Western Daily Press Sports Awards 2008

Thursday, November 20, 2008, 13:35

Throughout the year, in association with Blackthorn, we've been choosing the monthly sporting heroes in the West. Now it's your turn.

It's time for you, the readers, to pick your favourite from our 2008 personalities, and the whoever gets the most votes will be crowned Western Daily Press Sporting Personality of the year.

Here we list all the contenders, starting from February when Keith Downing's leadership at Whaddon Road earned him our first award.

See the panel on the facing page for how you can have your say on who will be the winner of this award, sponsored by Blackthorn, the South West's favourite cider.

1. KEITH DOWNING

He may have since left Cheltenham Town, but Keith Downing performed heroics as the Robins boss in January as the club battled to stave off relegation.

Four wins in a row in the month helped swing the effort to avoid the drop in their favour, and it was a run that provided a foundation for their eventual survival.

Wins against Port Vale (1-0), Bournemouth (1-0), Hartlepool (2-0) and promotion-chasing Carlisle (1-0) helped give the seemingly doomed club a lift.

Downing and the Robins have since parted ways but in January, he was king of the hill in Gloucestershire.

2. PAUL TROLLOPE

The award as the Western Daily Press Sporting Personality for February came after a month to remember for the Pirates.

Not only did the first-team coach steer Bristol Rovers to their first FA Cup quarter-final for 50 years, but they also picked up 10 points out of 15 to continue their rise away from the League One danger zone in their first season since winning promotion.

The month began in style as Rovers twice fought back from behind to claim a 3-2 win over struggling Port Vale at the Memorial Stadium, goals from Danny Coles and Chris Lines putting them back on level terms before Rickie Lambert smashed home a decisive late penalty.

Three days later came a 2-0 victory over Cheltenham Town that was far more comfortable than the scoreline suggests, Craig Hinton continuing his scoring run before the in-form Lambert added another late goal to finish off the Robins.

Though Rovers were then to suffer their only defeat of the month, losing 2-0 at promotion-chasing Doncaster, there were mitigating circumstances. Keeper Steve Phillips had been left groggy by a bad early challenge from striker Mark McCammon, who escaped the red card he deserved, and both of Doncaster's goals came from contentious penalties.

It was a month to remember and it was the FA Cup that rocketed Rovers into the national spotlight, and their fifth-round clash with Southampton was screened live on BBC1 from a packed Memorial Stadium.

Though it was hardly a classic on a difficult pitch, Rovers always looked the more likely to score and were rewarded late on when a deflected Lambert free-kick shot up high into the net to book the Pirates a meeting with West Bromwich Albion in the last eight – a stage they had reached only twice before in their history.

That proved to be a one-sided contest, with Rovers being thumped by the in-form Baggies. But the club's coffers had already been boosted by their Cup run, and Trollope's award was safe.

3. PAUL NICHOLLS

It took less than seven minutes for Paul Nicholls to reap the rewards of a year of hard work as the Somerset trainer landed an incredible 1-2-3 in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, an achievement which saw him named the Western Daily Press sporting personality for March.

It was Kauto Star, the 2007 champion, who was sent off as 10-11 favourite, but he was denied by the frontrunning Denman, with Neptune Collonges finishing strongly to take third in a race which captured the imagination of the British public, with a record £200 million being staked on its outcome.

Nicholls took the plaudits at Prestbury thanks to a fabulous piece of riding from jockey Sam Thomas on board Denman.

Thomas wound up the pace on the second circuit and, with Ruby Walsh sending out distress signals on board Kauto Star at the top of the hill, forged clear on the run-in to with by an emphatic seven lengths.

Nicholls, whose Manor Farm stables are in Ditcheat, near Shepton Mallet, said: "Your first win in the race is always the best and I'll never forget See More Business winning in 1999, but it doesn't get much better than saddling the 1-2-3 in the Gold Cup. Denman was awesome. He jumped and galloped and put Kauto on the back foot."

Nicholls, who was born in Alveston, near Bristol in 1962, is no stranger to impressive racing feats.

In January 2006 he became the first trainer to saddle six winners on the same card during a meeting in Wincanton, while in 1999 he landed the major chase on each day of the Cheltenham Festival, with Call Equiname and Flagship Uberalles adding to See More Business' success.

4. GRAHAM TURNER

Hereford United manager Graham Turner took the award for April.

Turner, also the club chairman, led his side to automatic promotion from Coca-Cola League Two as they finished third behind champions MK Dons and Peterborough United.

The Bulls took 11 points from the six league games in April, sealing promotion with a 3-0 win at Brentford on April 26.

Their achievement was marked with an open-top bus ride through the city as the fans turned out in their thousands.

A memorable campaign saw them lose just 10 league games as they racked up 88 points, while they also claimed a shock FA Cup win over Leeds United in November before bowing out of the competition to eventual finalists Cardiff City in January.

The promotion marked another success for Hereford and Turner, who steered them out of the Conference through the play-offs in 2005-06 to mark the end of a long and difficult chapter in the club's history that began with relegation from the Football League in 1997.

5. GARY JOHNSON

Bristol City manager Gary Johnson was the standout candidate for our award in May.

The 52-year-old Londoner went where no Robins boss had previously, guiding the club to the Coca- Cola Championship play-off final at Wembley.

Although City ultimately missed out on a place in the Premier League by losing 1-0 to Hull City, Johnson's achievement, and that of his team, remains considerable.

Despite competing against clubs with bigger budgets and reputations, City emerged as the surprise package in English football's second tier.

Present in the top six all season, the newcomers eventually finished fourth, the club's highest league position since they suffered relegation from the old First Division in 1980.

Not only that, Johnson then ensured his team safely negotiated a tricky two-legged semi-final against Neil Warnock's Crystal Palace.

6. MARCUS TRESCOTHICK

The Somerset batsman enjoyed an outstanding June with the bat to take the award for that month.

The Western Daily Press columnist was in sparkling touch during what was a disappointing Twenty20 Cup for his county.

Trescothick scored 206 runs – the sixth highest in the country – in eight innings.

The Keynsham-born player retired from international cricket in March. After that Somerset chief executive Richard Gould suggested Trescothick may go on to mirror the performances of Graeme Hick and Mark Ramprakash as one of the most prolific run-scorers in county cricket.

And Gould was proved to be spot on as Somerset benefited hugely from becoming the opener's sole focus of attention, with Trescothick leading from the front in June.

7. LARRY GODFREY

Bristolian archer Larry has been dubbed the Kevin Pietersen of the sport.

His blonde-dyed hair does give him a passing resemblance to the flamboyant England captain, and the comparisons amuse him.

Fortunately it is not sixes that Godfrey deals in but nines and tens from firing his arrow into the centre of the target.

He's good at it too. Godfrey, who took up the sport when he was just nine years old, returned to his Redland home after competing in his second Olympic Games, a benchmark many athletes would love to be able to boast.

8. RICKIE LAMBERT

Rickie Lambert finished as Bristol Rovers' top scorer last season and an August to remember put the big frontman well on course for a repeat.

The Scouse marksman hammered in 19 goals for the Pirates last term. And he started the new season in fine style, by scoring in every one of the club's league outings in August to land him our award for the month.

It was Lambert who bagged the first goal of the season for Paul Trollope's men, putting them in front against fancied Carlisle in the opener.

The former Stockport and Rochdale striker was then spot on at the Withdean Stadium, firing home the penalty that earned the Pirates their first point of the season.

His performance in the subsequent 6-1 demolition of Hereford United was rated as one of his best displays for the club by many fans, who watched him score two goals and set up two others.

It's worth noting his form has continued since then, and he has consistently led the scoring charts not only in League One but across all the divisions.

9. JUSTIN LANGER

Somerset captain Justin Langer may have had better months than September 2008, but he displayed an honesty not normally associated with modern professional sportsmen when the season came to an end.

Langer freely admitted that Somerset had not been good enough to win the County Championship title, despite going into the final game against Lancashire with an outside chance of being crowned champions.

There were no excuses, just a determination to do better in 2009.

Langer also deserves a mention for helping to transform the county side since he took over as captain in April 2007.

He inherited a team that finished bottom of the Championship and third from bottom of the Pro40 League in 2006. But they will start next season in the top division of both competitions.

Langer's personal form saw him finish the County Cricket season as the sixth top run scorer in the top flight of the Championship with 1,083 runs at an average of 43.32.

He is no longer the blocker of old who could not get into the Australian one-day side.

The 37 year-old made his runs at a rate of 69.62 every 100 balls faced – only Samit Patel scored more quickly in the whole country.

That, and the way he led Somerset to within a match of the title, helped Langer take our final award.

How to vote: Go to the sports section where you can view all the contenders and make your choice.

The poll will be available online until December 1 so you have plenty of time to pick your favourite.

The winner will be revealed early next month.