A Sportman of the Year Medallion presented to the boxer Freddie Mills in 1947, the obverse inscribed SPORTMAN OF THE YEAR, the reverse inscribed 1947,

A Sportman of the Year Medallion presented to the boxer Freddie Mills in 1947, the obverse inscribed SPORTMAN OF THE YEAR, the reverse inscribed 1947, FREDDIE MILLS, ELECTED ONE OF THE TWELVE SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR IN SPORTING RECORD NATIONAL BALLOT, in silvered metal, diameter 44 mm; sold with a photocopy of the Sporting Record Newspaper in 1951, with details of previous results for the Sportsman of the Year trophy Provenance: Christies 23rd November 2004 Lot 239 (part) In 1947 Freddie Mills was elected by a readers' poll as being in the top twelve sportsmen of the year. The winner that year was the cricketer Denis Compton. The Sporting Rrecord Sportsman of the Year Award was a direct forerunner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards, first held in 1954.