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Sports Personality heads back to Birmingham

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Carl Doran | 07:00 UK time, Tuesday, 18 May 2010

Sports Personality of the Year is returning to Birmingham for 2010.

It was the first city to stage the event outside London and it was also the first time members of public were able to take a seat in the audience.

It is incredible to see how the show has grown over the past four years. The atmosphere generated by the live audience on the night has become a key part of the show and something I know the sports stars really enjoy.

We were in Birmingham in 2006 and and the Sports Personality team have very fond memories of our time there. We're thrilled to be returning with a show that should once again be very special.

The West Midlands has a fantastic sporting pedigree. Next season the region will boast four teams in with Aston Villa, Birmingham, West Bromwich Albion and Wolves all in the top flight. The city also recently staged the where the British men and women's teams achieved great success.

spoty09_bbc_595.jpg
Ryan Giggs wins Sports Personality 2009 ahead of Jenson Button and Jessica Ennis

This year promises to be a huge one for sport with major events like the , , , , and plenty more in-between.

Because of that we were very keen to pick a venue that could cater for the large number of sports stars coming along and also to cope with the large demand for public tickets.
The decision to take the show on the road four years ago was hugely vindicated when tickets for the 2006 event .

is one of the biggest and best arenas in the country and we'll have the biggest ever audience for a Sports Personality show this year, topping the 11,000 who made the event such a success in Sheffield last time.

While we are moving the show on once again, I'd also like to say a huge thank you to Sheffield who put on an amazing show in 2009.

Everyone in Yorkshire made us so welcome and there were some great moments to savour, like the incredibly warm reaction to and to the biggest names in world sport as Smithy the super coach.

The 2010 Sports Personality of the Year promises to be one of the most exciting years ever. Even before the start of the World Cup, Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games we've got a plethora of potential candidates for the main award and for the team and coach of the year prizes.

You only have to look at the amazing weekend of sport we've just had with under Carlo Ancelotti and which was their first ever major global trophy success.

Let's not forget earlier in the year fairytale story as he finally added the Grand National to his incredible list of achievements, while at the Winter Olympics for 30 years.
won all our hearts on the way to the Europa League final, while the GB gymnastics teams emerged as a major force.

Wouldn't it be absolutely marvellous if we could add the England World Cup team, the European Ryder Cup players and a large number of our home nations stars at the Commonwealth Games to this already very impressive list?!

Former Sports Personality winners and local heroes and will be joining us in Birmingham on Tuesday to celebrate the news the event is coming to the area, alongside another former footballer who is a previous winner of the Helen Rollason award.

Tickets are likely to be in huge demand and will go on sale in September. We will announce further information on our nearer the time.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    Once again you've taken in back to Birmingham, marking three years there. Combined with a year in Liverpool and one in Sheffield, the question has to be raised about why you've not brought this to London or taken it elsewhere in the country (Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff). For all the talk of "´óÏó´«Ã½ is London bias" you're doing a massive job of putting Londoners (amongst others) out. [Any explanation of you hosting it "in London" for years is invalid, on the basis you didn't allow the public to attend back then].

    Could you explain why the Capital City isn't hosting this again?

  • Comment number 2.

    used to be a review of the sporting year

    now that there are more awards given out than actual sport shown it has become a huge turn off. the actual winner last year - Ryan Giggs is laughable and sums up what a mess the show has become

  • Comment number 3.

    I think it's been a great idea to take this event around the country but why Birmingham again? I know the ´óÏó´«Ã½ often gets accused of being London centric but in the case of this event I thing Birmingham centric is more appropriate.

    There are plenty of other cities such as Manchester & Newcastle with large arenas. It would also be nice if it were taken to Cardiff (although I know the CIA is not as big as some other arenas around the country) Glasgow or Belfast too as it's a British event.

  • Comment number 4.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 5.

    I notice that the date of the event has been put back too - assume this is to increase ratings by avoiding a clash with the X Factor final.

  • Comment number 6.

    Sports personality generates huge interest and enthusiasm among the public and we looking forward to watching it.

  • Comment number 7.

    Thanks for your comments. In terms of the return to Birmingham this year, the decision was made because the city and the venue itself best suited our requirements for 2010. It’s a huge year of sport with major sporting events like the World Cup and Commonwealth Games and - as I said in the blog - we want as many members of the public and as many sports stars to be able to attend this year.

    In terms of the X Factor, we have decided in the interest of viewers to move our show to a week later to hopefully avoid a clash. I know my own family enjoy watching 2 of the biggest TV events of the year and it was a shame last year when so many people were forced to choose between the two popular live events.

  • Comment number 8.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 9.

    The ´óÏó´«Ã½ should be ashamed of themselves, Phil Taylor, 15 times world darts champion and countless other trophies to his name, watched and respected by many many top sportsman and women for his achievements, sells out whole arenas wherever he plays, practices and practices sometimes within hours of a major title win to stay at the top, rained for two decades now at the top of his profession, gives away pots of his winnings, even new cars which he has won, this man is truly amazing and you don't give him the lickings of a dog. And yes, darts is a sport, as much a sport as the javelin, or the shot put, or archery, or shooting or weightlifting or the discus, all of which are Olympic sports I might add and probably all require lots of illegal substances to get good at. Give this man some respect, the respect he now surly deserves. Don't wait until he's dead and have a half hour tribute to Phil Taylor on ´óÏó´«Ã½ 4 at one o clock in the morning, do it now, show him off to the world!!!!!

  • Comment number 10.

    Your response suggests that you want "many members of the public and as many sports stars to be able to attend this year". So the LG Arena holds 16000 people according to its website, whereas The O2 Arena holds 20000 people.

    Care to explain how 4000 people less is 'as many as possible'?

  • Comment number 11.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 12.

    And the 2010 Sports Personality of the Year is ... PHIL TAYLOR. There can be no other choice. He's just the best there has ever been in his chosen sport. We should be acknowledging that now.

  • Comment number 13.

    I want to nominate Nicholas Mahut as Overseas Sports Personality of 2010. His remarkable acheivement in his match against John Isner deserves recognition. To qualify for wimbledon and then fight to stay in the match 69 times, and serving over 100 aces is quite extraordinary. His request to end play on the second evening because he could not see the ball and his opponent was out on his feet, showed that the spirit of fair play and good sportmanship is still alive. I look forward to hearing much more about this young man who must have a bright future in the sport that he so obviously loves.

  • Comment number 14.

    After the shambles of the world cup and its so called superstars such as Rooney,Lampard and Terry surely this year we can give Phil "The Power" Taylor the respect his twenty years plus career deserves and vote for him to be the Sports personality of the year.
    One thing with the power is that he wins and wins and wins and now he wins breaking all the records laid in front of him.
    Someone asked me if Sir Chris Hoy is a greater sportsman than Phil Taylor
    my reply was simple Chris who.
    Come on ´óÏó´«Ã½ give Phil the trophy the only trophy out there is has yet to win

  • Comment number 15.

    Is Phil Taylor being overlooked as Sports personality of the year because he plays darts mainly on Sky TV,is Phil Taylor being overlooked because some small minded people believe darts is not a true sport,tell me this what is the difference between darts and any other sport,answer nothing at all. You practice for hours and hours like in any sport and then the cream rises to the top,,but give me any sport in the UK were one person has dominated for so long without being recognised by its nation,i cant think of any.
    We in the UK should be very proud that we have Phil Taylor and i bet you this in any other country Phil Taylor would be shown off to the world .
    For a man to come from an ordinary back ground and give so much back is very rare nowadays,i bet Chris Hoy and Ryan Giggs don't give away their wealth the way Phil Taylor does.
    So to wrap up lets get Phil Taylor on the stage and give him the 2010 Sports Personality of the Year award that he truly deserves.

  • Comment number 16.

    Having just watched Nadal win another Wimbledon and create another chapter
    in his glowing book it led me to think yet again about how bad this country is when it comes to our hero's.
    We have Phil Taylor 15 times world champion and still to make the voting stage of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sports Personality of the year and you have Nadal 2 time mens Wimbledon champion ( yes only 2) yet i guess one of the favourites to be overseas Sports Personality.
    Why is this? is it because you need to come from a wealthy back ground to
    be a tennis star and Phil Taylor the man from Stoke on Trent who i think is just a working class man who has made good but of course the posh people who run the ´óÏó´«Ã½ and control the candidates who are to be voted for do not want a poor chappy like Phil on their stage they want great bike riders who ride round in circles on a track "Sir Chris Hoy" on their stage.
    Now come on ´óÏó´«Ã½ lets give Phil the council estate kid the chance to win the Trophy,the only Trophy he has not won a chance and stop giving it to rich footballers or sports men and women who have been pushed into their sports by their rich and sometimes famous parents.

  • Comment number 17.

    i would like to recommend blackpool fc for an award this year,ian holloway has done amazing getting us to the premiership and i think he deserves the recognition he deserves as well as the players

  • Comment number 18.

    There is one true heroine that has been ignored by the public.
    I would love to see a real star such as Beth Tweedle pick up the award.
    For what she has done for her sport is truly amazing .

    Beth will be getting my vote this year.

  • Comment number 19.

    I think it's about time Phil Taylor gets his turn. Numerous records and has stayed at the top for a number of years, it's about time he gets recognition.

  • Comment number 20.

    Football is NOT running but making sure the BALL runs. It`s easier to send the ball to a certain place then go with it yourself! That is what nextstars aims to do with players released from the Premier Academy League.

  • Comment number 21.

    I have just read the introduction page to this and yet again no mention of Phil the Power Taylor.
    What is it with the ´óÏó´«Ã½, can anyone let me know why you do not like Phil Taylor.
    The Man is a national hero,what he has done will never be surpassed by
    anyone yet we even fail to mention him when we put our introduction together,come on ´óÏó´«Ã½ help us all get behind Phil Taylor and please allow us to be given a chance to vote for him.
    I nominate Phil Taylor

  • Comment number 22.

    Seems no one is going to let us know why??? Phil Taylor is being tipped as sports personality 2010?? For those narrow minded people who think that darts is not a true sport, can you tell me what the discus, or the hammer, or weight lifting, or archery, or shooting, or course fishing, or javelin, or shot put. or even motor racing are?? Most of these are Olympic sports and really only require strength or practice, or in the case of motor racing a rich daddy. i dont think darts should be an Olympic event but a top sport it most certainly is. the best of it is, wherever he plays, the events are sold out and always has lots of top sportsmen and women from all different disciplines watching to just witness this mans achievements and shear brilliance. two of his top fans and friends are Ricky Hatton and Freddy Flintoff for gods sake!! Lets give this man a pat on the back now and show him off to the world. I vote Phil Taylor!!!

  • Comment number 23.

    I suspect the camper van in fife although many years ago will stop him ever getting this award.

    I would love either McCoy or Beth geth this award, two sporting stars and unsung people.

  • Comment number 24.

    Why are we not allowed to pick who gets on the list for voting. Why did Ryan Giggs win... big joke, there are more people out there in 2009 who should have been on the list but weren't.
    I wante to nominate Phil Taylor, he is the very BEST at his sport and you never here anything about him on a program that is supposed to celebrate the best of British. Well now is the time we should get the chase to vote.
    ´óÏó´«Ã½ listen to what we want and not what you think we want. Put Phil on the short list for 2010.

  • Comment number 25.

    Phil Taylor has shown yet again that he is the master of his sport winning the World Matchplay for the 11th time time in his career. This man is the best player to grace the sport of darts in history. Those who say darts is not a sport please refer back the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Grandstand of years gone by. The ´óÏó´«Ã½'s flagship 'SPORTS' program which regulaly featured dats coverage on a saturday afternoon. And yet the ´óÏó´«Ã½ cannot even add him to this years contenders. Come on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sports department we demand answers why not.

    He is a true World Champion and he is English through and through often sporting the flag with pride and passion. I cannot understand Tony Mccoy is even in the running for this prize, the man sits on the back of horse! Does that make him a sportman!!! . Come on everyone, Phil Taylor deserves the limelight more than anyone in sport this year. Lets get him in the list of contenders and see how many people will vote for this true legend of sport.

  • Comment number 26.

    Well, yet again, Phil Taylor leaves us all lost for words! World Matchplay for the 11th time!! That crowd was packed with celebs as well all singing his praises, top sportsmen and women from all different sports just cannot give this man enough praise. Tony McCoy, a joke really, and Beth Tweedie, yeah ok, very good but come back in 10 years and lets have a look at your trophy cabinet. And re Darts being a sport, well in 2005 darts was officially recognised as a sport. Just tap in darts sport 2005 and see for yourself. There is only one sports personality, the ´óÏó´«Ã½ know this too, and I think it would go down a storm with other sportsmen / women. Was a bit like Carl Fogarty, 3 times World Superbike champion in a sport which takes super courage and bottle, natural talent and flare, and mountains of determination to win at and he did'nt get the lickings of a dog either. Come on for gods sake ´óÏó´«Ã½, give Phil Taylor a break and a well deserved award long over due.

  • Comment number 27.

    Come on Mr Doran, why are you not responding to the people who are trying to promote a true legend in sport?, is it beacuse he doesn't appear on your channel every week?
    Phil Taylor is the most deserving person around at this moment and for him to be overlooked will be a disgrace, this man, unlike previous winners actually has a personality and does so much for his community.
    If it wasn't for him Darts would probably be viewed in the same way it was in the 80's.
    The sport has evolved since Phil Taylor started playing and he is a true ambassador for his proffesion.
    2010 SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR, THE ONE, THE ONLY, PHIL "THE POWER" TAYLOR.

  • Comment number 28.

    I very much doubt Phil would even want the attention of the award.
    You know what the media are like digging up old stories.
    Thats why I think he will never make the short list.
    Do you know for certain he has never been asked to go forward for the award but refused ?

    Jessica Ennis looks like she will be in the top three after tonight.

  • Comment number 29.

    Can someone please explain to me how it is possible that Phil 'The Power' Taylor has not been nominated for Sports Personality of the Year 2010? How many individuals have we ever had that have won 15 world championships? Not only that, this year he has already won the World Match Play championships and is just about to play in the final of the European Championships. And what a fantastic personality he is too. How can he possibly have been overlooked again when he has achieved what no other sports personality has ever achieved before. Words fail me....

  • Comment number 30.

    It looks like Phil the power Taylor will win every event he enters again this year after Sundays 11-1 win in the final of the European Masters Darts
    competion yet hard to believe his price is 10-1 and Andy Murray the serial
    loser from Scotland is also 10-1 after losing again in a tennis competion.
    OK i have worked it out Murray appears once a year on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ in his perphetic attempt to win Wimbledon but Taylor the greatest British sportsman alive appears on SKY TV it has to be the reason why no one at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ seem remotely interested in seeing Taylor nominated let alone win the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sports Personality of the year for 2010.
    Phil if you are reading this we all are behind you its just the men in suits who don't want you to win

  • Comment number 31.

    I think the only way the ´óÏó´«Ã½ win help get Phil the power Taylor nominated for the Sports Personality of the year is if he gets an 8 dart finish

  • Comment number 32.

    If the ´óÏó´«Ã½ do not nomanite Phil Taylor for Sports Personality of the Year they are a disgrace to sport. What this man has achieved is incredible, 161 professional tournament wins, £4,000,000 career earnings, 15 World Championships, 9 nine-darters with 2 in the premier league final which is probably the greatest sporting achievement ever. Also, in 2007 everyone thought he was finished but somehow came back better than ever. Who has ever achieved anything near this before? Nobody.

  • Comment number 33.

    If the ´óÏó´«Ã½ hold darts in such contempt that they don't even put Phil Taylor in the shortlist of 10 this year then they don't deserve to keep coverage of the Lakeside World Championships.

    The Sports Personality Of The Year is 'supposed' to be a people's award, voted for the public. Will Phil Taylor be kept off the shortlist just out of spite of the darts coverage on Sky Sports??

  • Comment number 34.

    Andy Murray has just lost again however i have noticed he is 3rd favourite in the betting for the 2011 ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sports Personality of the year
    Phil the Power Taylor has not lost all year yet he is joint 5th Favourite.
    Ok i get it Phil is just an ordinary guy from Stoke on Trent who has spent his life practicing to be the best player ever to grace the planet and Andy Murray has come from a wealthy back ground were even if he was not successful he would still enjoy the luxury life that his rich parents would allow him to have.
    Of course though the ´óÏó´«Ã½ would always want Andy on the stage because he fits the bill old tubby Phil "Sorry Champ" i guess would be hidden behind a curtain if he ever won or maybe even worse than that he may be filmed prior to winning the award because he would be unable to pick up the prize due to other commitments "being on Sky Tv every month winning tournaments" anyway come on ´óÏó´«Ã½ give Phil the trophy and make the millions of his fans around the world happy

  • Comment number 35.

    I see the tennis player Murray lost again yet only 2 days ago he was 2nd favourite to win the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sports Personality of the year.
    Now Phil the Power Taylor who WINS every competition he enters is still not even certain to be nominated, please can someone high up in the ´óÏó´«Ã½ sports department please explain to all of us what is going on.
    If what Rawham writes on the 5th of Aug is true i will never watch another sporting event on ´óÏó´«Ã½ TV.
    How could i when millions of sports fans in the UK are crying out for them to recognise Phil Taylor yet as i would expect the men in suits just ignor the masses.

    I will not even watch the awards if Phil is not nominated and that will be the first time in over 25 years.
    You are a disgrace ´óÏó´«Ã½

  • Comment number 36.

    It has been quite a subtle year for sports as far as I'm concerned but I'm giving my vote to Amy Williams this year for being the first woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in thirty years. She should win it. Go Amy!

  • Comment number 37.

    Tom Daley just became a man today.

    I see no better prospect than Tom to win this now.

    Go Tom.

  • Comment number 38.

    Phil Taylor for SPOTY - no one else comes close!

    Also, Steve Prescott, Rugby League, for the Helen Rollason award. The guy is a living legend!



  • Comment number 39.

    I'm only 17. But I've been alive long enough to appreciate irony:

    ´óÏó´«Ã½ will broadcast Darts on ´óÏó´«Ã½1
    But, they won't shortlist Phil Taylor.

    Can somebody back me up in saying that this is a bit ridiculous?
    And I have to say that he is the greatest sportsman of my life. And probably everynone else's too.

  • Comment number 40.

    Really think that Keith Alexander needs some sort of recognition at this years Sports Personality of the year award. I do not think that I need to spell out the reasons why.

  • Comment number 41.

    Kelly Slater for overseas sports personality - TEN times world surf champion..

  • Comment number 42.

    I see Helen Rollason award is selected by ´óÏó´«Ã½. If joe public is able to bring candidates to attention of the panel, then Chris Moon a disabled ultra athlete has completed an astounding challenge. He run 1,000 miles around the UK in September starting on 1st in Edinburgh and finshing on the 30th in London, running 36 miles daily and helping raise thousands of pounds for Barnadoes. For video and background

  • Comment number 43.

    Can somebody please explain to me why oh why Dario Franchitti hasn't been included in the list for sports personality of the year? He is two, yes two time racing champion and yet he is constantly being ignored by the ´óÏó´«Ã½.

  • Comment number 44.

    Please can you tell me what the dress code is for the event this year?

    Many thanks.

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