The Championship team of the year was announced last night with Ipswich Town's Daryl Murphy (Westwood and Richard Keogh were the two other Irish players selected) earning the centre-forward berth. He beat out Middlesbrough striker Patrick Bamford to his spot. The team could find no spot for Bamford who last week was named the Championship player of the year.
Taken together, the two announcements say something rather curious. Bamford is the best player of the season overall but not the best player in his own position.
The confusion is rather cleared up by the realisation that there are different selection committees for each award. The player of the season award was voted upon by managers while the team of the year picks were the preserve of PFA members.
However, another sport has witnessed an anomaly which was similar in nature.
Back in 1994, Brian Whelahan won both primary hurler of the year awards, one which the Sunday Press organised which canvassed fellow players and the longstanding Texaco award.
However, he wasn't deemed good enough for an all-star. The announcement, which was broadcast live, hit Whelahan hard. He told Denis Walsh in 'The Revolution Years' that he bolted for the toilet after the wing backs were selected.
Sean Moran, a member of the rather engorged selection committee that year, wrote about the confusion at the end of last year. Limerick's Dave Clarke was regarded as a cert for a wing-back spot and was selected. It was believed that Whelahan would just be shifted to the other wing. But then President Jack Boothman wondered aloud why other names weren't being mooted and there was a debate as to whether players could just move position for the All-Stars. You can read Sean Moran's account of the controversy here.
Following the controversy, the manner in which the All-Stars were selected was subject to some tinkering over the following seasons, with the model employed in 1997 being in place since.
