"We are considering introducing player of the year awards scheme. There are conflicting views. What do you think?" ? club chairperson.

I believe clubs shouldn't hand out individual awards.

They are in absolute opposition to the essence of a team: a team requires the maximum input of all involved for it to achieve its potential.

To elevate one of its number to a position above his team-mates, to state publicly that he is more important or contributed more to the cause than anyone else, is to deny this most basic tenet upon which a team is built.

But what harm are they, you might ask? Sure don't they promote greater interest in, and discussion about, our games? I beg to differ: I do think they are harmful.

They encourage debate about something which is totally irrelevant, as players in a team are as dependant upon each other as links in a chain. They also promote the idea that a player can transcend the team of which he is a part, not, I would suggest, a very positive message to be sending out to star-struck youngsters.

All managers will tell you that one of their biggest problems is getting their charges to buy in totally to the overall team effort.

Take Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Before the advent of manager, Phil Jackson, Jordan was sweeping up individual awards year upon year but his team consistently underachieved.

It was only when Jordan realised, after a lot of subtle work by Jackson, that he could only truly fulfil himself as a player if he harnessed his individual talents to what was best for the team that the team began to achieve. Cue Chicago dominance of the NBA.

Individual awards give out the wrong message to the player receiving it, and to those who 'failed' to meet whatever are the subjective criteria.

They are being told that you can be 'successful' or 'unsuccessful' irrespective of what your team achieves ? hardly something one would expect to see in a management or coaching manual. So why is it okay then to single out a member of the herd/tribe/team for exaltation after the fact, so to speak?

One of the greatest teams in history said it all in their motto, 'all for one and one for all.' The only miniscule saving grace for individual awards is that most accept them on behalf of their team.

So why have them at all?

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