Inside Sport: Will keeper wear the crown?

As the BBC’s 70th Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony approaches, we reflect  on the standout sporting performances and achievements of 2023.

The History of SPOTY

Created in 1954 by Paul Fox, who was editor of the BBC’s magazine show Sportsview, nominations had to be sent in by postcard and it was stipulated that those nominated had to be athletes who had featured on the Sportsview programme since April. Approximately 14,500 votes were received, and Sir Christopher Chataway pipped fellow athlete Roger Bannister to become the first BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1954, followed by athlete Gordon Pirie in 1955.

Other past winners include Stirling Moss, Bobby Moore, Virginia Wade, Sebastian Coe, Ian Botham, Daley Thompson, Torvill & Dean, Steve Davis, Nick Faldo, Paul Gascoigne, Linford Christie, Lennox Lewis, Steve Redgrave, David Beckham, Paula Radcliffe, Johnny Wilkinson, Andrew Flintoff, Joe Calzaghe, Bradley Wiggins, Mo Farrah, Ben Stokes, and Emma Raducanu.

Andy Murray is the only person to have won three times, and the only person to have won in consecutive years. Henry Cooper, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and Lewis Hamilton have each won it twice, whilst Princess Anne and her daughter Zara Phillips are the only people from the same family to win it. Last year’s winner was Arsenal & England ladies forward Beth Mead.

Nomination process

The 2023 shortlist is due to be announced in early December and on the night of the ceremony the winner will be determined by a public phone and online vote. This is very different to the system in 2011, when there was criticism following the selection of an all-male shortlist. It was a panel of 30 sports journalists who each submitted a list of 10 contenders. From this, a short list of ten nominees was determined. Since 2012 it has been an expert panel that produces a shortlist that reflects UK sporting achievements on the national and/or international stage and considers the impact within and beyond the sport.

The main contenders (Winning probabilities based on bookmakers’ odds at time of print) 

1. Mary Earps – Winning probability 56%

On the back of winning the Euros in 2022, Earps cemented her place as England’s number 1 goalkeeper and was an integral part of the team that reached the women’s World Cup Final against Spain in a match where she dramatically saved a penalty. She was named FIFA’s Best Goalkeeper, England Women’s Player of the Year, and voted the WSL and World Cup Golden Gloves winner, whilst also being selected in the PFA’s WSL Team of the Year.

Earps also reached the FA Cup Final with Manchester Utd and was on the shortlist for the prestigious Ballon d’Or. 

2. Stuart Broad – Winning probability 31%

This year the curtain came down on the career of one of the finest test match bowlers of all time. Making his England debut in 2007, ‘Broady’ went on to take 604 wickets in 167 matches; only the second bowler to surpass the 600 mark, along with Jimmy Anderson. Factor in another 178 wickets in ODIs (One Day Internationals) and 65 in the T20s (20 overs) and it’s clear to see that England has lost a true great. 

Broad played a big part in England coming from 2-0 down to draw the Ashes series against Australia this summer and with better English weather he could have been given the perfect fairytale ending.

3. Frankie Dettori – Winning probability 11%

Another legendary career draws to a close and 2023 saw Dettori add to his tally of British Group 1 and Classic races, winning the 2000 Guineas in May and then achieving a double at Epsom in June with wins in the Coronation Cup and the Oaks. On what was scheduled to be his final day of racing in Britain, Dettori rode to victory in the Long Distance Cup and the Champion Stakes at Ascot. He also watched as Queen Camilla unveiled a statue of him at the racecourse. 

4. Jude Bellingham – Winning probability 6%

After returning to Borussia Dortmund in January, fresh from helping England reach the World Cup Quarter Finals, Jude then went on to narrowly miss out on the Bundesliga title on the final day of the season. Being voted the league’s player of the season was swiftly followed by a £115 million transfer to Real Madrid. In October he was awarded the Kopa Trophy; recognising him as the best under 21 year-old footballer in the world. 

5. Katarina Johnson-Thompson – Winning probability 6% 

Another fantastic year for surely one of Britain’s best multi-skilled female athletes of all time, KJT won her second World Championship Heptathlon gold medal in Budapest, and personal bests in the javelin and 800 metres secured victory. 

6.  Rory McIlroy – Winning probability 2%

Rory kicked off the year winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic; followed up with victory at the Genesis Scottish Open and played an integral part in the European Ryder Cup winning team in Rome with a career-best haul of 4 points from 5 matches. He will finish the year as European Number 1 for the fifth time and be crowned the Race to Dubai champion. 

7.  Alfie Hewett – Winning probability 1%

It was another staggering year in Wheelchair Tennis for the 26-time major winner from Norwich. Hewitt reached all four major finals in the singles, winning the Australian and US Open, and in doubles winning the French and Australian Open and Wimbledon. He is the current World Number 1 in doubles. 

Tune in to BBC 1 on 20th December for a star-studded sporting event. 

The Great Debate: Football

VAR – keep it or scrap it? 

First introduced competitively for the 2018 World Cup, VAR was praised as it helped the competition to be one of the cleanest in recent years, but is it now really working in the way we’d all hoped? Are there really more correct decisions? Has it slowed the game down and made it less enjoyable as a spectator sport?

Scrap it?

VAR (Video Assistant Referee) has got it wrong on many occasions since it was introduced. It was only to be used to clarify clear and obvious decisions – but this is no longer the case. It disrupts the flow of the game for players and supporters, and generally slows everything down. Gone are the days when a goal is scored and your team can celebrate. Every goal is checked by VAR, and this often leads to a 2 or 3-minute wait, sometimes more. Many believe this takes the raw emotion out of the game. The thrill of scoring a goal has become an anxious wait for confirmation.

Keep it?  

VAR allows certain incidents to be reviewed which helps ensure the correct decisions are made. It is argued that the suspense of waiting for a decision naturally creates drama and brings an extra level of excitement. With greater player discipline, there has been a significant reduction in diving and violent conduct as players know that they can’t get away with doing things behind the referee’s back. Given that it seems to work so well in other sports such as Rugby and Tennis, many think football should continue with it.