Surely the time has come?

Following Andy Murray winning his 3rd BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, the next big debating topic will be the 2016 New Year’s Honours list.
 
The criteria for the highest honour in the Order of the British Empire an individual can receive is simple. A major, long term contribution in any activity, usually at national or international level.
 
For men they are bestowed with Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, KBE. Sir may sit before their name. For Women it's Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. DBE. Dame slots at the front of their name.
 
So who awards the deserving? It's the not the Queen, she does the fun bit with the sword.
The Cabinet office is supplied with all relevant details of the nominees achievements. The sports honours committee then decides who is worthy of all honours including Knighthoods. You can't  nominate someone for a specific honour, the committee decide this. The list is then passed to the Prime Minster who presents it to the Queen. She shines her sword and the inductees are ready to be welcomed in.
 
So the question after another superb year is whether Mo Farah and Andy Murray will become Sir Mo and Sir Andy?
Will their two names be on the list that Theresa May passes to the Queen?
 
I asked this question on twitter and a resounding 71% agreed both should.
 
Some though said both were too young and it should be an honour bestowed once retired.
Some raised concerns with the weight of expectation that would fall on their shoulders and recent allegations of doping for Farah were reasons to hold fire, but universally all agreed at some point both are worthy.
 
I think they should both be honoured now.

As mentioned some feel it is an honour that should be granted when the sportsperson has  concluded a wonderful career, but history shows us this hasn't always been the case.
Alf Ramsey became a Sir in 1967, just one year after England had won the World Cup under his management and as recently as 2012 the three athletes awarded from active sport were not retired and still aren't!
 
I feel you should give it when it's due, for the athlete to enjoy it and inspire others with.
God forbid a deserving athlete doesn't reach the end of their career and never gets to enjoy or inspire with the title. Morbid maybe, but it could happen.
 
There is no consistency with the honours and the awarding system has changed massively in recent years.
British sport has been excelling and therefore making many more candidates an option. Not a problem, great to have! But the general opinion is honours now seem easier to come by than before. Not a problem if deserving but this does then make it harder to be consistent as the Queen doesn't want to be swinging her sword constantly and watering down her honours, especially the biggest one.
 
There are many variations in age and timescales of when the honour is awarded, but in total well over 50 British based stars have received the top honour.
The household names include Sir Henry Cooper, Sir Jackie Stewart, Dame Ellen MacArthur (who was the youngest ever to receive a dame hood at 28) and recently jockey Sir Tony McCoy (A.P.McCoy). After the brilliant London Olympic and Paralympic Games the three athletes given the biggest honour whilst all still active in their sports were Sir Bradley Wiggins 32 and 35 year olds Sir Ben Ainslie and Dame Sarah Storey. Not exactly old were they!
 
I looked closer at Athletics and Tennis in the Sir/Dame stakes.
 
Athletics has had 6 British based athletes knighted. Familiar names of Sir Roger Bannister in 1975, Dame Mary Peters in 2000 and Dame Tanni Grey Thompson in 2005 are on the list.  
 
On one hand Sir Roger Bannister, most famously credited with the first sub 4 minute mile in 1954, had to wait until 1975 for his top honour, whereas Kelly Holmes, who was made an MBE in 1998 for her services to the British Army, was upgraded to Dame Kelly in 2005, a year after her brilliant Athens Olympic 800m/1500m double. Received in the year she retired.
 
Athletics has had many stars but Farah shines above them all, and if you follow the precedent set most recently in Athletics with Kelly Holmes damehood then it's time that 33 year old Mo Farah's CBE is upgraded.
He won double gold in his own back yard in 2012 over 5,000m and 10,000m. A feat he repeated in Rio this year, to become only the 2nd man ever to do the double double in these two events. He also achieved the same feat at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships. 8 gold medals. Not only has the World thrown the kitchen sink at Farah in terms of tactics to try and beat him, he has also faced varying opposition from the African nations over that time too, and beat them all.
 
Just this Holmes V Farah comparison means Farah is long overdue his three letter upgrade.
 
Tennis is a very lonely club, Aussie Sir Norman Brooke's was knighted in 1939. The 5ft 11 Aussie was a left hander who won Wimbledon twice and the Australian Open.
 
British tennis players in recent times have consisted of Jeremy Bates, highest World ranking of 54. Tim Henman OBE moved British tennis on and Murray has now taken it to a level many tennis fans could only have dreamt about. New territory. Double Olympic Gold, Grand Slams wins including 2 Wimbledon titles and now World Number one. For sporting achievements and for progressing his sport here in the UK, 29 year old Andy Murray OBE is deserving of a KBE.
But Andy Murray says he doesn't want it yet, he feels too young. This could maybe mean a couple of canny conversations behind the scenes so it isn't awarded and not accepted, like several have done from the non sporting world in the past like David Bowie or Vanessa Redgrave.
It would add extra pressure, he may have more to come in his career. All these points I take on board, but when simply comparing like for like with other honoured athletes Farah and Murray should be dropping to their knees and getting that special tap of a sword on their shoulders.
 
Of course everyone has an opinion on those who are deserving and still waiting for possible inclusion into the top club including Chris Froome, Jonnie Wilkinson, Katherine Grainger and calls this year by Andy Murray himself for his Mum Judy to be rewarded with something for her continued grassroots work and of course the mentoring work with her sons and Leon Smith OBE.
 
Maybe the greatest example for my belief of honouring when current and hot is through the case of the late football legend Bobby Moore. Who died in 1993 aged just 51.
 
Harry Redknapp played with the World Cup winning star at West Ham and summed it up..... "No disrespect to other footballers who got knighthoods, but no one deserved a knighthood more the Bobby Moore'.
 
Many, including his wife, have again this year, 50 years on from the famous 1966 win, called for a change in the rules and Moore to be awarded a posthumous knighthood.
 
What a pity it was not given when due and deserved for himself and his family to enjoy.
 
Not surprisingly Bobby Charlton and Geoff Hurst were knighted after Bobby Moore died. Charlton just a year later. So at least two legends won't pass without being able to celebrate the highest honour that they deserve.
 
Let's not wait any longer to applaud and show appreciation to two of the best that Great Britain have ever had.