Tyson Fury's invite to the British Sports Awards withdrawn after boxer's threats to Mail on Sunday's chief writer Oliver Holt

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The Sports Journalists' Association has made a U-turn on welcoming newly-crowned heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to their British Sports Awards next week, by removing their invitation to the event.

The SJA's British Sports Awards are the country's oldest annual sporting awards event, staged since 1949, with this year's edition taking place in London on December 17.

However, there will be no place for Fury due to his previous 'threats' made towards Mail on Sunday chief sports writer Oliver Holt.

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Tyson Fury's invite to the British Sports Awards has been removed by the Sports Journalists' Assoctiation

The 27-year-old was due to attend the annual event, taking place in London, on December 17

Fury (right) has courted controversy following his public views on women and and homosexuals

Fury (right) spoke candidly with chief sports writer Oliver Holt in a recorded interview in Bolton last month

The 27-year-old has attracted controversy following his comments about homosexuals, which were first revealed in an interview with Mail on Sunday's Holt, as well as women.

Fury's place among this year's BBC Sport Personality of Year nominations is in question as a result, with fellow nominee Greg Rutherford threatening to pull out if the boxer remains on the 12-person shortlist.

And on Wednesday, Sports Journalists' Association went a step further by removing him from their British Sports Awards event.

'The officers of the SJA took the decision reluctantly, since the British Sports Awards seek to recognise the year's great sporting achievements, which include Fury's heavyweight world title win,' the statement on their website reads.

'But the decision was made as a consequence of threats made by Fury against at least one sports journalist, an SJA member, who has written about the boxer's repugnant comments on homosexuality and women.'

A spokesman for the SJA said: 'We are aware of threats made by Tyson Fury against one of our members, and therefore feel that it would be incompatible with the nature of our event, or the interests of our members, our other guests and our sponsors, for us to continue to extend a welcome to Tyson Fury to our awards next week.' 

Greg Rutherford will pull out of the Sports Personality of the Year nominations if Tyson Fury (right) remains

Fury holds the world heavyweight title belts he won from Wladimir Klitschko in Dusseldorf last month

Fury (right) beat Klitschko on a unanimous points decision on November 28 in Germany

Fury first aired his views on homosexuality in an interview with the Mail on Sunday before he beat long-reigning champion Klitschko in Dusseldorf last month to win the IBO, IBF, WBO and WBF belts.

In his interview with Oliver Holt, in which he also labelled Klitschko 'a devil-worshipper', the boxer said: 'There are only three things that need to be accomplished before the devil comes home: one of them is homosexuality being legal in countries, one of them is abortion and the other one's paedophilia.

'Who would have thought in the 50s and 60s that those first two would be legalised?

'When I say paedophiles can be made legal, that sounds like crazy talk doesn't it? But back in the 50s and early 60s, for them first two to be made legal would have been looked on as a crazy man again.'

THE STORY THAT INFURIATED FURY

Tyson Fury is sitting on a sofa in his hotel room. His bed is unmade. A pillow lies on the floor. An empty water bottle sits on the table. Apart from that, the room is bare. The conversation has just started and Fury is talking in a stream of consciousness, fast and freely. Things turn dark very, very quickly.

'We live in an evil world,' he says. 'The devil is very strong at the minute, very strong, and I believe the end is near. The bible tells me the end is near. The world tells me the end is near. Just a short few years, I reckon, away from being finished.

'Abusing the planet, the wars in the Middle East, the famines, the earthquakes, the natural disasters, all these things are talked about 2000 years ago before they even happened. Prophesised. So now it's all coming true…'

CLICK HERE FOR OLIVER HOLT'S FULL MAIL ON SUNDAY FEATURE 

Fury has continually claimed that he was misquoted by Holt before issuing his threats.

He was filmed with his entourage, pointing to a member he referred to as 'big Shane', who Fury said will break Holt's jaw.

'See 'big Shane' there. He's 6ft 6in and 25 stone. He's going break his (Holt's) jaw completely with one straight right hand. I won't do it as I'll get in trouble but the big fella there will annihilate him,' Fury said.

'Oliver, take a good look at him because that's the face you're going to see before you hit the deck.'

Sportsmail responded last week by publishing Holt's audio recording of the Fury interview along with the entire transcript of their meeting.

An online petition, set up by LGBT campaigner Scott Cuthbertson, has collected more than 122,000 signatures demanding Fury is removed from the 12-person shortlist for the Sports Personality of the Year award after he appeared in an online video in which he says Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill 'slaps up good'.

The new world heavyweight champion is shown in footage on YouTube giving his views on women.

The footage has a publication date of November 25 and, when asked his opinion on the opposite sex in boxing, Fury focused on the ring girls rather than athletes.

'I like them actually, they give me inspiration, when I'm tired and I see them wiggling around with their round two, round eight...I think women in boxing is very good,' he said.

'But I believe a woman's best place is in the kitchen and on her back, that's my personal belief. Making me a good cup of tea, that's what I believe.'

An online petition has collected more than 122,000 signatures demanding Fury is removed from the list

Fury said that Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill thinks 'slaps up good' and she 'looks good in a dress'

Meanwhile, promoter Kellie Maloney has called for world boxing authorities to take collective action against Fury over his comments.

The promoter told BBC Breakfast that Fury's achievement in the ring was 'fantastic' but his comments outside it 'leave a lot to be desired'.

She said: 'I believe the (British Boxing) Board of Control are having a hearing today. They will discuss it and he will be called up in front of the board but what can they do to him? They can fine him. It means all the world governing bodies should take some action against him.

'I think his comments will harm him to get endorsements. I don't think you will see the likes of adidas, Nike or any of the blue chip companies wanting to endorse Tyson Fury. I think he has made a terrible mistake and his management team should have realised this because they know what he is like.'

Boxing promoter Kellie Maloney believes the sport's authorities should take collective action against Fury

Maloney's comments come after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed they were investigating hate crime allegations against the boxer.

Fury said in an interview with Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 this week: 'Homosexuality, abortion and paedophilia - them three things need to be accomplished before the world finishes. That's what the Bible tells me.' 

After that clip was played on Victoria Derbyshire's BBC Two show, a spokeswoman for GMP said: 'At 10:30am (on Tuesday) we received a report of a hate crime following comments made about homosexuality on the Victoria Derbyshire programme.

'As with all allegations of hate crime we are taking the matter extremely seriously and will be attending the victim's address to take a statement in due course.'