Spoty

[Geoff Parkstone]

So our new tennis star wins, no surprise in a year with no other standout candidate, but you can only beat what is in front of you. I saw that she was 99-1 on with one bookie.

Also intriguing to see women winning 6 out of the 7 individual awards, albeit I had never heard of 4 of them. Am I out of touch or does everyone else feel underwhelmed with the "who?" reaction?

No surprise to see Verstappen not winning the overseas SPOTY, how dare he beat the icon that is Sir Louie.

[Ramshank72]

She was the only one worthwhile.
I must also be out of touch, no idea who many of them are.

[MadAmster]

2 unknowns for me. Jen Beattie who won the Helen Rollason Award and Sam Barlow, the Unsung Hero.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Yes, Sam Barlow seem justifiably named "unsung" !

[Andy_Faber]

So our new tennis star wins, no surprise in a year with no other standout candidate, but you can only beat what is in front of you. I saw that she was 99-1 on with one bookie.

Also intriguing to see women winning 6 out of the 7 individual awards, albeit I had never heard of 4 of them. Am I out of touch or does everyone else feel underwhelmed with the "who?" reaction?

No surprise to see Verstappen not winning the overseas SPOTY, how dare he beat the icon that is Sir Louie.

The SPOTY rules only allow UK residents or non-UK residents who practise their sport predoninentlyin UK to win the main award, so Hamilton (resident in Switzerland/Monaco) should in theory have been ineligible in any event

The whole event underwhelmed me, firstly for the usual 'oh he's not beating on about that again' PC/wokewashing/diversity/virtue signalling reason but also because its not been a very vintage year for UK sport. I'm utterly baffled why the England football team got the team award, and (controversially I;ve no doubt) I think that award should have gone to a team that DID achieve world champion status, the Mercedes F1 team

[ramAnag]

I'm utterly baffled why the England football team got the team award, and (controversially I;ve no doubt) I think that award should have gone to a team that DID achieve world champion status, the Mercedes F1 team

Probably because, despite the eventual disappointment of that toxic evening last summer, the England football team’s achievement was significantly praiseworthy and the award was for a sports team not a ‘team’ of electro engineers, tyre fitters and computer geeks.

[MadAmster]

Probably because, despite the eventual disappointment of that toxic evening last summer, the England football team’s achievement was significantly praiseworthy and the award was for a sports team not a ‘team’ of electro engineers, tyre fitters and computer geeks.

As opposed to a team of sports psychologists, nutritional experts and tattoo artists?

[ramAnag]

As opposed to a team of sports psychologists, nutritional experts and tattoo artists?

Lol...indeed...although given the manner of our ultimate failure I doubt the ‘sports psychologists’ deserved much anyway.

[Geoff Parkstone]

The problem is that there were no other obviously successful teams. The England football team ultimately failed, I'm not convinced by claims by a German car team. No one element of the Olympic team was triumphant etc etc. So in this unusual year, I think it should have gone to the great team from Westminster, Boris and his cabinet.