Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Off Topic => Sports Arena => Topic started by: Villa Lew on December 11, 2025, 02:06:35 PM
-
Thursday 18 December contenders are
Hannah Hampton
Chloe Kelly
Ellie Kildunne
Luke Littler
Rory McIlroy
Lando Norris
I'm going for Rory
-
Kildunne for me, had a great season, inspired England to win the world cup and has a very realistic claim to be part of the conversation as the best player in her position in history. On top of that she's actually got a personality, which has been rare with this award at times.
I'd have Rory 2nd, I'm not sure I'd have picked any of the others for the 6.
-
Littler deserves to be there. He's still only 18 and has smashed darts like never seen before. Won more majors in less than 2 years than all but a few players have in their careers.
-
Littler deserves to be there. He's still only 18 and has smashed darts like never seen before. Won more majors in less than 2 years than all but a few players have in their careers.
Probably, I just can't accept darts as a sport, he's certainly an incredible talent a pub game though.
-
And yet it is a sport.
-
I hope it's Rory or Littler, and not another Lioness.
-
International (World) shortlist probably came out one week too late for one of the contenders on the public vote.
Mariona Caldentry (Spain/Arsenal Footballer)
Terrence Crawford (USA Boxer)
Armand Duplantis (Swedish Pole Vaulter)
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA Athlete)
Sholeu Ohtani (Japanese/Dodgers Baseball)
Mohammed Salah (Egyptian/UnderTheBus Footballer)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cwypxw44ykxo
-
Ohtani is a freak of nature, he should win but if it's based on the public it's unlikely they'll vote in numbers for a baseball player.
-
International (World) shortlist probably came out one week too late for one of the contenders on the public vote.
Mariona Caldentry (Spain/Arsenal Footballer)
Terrence Crawford (USA Boxer)
Armand Duplantis (Swedish Pole Vaulter)
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA Athlete)
Sholeu Ohtani (Japanese/Dodgers Baseball)
Mohammed Salah (Egyptian/UnderTheBus Footballer)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cwypxw44ykxo
Difficult to see past Duplantis
-
Normally I'd say Duplantis but he won it last year, so McLaughlin for me. It'll probably be Salah though. ::)
-
International (World) shortlist probably came out one week too late for one of the contenders on the public vote.
Mariona Caldentry (Spain/Arsenal Footballer)
Terrence Crawford (USA Boxer)
Armand Duplantis (Swedish Pole Vaulter)
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA Athlete)
Sholeu Ohtani (Japanese/Dodgers Baseball)
Mohammed Salah (Egyptian/UnderTheBus Footballer)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cwypxw44ykxo
Difficult to see past Duplantis
Yeah Duplantis for me, I wonder if the last contender, will make a personal appearance!
-
Rory McIlroy should be in the overseas section seeing as he represents the Republic at the Olympics. Winner should be Littler or Kildunne.
I assume Jon Crofts will be on soon to say it should be a cyclist.
Duplantis or McLaughlin for the world award, maybe him this year and her next time if she actually breaks the world record.
-
International (World) shortlist probably came out one week too late for one of the contenders on the public vote.
Mariona Caldentry (Spain/Arsenal Footballer)
Terrence Crawford (USA Boxer)
Armand Duplantis (Swedish Pole Vaulter)
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA Athlete)
Sholeu Ohtani (Japanese/Dodgers Baseball)
Mohammed Salah (Egyptian/UnderTheBus Footballer)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cwypxw44ykxo
Difficult to see past Duplantis
Yeah Duplantis for me, I wonder if the last contender, will make a personal appearance!
No Tadej Pogacar?
-
Normally I'd say Duplantis but he won it last year, so McLaughlin for me. It'll probably be Salah though. ::)
I hope so. Anything that throws petrol on the civil war that is currently YNWA Best Team in the World etc.
-
Home based winner Rory McIlroy
Overseas winner Duplantis
Team award England Womens Rugby Union
-
Given that his world championship is so recent and the collective petrol-head vote, I reckon the winner will be Norris.
I'm voting for Kildunne.
-
Nobody who relies on having the best car/bike/horse should win.
-
Rory McIlroy should be in the overseas section seeing as he represents the Republic at the Olympics. Winner should be Littler or Kildunne.
I assume Jon Crofts will be on soon to say it should be a cyclist.
Penny Farthing would have made the shortlist, but there were already three women on it.
-
Home - Kildunne by a mile for me
Away - Ohtani. What he is doing is unheard of in baseball
-
I'd say the baseball player has about as much chance of winning it as I do.
-
I'd say the baseball player has about as much chance of winning it as I do.
Agreed, in the good old days baseball players made shots that were heard 'round the World.
-
International (World) shortlist probably came out one week too late for one of the contenders on the public vote.
Mariona Caldentry (Spain/Arsenal Footballer)
Terrence Crawford (USA Boxer)
Armand Duplantis (Swedish Pole Vaulter)
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA Athlete)
Sholeu Ohtani (Japanese/Dodgers Baseball)
Mohammed Salah (Egyptian/UnderTheBus Footballer)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cwypxw44ykxo
Difficult to see past Duplantis
Yeah Duplantis for me, I wonder if the last contender, will make a personal appearance!
No Tadej Pogacar?
Pogacar is undoubtedly the finest active sportsman in the world. The fact he doesn't make this list is astonishing. The BBC criteria (I've read them) reference winning the major sporting event in that sport (the Tour de France is the most watched event in the world every year). He won the Tour, the World Championship and 3 monuments and was top 3 in all 5 monuments as well as winning the 6th unofficial monument in Strade Bianchi. I mean what more can the bloke do?
I'm in boycott territory here.
-
If the BBC had any of the main cycling events apart from the Worlds, they might put more cycling in. I also wonder how much all the big drug scandals has knocked on to that as well.
-
Whereas athletics and boxing have no drugs issues at all.
If its sports personality for sports we have the rights to then they should make that clear.
-
What's Pogacar done that's impressive? From Wikipedia he seems to have won Tour de France and that's it. Someone wins the Tour de France every year. He doesn't seem to have won the Italian or Spanish ones which, I understand, are the second and third biggest ones. Did he break the world record? Does Tour de France have world records?
-
Who stated that other sports haven't had drugs issues? But the scandals in cycling have been multiple and widespread around most professional teams in the past. And when you do have someone who seems to be doing the impossible, in a sport where the previous people who did the same were found out later on, then it might have a sway. And the BBC do include people from sports they don't cover, (I don't think they do Baseball for example), but they do seem to favour ones they have already got rights to show footage from.
But anyway, I'm just giving potential reasons why he isn't involved, but I also think he should be included. Not enough for me to post that I'm going to boycott about it as I never vote in these unless it was a Villa vote anyway.
-
BBC do show baseball, but no darts and don't think they do any F1 either do they?
-
Looking at past winners on Wikipedia, cyclists have won the main award five times, more than rugby union, rugby league, golf and snooker combined, despite probably having far fewer followers than any of them in the UK. I think you'd struggle to argue that cycling is unfairly overlooked, tbh.
-
Disappointed that there are no TS players in the selection.
-
What's Pogacar done that's impressive? From Wikipedia he seems to have won Tour de France and that's it. Someone wins the Tour de France every year. He doesn't seem to have won the Italian or Spanish ones which, I understand, are the second and third biggest ones. Did he break the world record? Does Tour de France have world records?
I’d sit this one out if I were you, you don’t know what you are talking about.
-
Hence the question marks. You could answer the questions rather than being stroppy.
-
Its a pretty weak line up to be honest. Probably Lando - but whoever you vote for is like saying your favourite beatles album is Best of the Beatles
-
Home - Kildunne by a mile for me
Away - Ohtani. What he is doing is unheard of in baseball
I certainly haven't heard about it. Who's Ohtani?
-
Rory McIlroy should be in the overseas section seeing as he represents the Republic at the Olympics. Winner should be Littler or Kildunne.
I assume Jon Crofts will be on soon to say it should be a cyclist.
Duplantis or McLaughlin for the world award, maybe him this year and her next time if she actually breaks the world record.
He doesn’t represent the Republic he represents all Ireland (like the rugby team) and says he does so because that’s who he played for at amateur level.
Portrush hosts the Open so it’s logical he’s in the home UK section of the awards.
-
I'm looking forward to Gabby Logan performing Eighth Day later.
-
Rory McIlroy should be in the overseas section seeing as he represents the Republic at the Olympics. Winner should be Littler or Kildunne.
I assume Jon Crofts will be on soon to say it should be a cyclist.
Duplantis or McLaughlin for the world award, maybe him this year and her next time if she actually breaks the world record.
He doesn’t represent the Republic he represents all Ireland (like the rugby team) and says he does so because that’s who he played for at amateur level.
Portrush hosts the Open so it’s logical he’s in the home UK section of the awards.
He represents the Republic in the Olympics, there isn't an all-Ireland team. Which, he's more than entitled to do. I probably would too in his position. I still think it means he should be in the running for Overseas Sports Personality of the Year rather than the "main" award, though.
-
It’s an Ireland Olympic team. Most legacy amateur sports retain all Ireland teams.
He has stated he feels more British than Irish. He’s also said he wants to be neutral and that’s why he waves the Ulster Banner at Ryder Cup etc. Same tightrope Barry McGuigan had to walk.
-
Rory McIlroy should be in the overseas section seeing as he represents the Republic at the Olympics. Winner should be Littler or Kildunne.
I assume Jon Crofts will be on soon to say it should be a cyclist.
Duplantis or McLaughlin for the world award, maybe him this year and her next time if she actually breaks the world record.
He doesn’t represent the Republic he represents all Ireland (like the rugby team) and says he does so because that’s who he played for at amateur level.
Portrush hosts the Open so it’s logical he’s in the home UK section of the awards.
He represents the Republic in the Olympics, there isn't an all-Ireland team. Which, he's more than entitled to do. I probably would too in his position. I still think it means he should be in the running for Overseas Sports Personality of the Year rather than the "main" award, though.
Other than the Olympics, he is listed as a GB&NI player, or a Northern Ireland player. That is his nationality.
-
It’s an Ireland Olympic team. Most legacy amateur sports retain all Ireland teams.
Yeah, the Olympic Federation of Ireland has always used the name "Ireland", and has claimed to represent the entire island of Ireland.
It'll be a moot point once there's a United Ireland.
-
Basically athletes from NI can chose to represent GB or Ireland at the Olympics.
They tend to go with whatever Federation their sport belongs to. In golf it’s an All Ireland team at amateur level, that’s why he followed through with that choice.
-
Yeah, fair enough. But whatever his reason he still chose not to represent GB & NI so should be classed as "Overseas". IMO.
-
Just got a bit of dust in the eye during the Helen Rollason Award presentation.
-
Yeah, fair enough. But whatever his reason he still chose not to represent GB & NI so should be classed as "Overseas". IMO.
For delicate matters such as this, I'd be very surprised if someone at the BBC didn't nudge him or his people and ask him which category he felt more comfortable being placed in.
And for matters such as this, it's probably then more sensitive to use whatever he feels best represents him.
-
Just got a bit of dust in the eye during the Helen Rollason Award presentation.
I'm in Dublin at the moment and unable to watch, who won and why the tears?
-
Just got a bit of dust in the eye during the Helen Rollason Award presentation.
I'm in Dublin at the moment and unable to watch, who won and why the tears?
Two of the fathers of the Southport attack victims who ran the London Marathon
-
Just got a bit of dust in the eye during the Helen Rollason Award presentation.
I'm in Dublin at the moment and unable to watch, who won and why the tears?
Two of the fathers of the Southport attack victims who ran the London Marathon
Thanks.
-
Rory as winner is the right result, given the year he had. I wouldn't have minded the Red Roses getting team of the year.
-
Rory - Deserved winner
SPOTY 2026
Sports Personality; Super John McGinn
Team of the Year: Aston Villa
-
SPOTY 2026
Sports Personality; Super John McGinn
Team of the Year: Aston Villa
Coach of the Year : Unai Emery
World SPOTY : Evann Guessand
-
Giving an award for winning one match against a piss-poor American side rather than to a team that won a whole tournament seems wrong, to me. Europe winning the Ryder Cup isn't a big deal, any more.
-
Exactly. The ladies rugby team have won every game in a 4 year cycle and are world champions.
-
Well done Rory, the first golfer to win SPOTY since Nick Faldo in 1989.
-
Exactly. The ladies rugby team have won every game in a 4 year cycle and are world champions.
Yeah, seemed the obvious choice. Not sure what else they have to do to win.
-
Is there anything left?