So, 2006 is drawing to a close and it's time for the sport's personality of the year contest that we all love so much!!!

So who is going to get it this year, in a year which, let's be fair, has not been great for british sport. The candidates as far as i can see are:

Darren Clarke
Zara Phillips
Beth Tweddle
Monty Pansar (sp????)
Nicole Cooke

Have i missed anyone? There was some discussion of Murray for his win over Federer, but that seems like a bit of a stretch.

So who do you think should win - personally, my vote goes to Nicole Cooke, but i'm a cycling fan so i would say that :P

Not Murray that's for sure :rolleyes: roflmao

If Murray gets it, he'll definitely be going on my wall hanging :rolleyes: roflmao

I was reading a discussion on this on another forum, and most of them nominated Murray for his 'incredible progress' :rolleyes:

Barf roflmao

Apart from beating Federer, he's just so ordinary :rolleyes: roflmao

About the wall hanging, its an idea i might do for my art- top 10 people i hate roflmao

Those arty types eh? :rolleyes:

Yeah, shouldn't the winner of SPOTY achieve something? Since when is winning San Jose on a par with a World Cup or a Marathon :rolleyes:

Its very emin esque Dav ;) roflmao

Oh i hate Murray to the core, all those pointless beeb announcements:

' murray moves a place in the rankings ', completely shelving the WTA YEC :rolleyes:

or:

' murray awaits player of the year award ', as if murray barely even registers :rolleyes:

SPOTY should be Anne Keothavong for her great victory in Prerov B)

I don't think it really matters who wins tbh, it's been a slow year sports wise for the UK, Murray may as well win it :)

There's no way Murray should win it :angry: He's had a good year, but not that good - maybe when he wins a slam he should win it???

I suspect it'll be between Zara Phillips and Darren Clarke - if David Walliams even gets nominated i think i'll cry :yikes:

(My vote still goes to Nicole Cooke - and yes, i know she's a cyclist, and i know it's about sports "personality" - so it should really be someone everyone has heard of - but she's done so well this year!!! :bow: )

If he wins a slam then I think they should make a special award for him as it would be some achievement for Britain to have its first big tennis prize since 1977.

But ye he probably shouldn't win it, he had a good streak starting at Wimbledon but has gone off the boil again lately, so I doubt he will win.

They *may* do that if he wins Wimbledon - any of the others - i sincerely doubt it.

"Wait, there's tennis tournaments other than wimbledon.......who knew????" roflmao

personally i think Joe Calzaghe should get it :bow:

He wont though. I think Darren Clarke will end up winning

I agree with you MKK -Darren clarke will win, but it should go to nicole cooke....

btw, are you named after the actress in smallville....???

yes my parents thought it was appropriate. :whistle:

(j/k. you are correct)

Joe Calzaghe should at least make the list. If panesar (as much as i like him) gets in and JC doesnt that will be a disgrace :o

I'll go along with Nicole Cooke, definitely - an unhailed superstar. Tim Don (world triathlon champion) might have come close but since he's missed three drugs tests he's in big trouble.

It'll be the second time in six years I haven't voted for Paula Radcliffe... even she can't win marathons while she's pregnant.

personally, I'd like Kris Radlinski to win it. Make a short story fast, he is a Rugby League player who was forced to quit playing in March. Disheartened to see his beloved Wigan Warriors rooted at the bottom, and in real danger (Wigan are the Liverpool of Super League if ya like), he returned in June, and put his body on the line to save his club, and did it without asking for any money, because Wigan's wage-cap was full. They survived in the end, and he played a lead role. He has now retired. Sadly though, he won't even get a mention. Done a lot more than Murray, Zara Phillips and David Walliams.

it's always a bit like this though isn't it oblivion? People who get their name in the papers get nominated, and those who play sports that aren't mainstream, just don't tend to get mentioned.

I'm a cycling fan........campaigning for Nicole Cooke, who i'd guess won't even get nominated, simply because she doesn't take part in a popular sport. It took them 5 years to give Lance Armstrong the Internatinal award....I'm not his biggest fan, but seriously.....

I know it's pathetic really. Zara Phillips is no way a 'sportstar', if anything the horse is. David Walliams done it for charity, but his day job is a comedian, not a sportstar. Darren Clarke will get it for symapthy really. Murray, because Sue Barker just wants to go on about him beating Federer all through the program, like she does enough about that already. I bet Steven Gerrard will get nominated, depsite not doing anything at the WC, despite being so over-hyped in the papers. I'd like to see Nicole Cook win it, but I don't think she'll get nominated.

Zara Phillips only got a mention because of who she is - if it was anyone else no one would care. Walliams, I have to admit that I was impressed by his feat, but like you said, he did it as a one-off, it's not his day job. Murray - well done for his year and all that, but beating federer does not a chamption make. Give it a few years and he might actually do something worth rewarding. I agree about Darren Clarke, although maybe the team will get it rather than just him???

Steven Gerrard - ummm.....why? as far as i could see, if any England footballers gets nominated for anything then the award loses any credibitlity it ever had. If bloody Rooney gets nominated I will write a personal letter of complaint to the BBC.... :(

i would love to see Nicole Cookie win it, I really would. Apart form her achievements, she's a great ambassador for the country and especially for the sport in terms of her stance against doping. Plus, she's worked really hard and really isn't in it for the money - i really think she deserves it. But i really don't think it'll happen.....even if she Alastair Campbell backing her....

probably for the FA Cup Final, but he shouldn't get a mention, but they will never have no footballers in the candidates

did he do something amazing? score a goal whilst flying upside down or something??? I'm sorry - REAAALLY not a football fan....

he scored two goals, including one in injury time, to take it to extra-time, from about 35 yards

Oh whoop-di-doo shall we give him a knighthood too... :rolleyes:

Steven Gerrard is a massively overrated footballer - If he didn't play for liverpool few people would notice him, but as he's a cult hero there it raises his stock.

Darren Clarke surely has to win for my money :)

I'd put Monty Panesar in the shortlist too by the way roflmao

Forget boxers, that sport is nearly as dead as a dodo now

i want Beth Tweddle to get it :)

Here's the nominations list:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_rad...ear/6166600.stm

Murray's on there :huh: And i'm glad that Nicole Cooke is at least on the list!!!!!!!!! i still think it's gonna go to Clarke....

Of the nominees ,I'd have to chose Zara Philips.I'm sure she'll win as her mother did many years ago. Pity as horseriding has to be the most elite sport out and a lot of your success must depend on how much cash you've got to spend on your horse!However,you have to admire the courage that's necessary in the cross country event for eg.

Cooke, Phillips or Tweddle should win it.

I know Darren Clarke has had a tough year & I wish him all the best but it would be a farce if he won it.

Why is Jenson Button on the list? He won one race! :wacko:

I hope Zara Phillips does NOT win this, she is NOT a sportstar!

Nicole Cooke all the way! B)

I hope St Helens win Team of the Year award, although it will be the Ryder Cup team

Why would it be a farce if Clarke won it?

He actually played a blinder in the Ryder cup!

And not the title: "Sports PERSONALITY of the year". Not best sportsman/woman.

Clarke is full of charisma, and I just think he has been tremendous in the face of all that has happened to him. A most deserving winner IMO :)

It's a joke Button is on the list! roflmao

Actually i'm gonna put in a word for Phil 'the power' taylor too! :D

just shows how shite British Sport is at the moment

To be fair to Clarke, he has said that he doesn't want a sympathy vote, but i dunno if that will stop the good British public. I agree with you GS2 about the people who should win....I think it should be between Cooke and Tweddle....

And i know i'm bound to offend somebody here, but darts???? i mean, fair play to the bloke, but seriously, i'd always taken sport to mean something that actually involved doing a bit of exercise - I know i'm gonna get people asking about snooker and things like that, but I think that if we're trying to encourage kids to get out and do more exercise, we'd do best to show them role models in sports which don't involve spending a large proportion of your time in a pub. Just my opinion....

It may be called Sports Personality but it's always been about sporting achievement.

Clarke played well in the Ryder Cup but that's not why he is in the running.

His situation though tragic is hardly unique. Lots of people go through that kind of tragedy and hardship in their life and get on with things in the face of this kind of adversity. And because he's a sportsman he should win an award for it!? Ridiculous.

When there are real champions like Cooke & Tweddle around it would be absurd if he won it, something he himself has acknowledged.

I know what you're saying about darts DJ.

Taylor is pretty exceptional, and has been for 10 years now. He is more dominant in darts than Federer is in tennis, it's amazing!

So I think he deserves his place on a 10 man shortlist - especially as Zara phillips is on there in a sport where the horse does the work, and two thugs (aka boxers) are there too.

If it was a straights sports fight your candidates are probably right, but the personality bit of it is a landslide win for Clarke :)

Oh absolutely he has said that & i'm not having a go at him. Clearly he deserves our respect and sympathy.

Unfortunately there are a lot of misguided people out there who will vote for him.

Well I don't believe this competition has been serious for years!

David beckham winning it in 2001 was a joke and a publicity stunt for instance.

What sports are cooke and tweddle? Cycling and Gymnastics. Not sports with the biggest of followings, and also (though not in our brits cases i hope) both tainted with drug scandals over the years.

I hate Golf, but I hope Clarke wins

Personally, i think it's a shame that people choose to focus on the "personality" side of it, rather than the sport's side of it. We're supposed to be awarding great achievements in sport over the last year not who can make the crowd laugh and keep people entertained. If we went to much on the personality bit we'd just end up giving the award to who the public like the best, not who has achieved the most......