well and truly on the up #SPOTY \ud83c\udfc6\u201d— Beth Mead (@Beth Mead) 1671702275
It's been quite the year for Mead as she has won BBC's Women's Footballer of the Year, and was Arsenal's player of the season too.
Meanwhile, the England squad also won the Sports Personality Team of the Year award and manager Sarina Wiegman was awarded Coach of the Year.
People have since taken to social media to congratulate Mead and the Lionesses for their awards.
Mead's Arsenal teammates were cheering her on from their team bus in Zurich, as Jen Beattie wrote: "UNBELIEVABLE SCENES!!"
\u201cUNBELIEVABLE SCENES!!!!!\u201d— Jen Beattie (@Jen Beattie) 1671656595
Labour leader Keir Starmer congratulated the Lionesses who "inspired a nation," for winning the SPOTY triple crown.
\u201cThis year, the @lionesses inspired a nation. \n\nHuge congratulations for winning the #SPOTY triple crown of Team of the Year, Coach of the Year for Sarina Wiegman and Sports Personality of the Year for top scorer @bmeado9. \n\nThank you for bringing it home.\u201d— Keir Starmer (@Keir Starmer) 1671700582
Newsreader and former Football Focus host, Dan Walker also tweeted "Well done" to Mead.
\u201cWell done Beth Mead \ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffb\n@bmeado9\u201d— Dan Walker (@Dan Walker) 1671656698
Broadcaster Piers Morgan described Mead as an "Arsenal legend" and her success as a "wonderful achievement."
\u201cBrilliant. Congrats to Arsenal legend @bmeado9 on winning #SPOTY after her @Lionesses glory. Wonderful achievement.\u201d— Piers Morgan (@Piers Morgan) 1671659280
Former Lioness and Arsenal captain, Faye White noted how 2022 is "a year when women's football changed its position in society, made history and brought it home!"
\u201cAmazing clean sweep for our incredible #Lionesses at #BBCSPOTY \n\n@bmeado9 - #SPOTY \n@Lionesses - Team of the year \nSarina Weigman - Coach of the year\n\n2022 a year when women's football changed it's position in society, made history and brought it home! \ud83c\udfc6\ud83e\udd47\ud83d\udc4f\u201d— Faye White (@Faye White) 1671656937
Arsenal Women praised their top player's SPOTY win and tweeted: "What a year. What a player. What a person. Our Meado."
\u201cWhat a year. \nWhat a player. \nWhat a person. \n\nOur Meado \ud83c\udfc6\u2764\ufe0f\u201d— Arsenal Women (@Arsenal Women) 1671661271
Mead's previous club, Sunderland AFC Women where she played from 2011-2016 also congratulated their former player.
\u201cCongratulations to Beth Mead on winning BBC Sports Personality of the Year! \ud83c\udfc6\n\nWe're all so proud of what you've achieved @bmeado9 \ud83d\udc4f\n\n#SAFCWomen | #SPOTY\u201d— Sunderland AFC Women (@Sunderland AFC Women) 1671656885
Former England and Arsenal goalkeeper, David Seaman took to Twitter to congratulate Mead.
\u201cCongratulations @bmeado9 #SPOTY \ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udc4f\u201d— David Seaman MBE ~ SafeHands (@David Seaman MBE ~ SafeHands) 1671680803
Congratulations to Mead and the Lionesses!
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