Index 2016

POLITICS AND NEWS
Brexit
25.02 The EU: Should we stay or should we go?
19.03 IDS brings down shapeshifter Osborne's house of cards
13.07 The Brexit month of political May-hem
US Presidential election
11.02 Year of the outsiders
02.03 Trump towers over his rivals on Super Tuesday
08.11 Preview: Clinton on a knife-edge
10.11 Triumphant Trump beats complacent Clinton
Other
05.05 Election 2016: the full results

RIO 2016 OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS
Olympics
06.08 Great expectations for Team GB
06.08 Sport-by-sport guide
08.08 Team GB roll of honour
Paralympics
07.09 On a level... aren't they?
08.09 Paralympics GB roll of honour

FOOTBALL
Season 2015/16
02.01 Arsenal lead Leicester at the halfway stage
07.05 Leicester City - from 5000/1 to number one
02.06 For the record
Euro 2016 and England aftermath
10.06 The Guide
22.06 Complete results sheet
10.07 Final: Éder strikes as Portugal break their duck
30.07 50 years of hurt
01.10 Grubby Allardyce got what he deserved
NUFC 
03.04 Touching Distance
05.08 ¡Viva La Rafalution!
20.10 The greatest day at Gallowgate
FIFA
27.02 FIFA looks to turn a fresh leaf under Infantino

OTHER SPORT
Cricket
26.01 Improving England left with lessons still to learn
16.03 Shouldn't T20 cricket be solely a franchise sport?
09.10 On the demise of Durham
Cycling
24.07 Froome completes Tour de France hat-trick 
Golf
05.10 Americans end their Ryder Cup pain
Horse Racing
10.04 Grand National: Teenage kicks Rule The World
Rugby Union
06.02 Six Nations shared between BBC and ITV
Tennis
11.07 Dominant Murray produces a masterclass at Wimbledon
World Snooker Championship
17.04 The O'Sullivan paradox 
01.05 Selby seals second Crucible title

MISCELLANEOUS
14.05 Eurovision finds its way back home
09.06 An annotated guide to the Blaydon Races
31.12 Index 2016

Rio 2016 Olympics: Great expectations for Team GB

RIO 2016 OLYMPICS

Preview - Sport-by-sport - Results/table

 

THE WORLD turned its eyes towards Rio de Janeiro today as Great Britain aims to follow up the success of London 2012 with its best ever overseas performance at an Olympics.

UK Sport, the nation's high performance funding agency, has set British athletes the ambitious target of winning 48 medals, one more than what was achieved at Beijing in 2008. 

But, having won 29 golds and 65 medals overall four years ago on home soil, this year's objective actually seems reasonable enough. 

The Guardian newspaper agrees and has predicted a total of 58 medals. Meanwhile, its broadsheet counterpart, the Telegraph, reports sports data firm Gracenote Sports has made a forecast of 56.

On that basis, the upper level of the range of attainment set by UK Sport - a total of 79 medals - would clearly appear to be rather pushing it.

In fact, to achieve that level, Britain would have to buck a historic trend whereby no country which hosted an Olympics has gone onto beat their total of medals at the very next Games.

Certainly, though, Team GB - as it is officially branded - has far too much talent to suffer the same fate as the last squad which travelled to the western hemisphere for a Summer Olympics. 

Then, back in 1996, Britain won only 15 medals overall to finish the Games at Atlanta in a humiliating position of 36th in the table.

Indeed, only Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent in the men's coxless pair prevented Great Britain from returning from a Summer Olympics for the first time without a single gold medal. 

A definitive nadir had been reached. 

Thankfully, though, the British Olympic Association had a plan involving funding from the National Lottery and the set-up of UK Sport to identify the best opportunities for success. 

There was an injection of funding into sailing, cycling and rowing, in particular, while the two sports with most medals on offer - athletics and swimming - were also strategically targeted.

Immediately, there was an improved showing. At Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004, Team GB climbed up to 10th in the table with 11 and nine golds respectively.

Then came the huge success in Beijing where Britain was ranked fourth - behind only China, United States and Russia - having delivered 19 golds.

And most recently, four years ago, came those magical two weeks in London where, as hosts, Team GB achieved a top-three position for the first time since 1920 by slipping ahead of the Russians.

Of course, the strategy of UK Sport can be considered controversial in some respects.

Sports such as basketball, synchronised swimming, water polo and weightlifting had their funding withdrawn after they were seen to have underachieved at London 2012.

Critics have pointed out that such judgements can be a matter of perception and that the withdrawal of funding denies the sport any chance of improvement as it has an inevitable knock-on effect at a grassroots level.

In fairness to UK Sport, though, its funds are not limitless - and, even then, its targets are not solely just about winning.

Some of the targets refer to final placings outside of the medal positions so that it can recognise if elite performance in a sport has progressed or not.

And, overall, a majority of sports fans would probably consider that the governing body has been getting it right.

After all, since it was set up, cyclist Sir Chris Hoy has - with six golds - become the nation's most successful Olympian, overtaking the aforementioned Redgrave.

Moreover, with seven medals, Hoy also shares the lead for most medals altogether with Sir Bradley Wiggins. Hoy has now retired, of course, so fellow cyclist Wiggins can take an outright lead in Rio.

In track and field, the likes of Jessica Ennis-Hill, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford have become household names across Britain after starring in Super Saturday four years ago.

Meanwhile, boxer Nicola Adams and taekwondo champion Jade Jones are both back looking to add to their respective happy London 2012 memories.

Team GB is again expected to perform well in anything involving a boat - such as rowing, sailing and canoeing - while the Brownlee brothers, Alistair and Jonathan, still rule the roost in triathlon.

Swimming is expected to go a lot better than it did four years ago when Britain finished with just three medals, none of which were gold.

Indeed, Adam Peaty has been widely tipped to become the first British male Olympic champion in the pool since Adrian Moorhouse in 1988.

Elsewhere, there are genuine prospects of success in diving through Tom Daley, and in gymnastics through Louis Smith and Max Whitlock.

Team GB flagbearer Andy Murray will defend his Olympic title fresh from winning Wimbledon for a second time.

And, then of course, there is golf which is making its first appearance at a Games since 1904.

It could also be its last. Concerns over the outbreak of the Zika virus have been especially prominent in the golfing world and each of the men's top-four ranked players, including Rory McIlroy, will not be in Rio.

In fairness to the golfers, a group of 150 physicians and scientists sent an open letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) in May, calling upon them to have "an open, transparent discussion of the risks of holding the Olympics as planned in Brazil".

But the WHO dismissed the request, stating that "cancelling or changing the location of the 2016 Olympics will not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus", and that there was "no public health justification" for postponing them.

Even still, getting the show on the road in Rio has not been easy amid an economic and political crisis which has engulfed Brazil.

The Brazilian economy has officially been experiencing an economic recession since early 2014.

And this has been coupled with a political crisis which has resulted in President Dilma Rousseff facing an impeachment trial over allegations she manipulated the government budget.

Unsurprisingly, there have been the customary complaints about the accommodation facilities - most notably from the Australians - while traffic jams have clogged up the city in the build-up.

Of course, the biggest pre-Olympic storm was not something for which Rio could be blamed.

Doping in sport, and at the Olympics especially, is nothing new - but the subject became especially prominent in the run-up to these Games, with the spotlight falling on Russia in particular.

An independent investigation commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency reported that Russia's Ministry of Sport and Federal Security Service had operated a "state-dictated" system to implement an extensive doping program and to cover up positive samples.

In response, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) immediately called an emergency meeting to discuss the report.

But then, in a total cop-out, spineless IOC president Thomas Bach left it up to individual sports federations to decide whether Russian athletes should be able to compete.

Ultimately, 271 Russians were cleared for competition while 118 were removed with Russia claiming now to have the cleanest team at the Games. 

Closer to home, cyclist Lizzie Armitstead found her way into the headlines for all the wrong reasons after it was revealed she had missed three drugs tests.

Armitstead - who won Team GB's very first medal at London 2012 - has denied any wrongdoing on her part but it is difficult not to be cynical.

Hopefully then, Rio 2016 will instead provide only positive stories from now on and cynicism can take a back seat.

After all, even just as a viewer, the best thing about the Olympics is the sheer escapism of it: a two-week period every four years where the drudgery of life is put on hold and all that really matters is which men and women in this world can go highest, go fastest and be strongest.

Unfortunately, for people watching in Britain, many of the biggest events are in the middle of the night.

The men's 100m final, for instance, is scheduled to be run at 2.25am in the early hours of Monday 15 August.

Nevertheless, the BBC is providing round-the-clock coverage for nightowls and a daily highlights show at 9.15am to allow people to catch-up on anything which they have missed.

There will also be a montage or two, and - no doubt at some point - a moment for which a lump in the throat is unavoidable.

Welcome back to the Olympic Games - the greatest show on earth.

Dominant Murray produces a masterclass at Wimbledon

ANDY MURRAY became a double Wimbledon champion with a dominant display on Centre Court against Canadian Milos Raonic.

Murray won 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) in two hours and 48 minutes to regain the title which he first won in 2013.

Back then, Murray also won in straight sets against his arch rival and friend Novak Djokovic - but, though there was only one break of serve in the whole match yesterday, this was a lot more comfortable for the Dunblane man.

Raonic, to his credit, had played well over the two weeks at SW19, the highlight of his run being his defeat of the great Roger Federer in the semi finals on Friday in a titanic five-set battle.

The Podgorica-born 25-year-old could find barely any spare change out of Murray, however, and he gained only two breaks points in the whole match.

By contrast, Raonic seemed under regular pressure from a superb returning masterclass by a relentless Murray, only for his big serve to come to his aid.

Still, against Murray's returning ability, Raonic's main weapon was having nowhere near the effect that it had earlier in the tournament.

After all, heading into the contest, Raonic had served 137 aces. In his first ever Grand Slam final, however, he could add only eight more while Murray was able get a highly impressive 74% of his returns back in play.

That was enough to give Murray a vital edge in a match which presented few clear cut opportunities to either player.

Murray's first breakthrough came in the seventh game of the first set in which he earned two break points.

After frittering away the first chance by pushing a backhand too long, the Scot took the second cracking a forehand which his Candian opponent could only net.

Murray then consolidated his break by winning from deuce - and, though Raonic was gallant enough to make the world number two serve out the set, he did so with ease.

The second set oddly followed the same pattern of the first with Murray's big opportunity coming in the seventh game after he forced Raonic to deuce and gained a break point.

Raonic stood firm this time and then saved another couple of break points in the ninth game.

But he was still no closer to forcing a breakthrough on the Murray serve and, following a comfortable hold each, it was time for a tie-break.

Raonic had won four of the previous five tie-breakers between the pair - but Murray did not allow such history to trouble him as he moved into an early position of dominance to go 5-1 up at the change of ends.

That became 6-1 as Murray, on serve, forced Raonic to net a forehand. The Canadian held the next two points on his serve but, back on serve, Murray soon confirmed a two-set lead.

It now became a case of waiting to see whether Murray would steamroller Raonic or if there would be a comeback - and, to be fair, the first major action of the third set suggested the latter.

In the fifth game at 2-2, Raonic finally got some joy and held two break points - but Murray did not flinch.

Saving the first with his serve, the Scot then outlasted Raonic in an attritional rally to get the game to deuce. Murray then made it four points in a row to hold again.

Weaker players may have crumbled at that point but Raonic's serve was always going to keep him in the contest as long as physically possible. The problem was that he never got close on the Murray serve again.

Another tie-break was thus the inevitable conclusion to the third act - and, in a carbon copy of the second set, Murray found himself 5-1 up at the change of ends.

Again it became 6-1 to bring up five championship points - and, though Raonic saved the first of those against the serve, Murray made no mistake on the next point.

Cue the tears - of joy, of course - from Murray, and the 29-year-old made it clear he was going to enjoy this victory far more than his tension-riddled previous success on the hallowed turf at Wimbledon.

Instead, perhaps, the only tension surrounding Murray this year came about from his status as red-hot favourite once Djokovic had surprisingly lost to American Sam Querrey in the third round.

Nowadays, though, Murray is far too good a player to allow the occasion get to him.

Indeed, he seem to relish playing in his 11th Grand Slam final - but his first which was not against Federer or Djokovic. His dominance was rarely examined by the still-developing Raonic.

A second Wimbledon title, and a third Grand Slam in toughest ever tennis era, was never really in doubt.

Andy Murray: the route to glory Wimbledon 2016

Round 1	v Liam Broady (GBR)	6-2 6-3 6-4
Round 2	v Lu Yen-hsun (TPE)	6-3 6-2 6-1
Round 3	v John Millman (AUS)	6-3 7-5 6-2
Round 4	v Nick Kyrgios (AUS)	7-5 6-1 6-4
Quarter Final	v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)	7-6(12-10) 6-1 3-6 4-6 6-1
Semi Final	v Tomáš Berdych (CZE)	6-3 6-3 6-3
Final	v Milos Raonic (CAN)	6-4 7-6(7-3) 7-6(7-2)

The pantheon of champions Wimbledon Men's Singles titles in the Open Era (since 1968)
7 Pete Sampras (USA) - 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
7 Roger Federer (SUI) - 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
5 Bjorn Borg (SWE) - 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980
3 John McEnroe (USA) - 1981, 1983, 1984 
3 Boris Becker (GER) - 1985, 1986, 1989
3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) - 2011, 2014, 2015
2 *Rod Laver (AUS) - 1968, 1969
2 *John Newcombe (AUS) - 1970, 1971
2 Jimmy Connors (USA) - 1974, 1982
2 Stefan Edberg (SWE) - 1988, 1990
2 Rafael Nadal (ESP) - 2008, 2010
2 Andy Murray (GBR) - 2013, 2016
1 Stan Smith (USA) - 1972 
1 Jan Kodeš (CZE) - 1973
1 Arthur Ashe (USA) - 1975
1 Pat Cash (AUS) - 1987
1 Michael Stich (GER) - 1991
1 Andre Agassi (USA) - 1992
1 Richard Krajicek (NED) - 1996
1 Goran Ivanišević (CRO) - 2001
1 Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) - 2002
*Note: Rod Laver (1961, 1962) and John Newcombe (1967) also won titles in the Amateur Era, pre-1967

Index 2015

PREVIOUS INDEXES 2014 2013 2012 2011

POLITICS AND NEWS
General Election Full results
18.03 Osborne serves up pre-election Budget
07.05 Tangled up in news
08.05 Tories take control as Nationalists sweep Scotland
15.06 Preserving the Magna Carta myth
Other events
26.01 The boobs are back - but for how much longer? 
04.03 First Pegida march pisses off peacefully 
12.09 Labour takes a jump to the left with Corbyn landslide 
World War I
25.04 And the band played Waltzing Matilda
08.11 Wearing the poppy

FOOTBALL
Season 2014/15
02.01 FA Cup Third Round: Gateshead end a 60-year wait
30.04 Chelsea close in on title
09.06 Chelsea lead from start to finish 
Season 2015/16
08.08 Preview: Arsenal close in on Chelsea crown 
24.10 Can Newcastle United banish their derby woes?
International football
17.01 Yet another African Cup of Nations
30.05 Another Blatter coronation
13.06 Copa America preview: First title chance for Chile
05.07 Copa America: Champions Chile bury past ghosts
25.07 FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifying draws Battle of Britain
12.12 Euro 2016 qualifiers: En route
13.12 Euro 2016 finals draw

CRICKET
World Cup Full results
13.02 Holders India up against it
13.02 Hosts on top Down Under
23.02 England avoid slipping on Scotland banana skin
09.03 Shambolic England dumped out by Bangladesh
17.03 Pakistan end Ireland run
26.03 Co-hosts outlast all-comers
29.03 Australia strike Cricket World Cup gold again
The Ashes
07.07 Preview: Play without fear
12.07 Root key to resurgent England
19.07 Australia demolish abject England
31.07 England demolish abject Aussies
11.08 Broad leads the way as England take back the Ashes
24.08 Consolation for Australia, celebrations for England

RUGBY UNION
World Cup Full results
18.09 Preview: World in Union
20.10 Grim up north, glorious down south
31.10 McCaw and Carter ensure stunning All Blacks make history
Six Nations
06.02 Preview: Injury-hit England eager to ditch "nearly men" tag 
22.03 Ireland eclipse title rivals on epic final day

OTHER SPORT
Cycling
26.07 Tour de France: Froome defeats them all
Formula 1
14.03 Preview: Advantage Hamilton in dominant Mercedes 
Horse racing
11.04 Aspell goes back-to-back on McCoy's Grand National farewell
Snooker
18.04 Selby takes on Crucible Curse 
03.05 Battle-scarred Bingham gets run of the ball at last 
Tennis
27.11 National service for Murray in Davis Cup showdown

MISCELLANEOUS
30.01 11* prime reasons to see the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
23.05 Eurovision 2015: Swing and a miss
10.11 Things haven't gone to plan so far
24.12 Moon lights the way for Santa tonight
31.12 Index 2015

National service for Murray in Davis Cup showdown

DAVIS CUP FINAL

Flanders Expo, Ghent (indoor clay)

BEL 1 3 GBR

Friday (12.30 GMT)

David Goffin 3-6 1-6 6-2 6-1 6-0 Kyle Edmund

Ruben Bemelmans 3-6 2-6 5-7 Andy Murray

Saturday (14:00 GMT)

David Goffin/Steve Darcis 4-6 6-4 3-6 2-6 Jamie Murray/Andy Murray

Sunday (12:00 GMT)

David Goffin 3-6 5-7 3-6 Andy Murray

ANDY MURRAY will aim to add another landmark title to his collection as he leads Great Britain into its first Davis Cup final for 37 years against Belgium in Ghent this weekend.

The reigning Olympic and two-time Grand Slam champion has insisted the focus in the British camp is on a team effort - but the truth is that, without Murray, Great Britain simply would not be at this event.

Indeed, the Dunblane man has featured in 15 of Britain's last 18 victorious rubbers, either in the singles or the doubles, going back to 2013.

And only Dan Evans' dead rubber win against Mate Pavic of Croatia in 2013, and James Ward's glorious double over United States pair Sam Querrey in 2014 and John Isner in 2015 have not featured Murray.

It would be entirely churlish, though, not to consider in any way the strides which the Great Britain Davis Cup team has made under the captaincy of Leon Smith.

Smith, after all, has not always had Murray to call upon, and he has done an excellent job with Britain, winning 11 out of 13 ties over a period of more than five years.

The first of those victories came in July 2010 against Turkey in a playoff to avoid being relegated to Europe/Africa zone Group III alongside the likes of Albania, Andorra, Malta and San Marino.

Thankfully, Britain won 5-0 - without the help of Murray - before a clean sweep of home wins over Tunisia, Luxembourg and Hungary in 2011 promoted the team to the second tier.

A third successive win in Glasgow, over Slovakia in 2012, gave rise to the hope that Britain might get the chance of a playoff to qualify for the World Group in 2013.

But those hopes were dashed - by Belgium, as it happens - as a Murray-less outfit went down to a 4-1 defeat.

Since then, though, there has only been one further set back, in last year's quarter final defeat against Italy in Naples - and Britain bounced back from that in style in March with their second win in just over a year against the Americans.

Murray inevitably set that tie up, beating Donald Young in four sets 6-1 6-1 4-6 6-2 before Ward's amazing comeback from two sets down to defeat Isner 15-13 in the fifth.

The Bryan twins, Bob and Mike, enjoyed their own dramatic doubles win, 9-7 in the fifth against Dom Inglot and Jamie Murray, to keep the tie alive for the United States.

But older brother Andy wrapped up victory with a straight sets win over Isner featuring two tie-breakers.

The Murrays were vital again in July against France in the quarter finals at Queen's in London.

Andy's straight sets victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and four-set win over Gilles Simon sandwiched the brothers' doubles win over Tsonga and Nicolas Mahut, after Simon had given the French an early lead in the tie against Ward.

Then, finally, in the semi finals in September, Australia were dispatched in a 3-2 success for Britain.

Andy opened proceedings with a straight sets win over Thanasi Kokkinakis before Evans lost to Bernard Tomic in four on the first day.

No fear - the Murray brothers delivered again, beating Sam Groth and Lleyton Hewitt in another five-setter, before Andy sealed Britain's place in the Final with another straight sets win, this time over Tomic.

Now that they are there, of course, the emphasis must be on victory. After all, it is not as if these opportunities come along too often for British tennis.

This is, in fact, Britain's first appearance in a Davis Cup final since 1978 when a John McEnroe-inspired American team prevailed 4-1 in California.

Furthermore, it is only Britain's second final appearance since the glory days of Fred Perry and Bunny Austin in the 1930s.

It should be noted that this has not been an easy week for the British team who delayed their flight to Ghent for 24 hours over security fears.

The Flemish town lies just 35 miles away from the Belgian capital Brussels which remains on a high state of alert amid the threat of a Paris-style terrorist attack.

Nevertheless, Andy Murray has described the team as "comfortable" ahead of the tie.

The final - to be played on an indoor clay court - begins today at 12.30pm GMT as 20-year-old Kyle Edmund remarkably becomes just the sixth man to make his Davis Cup debut in the showpiece event. The previous five, including Pete Sampras, all lost their first match.

Murray follows later in the afternoon and he will be strong favourite against world number 108, Ruben Bemelmans, before the doubles take place on Saturday.

Andy will feature again alongside Jamie against Belgian pair Kimmer Coppejans and Steve Darcis before the last - and likely decisive - day on Sunday when Andy will take on David Goffin and Edmund faces Bemelmans.

Harsh as it may sound on Edmund, it already looks at this stage as if Britain are gambling on Murray maintaining his form and fitness following another strong year for the world number two.

That would suggest match four between Murray and Goffin is being viewed as the likely finish line for Britain - and so it is worth pointing out that Murray beat his opponent 6-1 6-0 in the Paris Masters semi finals earlier this month.

Of course, in front of a crowd of 13,000 mostly Belgian supporters at the Flanders Expo, it may not be as straightforward.

Undoubtedly, though, Murray must win his matches if Britain is to prevail and he is to make history once again.

BRITAIN'S PREVIOUS DAVIS CUP FINALS 
P17 W9 L8 F48 A35
1900 lost 0-3 v United States
1902 lost 2-3 v United States
1903 won 4-1 v United States
1904 won 5-0 v Belgium
1905 won 5-0 v United States
1906 won 5-0 v United States
1907 lost 2-3 v Australasia
1912 won 3-2 v Australasia
1913 lost 2-3 v United States
1919 lost 1-4 v Australasia
1931 lost 2-3 v France
1933 won 3-2 v France
1934 won 4-1 v United States
1935 won 5-0 v United States
1936 won 3-2 v Australia
1937 lost 1-4 v United States
1978 lost 1-4 v United States

OUT OF THE WILDERNESS
How Britain has progressed from a relegation playoff to Europe/Africa III to the Davis Cup final in five years (bolded W = win featured Andy Murray (in singles or doubles))

2010	Europe/Africa II, r1	Vilnius (LTU)	2-3	v Lithuania	WLWLL
	Europe/Africa II, p/o	Eastbourne (GBR)	5-0	v Turkey	WWWWW
2011	Europe/Africa II, r1	Bolton (GBR)	4-1	v Tunisia	LWWWW
	Europe/Africa II, r2	Glasgow (GBR)	4-1	v Luxembourg	LWWWW
	Europe/Africa II, r3	Glasgow (GBR)	5-0	v Hungary	WWWWW
2012	Europe/Africa I, r1	Glasgow (GBR)	3-2	v Slovakia	WLWLW
	Europe/Africa I, r2	Glasgow (GBR)	1-4	v Belgium	LLWLL
2013	Europe/Africa I, r2	Coventry (GBR)	3-2	v Russia	LLWWW
	World Group, p/o	Umag (CRO)	4-1	v Croatia	WLWWW
2014	World Group, r1	San Diego (USA)	3-1	v United States	WWLW
	World Group, QF	Napoli (ITA)	2-3	v Italy	LWWLL
2015	World Group, r1	Glasgow (GBR)	3-2	v United States	WWLWL
	World Group, QF	London (GBR)	3-1	v France	LWWW
	World Group, SF	Glasgow (GBR)	3-2	v Australia	WLWWL

BELGIUM'S ROUTE TO THE FINAL

2015	World Group, r1	Liege (BEL)	3-2	v Switzerland	LWWLW
	World Group, QF	Middelkerke (BEL)	5-0	v Canada	WWWWW
	World Group, SF	Brussels (BEL)	3-2	v Argentina	WLLWW

Index 2013

INDEX 2013

Index 2012 Index 2011

PERSONAL
24.04 End of the line: my ongoing battle with anxiety
16.05 On second thoughts...
23.09 Turning 30 in Prague: a perspective

POLITICS
Home
09.01 Halfway to hell?
25.01 Cameron offers a way out of Europe
31.01 Out of bounds
01.03 Eastleigh stays loyal to the Lib Dems as Tories fall third
20.03 Budget 2013: Osborne yet to get Britain going
10.04 Thatcher dies but her politics live on
03.05 Local elections: UKIP arrives on the mainstream scene (results only)
30.08 Cameron urged to step back on Syria
Abroad
22.01 Hope springs eternal for Obama
12.03 Falklanders overwhelmingly opt to stay British

JOURNALISM
20.03 Cameron brokers long-awaited press regulation deal
24.05 If it bleeds, it leads
01.06 Defamation 101: Sally Bercow's Twitter folly
26.07 The boy in the bubble
02.08 The Sun takes the paywall plunge
05.10 Miliband v the Daily Mail
12.10 Nothing to fear?
03.12 Guardian editor stands firm over Snowden

SPORT
FOOTBALL
2012/13
05.01 The Season 2012/13: Van Persie puts Man United "halfway" to title
05.01 FA Cup Third Round: Cup of woe continues for Newcastle
26.01 FA Cup Fourth Round: Man United on the box again
24.02 League Cup Final: Swansea sweep aside Bradford dream
28.02 Oh, when the Heed went marching in!
02.06 The Season 2012/13: Fergie signs off in style 
2013/14
17.08 Premier League preview: All change at the top
23.09 Mackems ditch Di Canio
05.11 Arsenal stride five points clear
22.12 Tyneside full of festive cheer
World Cup 2014
13.09 Hodgson satisfied by Ukraine stalemate
11.10 England stay on course
15.10 Copacabana, here we come!
19.11 Big guns make it to Brazil
06.12 Nightmare draw for England
10.12 BBC will show England opener
Other international
06.02 England beat the Samba Boys to mark FA anniversary
12.02 African Cup of Nations: Nigeria return to Nations Cup summit
27.03 World Cup qualifiers: England stutter while Scotland fall first
14.08 England edge past Scotland in cracking curtain raiser

CRICKET
Pre-Ashes
05.03 England receive Kiwi wake up call
26.03 England make yet another great escape
Ashes 2013 (home)
09.07 Preview: Favourites for the urn
14.07 England emerge victorious from Trent Bridge torture chamber
23.07 Mighty Root helps England rout Aussies
06.08 England retain urn after rainy draw
08.08 Boycott and Aggers, a wonderfully odd couple
12.08 Star man Broad sets up series win
26.08 England lift the urn again at the Oval
26.08 Stats: Bell and the bowlers bail out England
Ashes 2013/14 (away)
17.11 Preview: Battle rejoined
24.11 Australia hammer desperate England
25.11 Trott takes the first step to recovery 
09.12 Total humiliation for England in Adelaide
17.12 Australia recapture the urn in Perth
29.12 Australia beat 'broken' England again
County Championship
27.09 Underdogs Durham defy the doubters 

OTHER
Athletics/Olympics
23.08 Farah completes the 'Double Double' as lightning Bolt strikes again 
08.09 Tokyo to stage IOC's 2020 vision
15.09 GNR 2013: Farah tastes defeat on the South Shields sea front
Cycling
18.01 Retired Cooke lances the boil
21.07 Froome for another
F1 2013
04.07 Pirelli passes the buck after tyre fiasco
29.10 Simply four-some for Vettel
27.11 Team-by-team review: Imperious Vettel makes it nine in a row
Grand National
06.04 Channel 4 takes up the Grand National reins
06.04 Auroras Encore lights up the Grand National
Rugby Union
02.02 Six Nations: All to play for
07.07 Lions maul Aussies in series decider
Snooker
20.04 World Snooker: O'Sullivan celebrates successful re-launch (results only)
Tennis
08.07 Murray makes history at Wimbledon 
16.12 BBC SPOTY 2013: Murray wins by a landslide

MISCELLANEOUS
18.05 Eurovision 2013: Barefoot Emmelie becomes a Great Dane
09.06 Persistence pays off for my Blaydon Races sis
11.11 A field for the Fallen
24.12 Christmas Eve, all dark and stormy...
31.12 Index 2013

BBC SPOTY 2013: Murray wins by a landslide

2013 BBC SPOTY WINNERS

SPOTY	Andy Murray	Tennis
Team of the Year	British & Irish Lions	Rugby Union
Coach of the Year	Warren Gatland	Rugby Union
Overseas SPOTY	Sebastian Vettel	Formula One
Young SPOTY	Amber Hill	Shooting
Diamond SPOTY	Sir Alex Ferguson	Football
Unsung Hero	Joe & Maggie Forber	Basketball
Helen Rollason Award	Anne Williams	Football

WIMBLEDON champion Andy Murray won the clearest ever victory in the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year contest last night.

Murray, who became the first British male to win in the Singles on the grass at SW19 in 77 years, took more than half of all the votes cast.

And so the Scot finished well clear of the runner-up, the British & Irish Lions full back Leigh Halfpenny, and record-breaking jockey Tony McCoy, who was in third.

"I'd like to thank all the public who voted, for giving me so much support over the last couple of years," said Murray. "It's made a huge difference."

Now, as even Murray suggested there himself, this award represented the end of an ultimately triumphant long road to acceptance from the wider British public.

But it was not always thus. Guarded in his television appearances off the court, Murray was a difficult character to warm towards, particularly in the midst of an on-court tantrum.

Perhaps this is also the reason why an off-hand joke to Tim Henman as a 17-year-old about supporting anyone but England at the World Cup hung around him like an albatross for so long.

Last but not least, it did not help that he was perceived as a bit of a loser, a better player than Henman no doubt - but unfortunately born into a harsher era against the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Murray did indeed lose his first four Grand Slam finals. However, he then cleverly recruited the only man who previously had that record as a coach.

It was surely the wisest move of his career. Lendl knew where Murray was at mentally and has helped him overcome those barriers by making him so physically fit, the gruelling five-setters are no longer a problem.

First, though, there was still more heartbreak when Murray lost to Federer in the 2012 Wimbledon final despite taking the first set and then broke down in floods of tears on Centre Court.

Pain was all around that day but, in the long run, it helped.

It made Murray ever more determined and, by the end of an extraordinary British sporting summer, he had taken Olympic gold against Federer at Wimbledon and won his first Grand Slam at the US Open in New York against Djokovic.

However, his victory at Flushing Meadows was in the middle of the night here in Britain, and it hardly made a dent in lifting the Wimbledon curse.

This year, then, Murray still had work to do and pressure to deal with - but deal with it he did, landing himself in another Wimbledon final, this time against Djokovic.

Again, Murray took the first set but then he also came out on top against the then-world number one in a topsy-turvy second.

The scene was set and it was perfect. A hot sunny July day ended with Murray winning in straight sets to send the public into disbelieving raptures.

From then on, the man from Dunblane was an odds-on favourite for this prize and eventually he dropped as low as 1/50 in the betting once the telephone lines opened.

The BBC consequently had a difficult job to hype up an entirely predictable outcome. Murray also expressed disappointment that he could not personally attend the First Direct Arena in Leeds.

Professional as ever, though, he felt obliged to put his return to fitness ahead of the Australian Open in January above SPOTY.

At least, the live link to Miami worked this time - well, it did once Murray, running late from a training session, had stepped out of the shower.

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In terms of the other awards, the British & Irish Lions were well-rewarded for their efforts Down Under, helped no doubt by their main rivals - England's Ashes cricketers - flopping there at the moment.

The Lions won Team of the Year for their 2-1 series victory while their Kiwi mentor Warren Gatland took Coach of the Year.

As mentioned, Lendl must have surely been strongly in the running for that prize considering all of his work with Murray.

But Gatland, too, deserved huge credit following some pretty heavy criticism after his decision to drop Brian O'Driscoll for a final Test which ended up being a Lions mauling.

Sebastian Vettel became the first Formula One driver to win the Overseas SPOTY Award since Niki Lauda in 1977 after his complete domination of the sport over the past four seasons broke new ground in 2013.

The Young SPOTY prize went to 16-year-old skeet shooter Amber Hill who beat athlete Dina Asher-Smith and golfer Charley Hull on an all-female shortlist.

And the Unsung Hero award went to spouses Joe and Maggie Forber for their hard work at the Amaechi Basketball Centre in Whalley Range, Manchester.

The £2m facility is named after the club's most famous graduate, John Amaechi, who has gone on to play in the NBA for Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, and Utah Jazz.

Finally, two football figures were honoured for entirely different reasons. Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson picked up the one-off Diamond Award having retired from an illustrious management career following a record 13th English league title in May.

Still, this was a slightly strange choice from the BBC for a prize celebrating 60 years of the programme, considering Ferguson refused to speak to the broadcaster for many years.

Now, it could just be considered an olive branch - but the more cynical viewer would consider it was possibly the only way of ensuring he would appear on the show.

There was nothing cynical about the other football prize, the Helen Rollason Award, awarded posthumously to Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams to an emotional standing ovation.

Anne, who lost her son Kevin in the crush died, in April from cancer this year. She had spent more than a third of her 62 years fighting for justice.

In September 2012, there was a belated victory of sorts in that the ridiculous original inquest verdicts were overturned.

The new inquest verdicts are expected in the early part of next year, 25 years on from the tragedy.

Anne, of course, will not be around to see the outcome of those cases. Nevertheless, this was a fitting acknowledgement of all of her hard work that may at last ensure there is some justice for the 96.

60 YEARS OF SPOTY
By year:

1954	Christopher Chataway	Athletics	1984	Torvill & Dean	Figure skating
1955	Gordon Pirie	Athletics	1985	Barry McGuigan	Boxing
1956	Jim Laker	Cricket	1986	Nigel Mansell	Formula One
1957	Dai Rees	Golf	1987	Fatima Whitbread	Athletics
1958	Ian Black	Swimming	1988	Steve Davis	Snooker
1959	John Surtees	Motorcycle	1989	Nick Faldo	Golf
1960	David Broome	Show jumping	1990	Paul Gascoigne	Football
1961	Stirling Moss	Formula One	1991	Liz McColgan	Athletics
1962	Anita Lonsbrough	Swimming	1992	Nigel Mansell	Formula One
1963	Dorothy Hyman	Athletics	1993	Linford Christie	Athletics
1964	Mary Rand	Athletics	1994	Damon Hill	Formula One
1965	Tom Simpson	Cycling	1995	Jonathan Edwards	Athletics
1966	Bobby Moore	Football	1996	Damon Hill	Formula One
1967	Henry Cooper	Boxing	1997	Greg Rusedski	Tennis
1968	David Hemery	Athletics	1998	Michael Owen	Football
1969	Ann Jones	Tennis	1999	Lennox Lewis	Boxing
1970	Henry Cooper	Boxing	2000	Steve Redgrave	Rowing
1971	Princess Anne	Eventing	2001	David Beckham	Football
1972	Mary Peters	Athletics	2002	Paula Radcliffe	Athletics
1973	Jackie Stewart	Formula One	2003	Jonny Wilkinson	Rugby Union
1974	Brendan Foster	Athletics	2004	Kelly Holmes	Athletics
1975	David Steele	Cricket	2005	Andrew Flintoff	Cricket
1976	John Curry	Figure skating	2006	Zara Phillips	Eventing
1977	Virginia Wade	Tennis	2007	Joe Calzaghe	Boxing
1978	Steve Ovett	Athletics	2008	Chris Hoy	Cycling
1979	Sebastian Coe	Athletics	2009	Ryan Giggs	Football
1980	Robin Cousins	Figure skating	2010	Tony McCoy	Horse racing
1981	Ian Botham	Cricket	2011	Mark Cavendish	Cycling
1982	Daley Thompson	Athletics	2012	Bradley Wiggins	Cycling
1983	Steve Cram	Athletics	2013	Andy Murray	Tennis

By sport:
17 Athletics
6 Formula One
5 Football, Boxing
4 Cricket, Tennis Cycling
3 Figure skating
2 Golf, Swimming, Eventing
1 Snooker, Rugby Union, Rowing, Show jumping, Horse racing, Motorcycle racing

Murray makes history at Wimbledon

ANDY MURRAY became the first Briton to win the Men's Singles at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936 after a stunning straight sets victory over world number one Novak Djokovic.

Murray won 6-4 7-5 6-4 in just over three hours on Centre Court to end the 77 years of hurt since Perry was last victorious at SW19 - and the Scot also lifted a considerable weight off his shoulders.

For, there can be no question about it - Murray was well aware of the historical significance of his triumph. Indeed, he has had little chance of avoiding it since his early potential marked him out to be the likely answer to end the curse.

At 5.24pm yesterday, that curse was finally lifted as Djokovic netted for one last time.

In time-honoured fashion, Murray sunk to his knees in front of the net - but, in contrast to many players who have fallen to the hallowed turf of the All England Club in the past, Murray stayed there for quite a while, still struggling to comprehend exactly what he had just achieved.

Straight sets against the world number one? This really was the stuff that dreams are made of.

But, while it was all rather surreal of course, it was also very real - although nowhere near as straightforward as the scoreline suggested...

In a sign of things to come, the opening rally lasted 20 strokes and the first game took fully five minutes to complete as Djokovic saved three break points to hold.

Not for long, though. In his next service, the Serb again came under pressure, saving yet another break point in a 22-shot rally before Murray eventually prevailed with a thumping forehand.

The Scot's advantage lasted but for one game - but then Murray broke to love in game seven to go 4-3 ahead.

Another short-lived lead looked likely as he then double-faulted to give Djokovic two more break-back points - but the man from Dunblane saved the first with an ace and the second with a rare foray to the net.

In game nine, Djokovic again struggled to a hold - at one stage being 0-30 - before Murray made it count on his serve, winning game 10 to love for the first set.

It was a fine start, for sure, but nothing was won yet as Murray was well aware having taken the first set last year in his four-set defeat to seven-time champion Roger Federer.

Clearly, the identity of the second set winner would tell us a lot more about the momentum of the match as a whole and remarkably, in fact, 38 of the last 41 winners of the Men's Singles at Wimbledon had won the second.

On that basis, things looked good for Djokovic as he stormed into a 4-1 lead.

But that was only actually a single break and Murray got it back on serve in game seven after an uncustomary double fault on break point by Djokovic.

Forced to save three break points in game eight, Murray made his next move with the score at 5-5. Out of challenges, a frustrated Djokovic complained to the umpire after a Murray shot was not called out.

Hawk-Eye replays showed it was in anyway - and Murray was able to convert the second of his two break point chances before he served out for the set to love again, even finishing with an ace.

Two-love in sets and the 15,000 capacity crowd on Centre Court let out a roar as the realisation dawned of just how close glory was.

But Murray had also been 2-0 up against Djokovic in New York last September - and, though he would ultimately win his first Grand Slam, the Serb pushed him all the way to five sets.

A repeat did not look likely as Murray made an early break in the third and followed it up with a service game to love.

Djokovic is nothing if not a true champion, however, and he restored parity in the set by winning game four - and then broke again in game six in a loose spell by Murray.

Straight away, though, the Scot reacted, and broke back in game seven to put the set back on serve with a backhand winner.

Never more vulnerable, Djokovic served in game nine, knowing another break would leave Murray serving for the match - but the Serb was unable to do anything as Murray won an extraordinary point after chasing down a lob.

And so to game 10 and Murray's moment of destiny. It began well enough - two long shots from Djokovic sandwiching a forehand winner from Murray made it 40-0. Three Championship points were on the board.

But, no one should ever thought it would be as easy as that to lift the curse at Wimbledon - and so it proved as Djokovic hauled it back to deuce and Murray's serve began to tighten up.

Yet another three break points had to be saved by Murray, the second one after a 23-stroke rally, before he would get his next chance after Djokovic could only net. It was a fourth Championship point.

This time - this time - it finally happened. Djokovic went long with his backhand and Centre Court at Wimbledon erupted into tears of joy and disbelief. Murray had done it. He is the Wimbledon champion. 

Later, Murray dedicated his victory to his coach Ivan Lendl, and the strides, which Murray have made since their partnership began in January 2012, are as clear as day.

That's two Grand Slams and Olympic Gold since this time last year, which begs the question 'how many more?' - and 'how many more of those will be at Wimbledon?'

Those questions and many other Murray-related discussions filled the airwaves today as Britain basked in its long-awaited tennis glory.

Perhaps, though, it would be best just to let the lad enjoy this moment. God knows, he deserves it.


Route to glory Wimbledon 2013

Round 1	v Benjamin Becker (GER)	6-4 6-3 6-2
Round 2	v Lu Yen-hsun (TPE)	6-3 6-3 7-5
Round 3	v Tommy Robredo (ESP)	6-2 6-4 7-5
Round 4	v Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)	6-4 7-6(7-5) 6-1
Quarter Final	v Fernando Verdasco (ESP)	4-6 3-6 6-1 6-4 7-5
Semi Final	v Jerzy Janowicz (POL)	6-7(2-7) 6-4 6-4 6-3
Final	v Novak Djokovic (SRB)	6-4 7-5 6-4

No longer a loser Murray's major finals

2008	US Open	v Roger FEDERER (SUI)	2-6 5-7 2-6
2010	Australian Open	v Roger FEDERER (SUI)	3-6 4-6 6-7(11-13)
2011	Australian Open	v Novak DJOKOVIC (SRB)	4-6 2-6 3-6
2012	Wimbledon	v Roger FEDERER (SUI)	6-4 5-7 3-6 4-6
2012	London 2012 Olympics	v Roger FEDERER (SUI)	6-2 6-1 6-4
2012	US Open	v Novak DJOKOVIC (SRB)	7-6(12-10) 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2
2012	Australian Open	v Novak DJOKOVIC (SRB)	7-6(7-2) 6-7(3-7) 3-6 2-6
2012	Wimbledon	v Novak DJOKOVIC (SRB)	6-4 7-5 6-4

Joining the pantheon of champions The Open Era (since 1968)
7 Pete Sampras (USA) - 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
7 Roger Federer (SUI) - 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
5 Bjorn Borg (SWE) - 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980
3 Boris Becker (GER) - 1985, 1986, 1989
3 John McEnroe (USA) - 1981, 1983, 1984
2 *Rod Laver (AUS) - 1968, 1969
2 *John Newcombe (AUS) - 1970, 1971
2 Jimmy Connors (USA) - 1974, 1982
2 Stefan Edberg (SWE) - 1988, 1990
2 Rafael Nadal (ESP) - 2008, 2010
1 Stan Smith (USA) - 1972
1 Jan Kodeš (CZE) - 1973
1 Arthur Ashe (USA) - 1975
1 Pat Cash (AUS) - 1987
1 Michael Stich (GER) - 1991
1 Andre Agassi (USA) - 1992
1 Richard Krajicek (NED) - 1996
1 Goran Ivanišević (CRO) - 2000
1 Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) - 2001
1 Novak Djokovic (SRB) - 2011
1 Andy Murray (GBR) - 2013
*Note: Rod Laver (1961, 1962) and John Newcombe (1967) also won titles in the Amateur Era, pre-1967

SPOTY 2012: Wiggo wins again

SPOTY
BRADLEY WIGGINS hailed his "greatest sporting achievement" after he won the 59th BBC Sports Personality of the Year award at the ExCel Arena in London on Sunday night. 

Wiggins - or Wiggo as he has been nicknamed - beat heptathlete star Jessica Ennis and tennis ace Andy Murray in the most prestigious staging of the awards ceremony in its history.

The 32-year-old cyclist won the toughest SPOTY choice ever having been the first Briton in history to win the Tour de France before he took Olympic time trial gold on the streets of London.

And, while Wiggins' win was well deserved, this was frankly such an outstanding year for British sport that any of the 12 contenders would have won the prize in any other year.

After all, double Olympic champion Laura Trott did not even make the cut - in sharp contrast to some of the winners in earlier, rather more inauspicious years.

Personally, my preference was for the main award to go to Mo Farah for providing prime-time must-watch viewing on successive Saturday nights in his 5,000m and 10,000m triumphs in the Olympic Stadium. 

But, Mo-Bots and Wiggo sideburns aside, all of the contenders for the main award had an amazing backstory or a unique selling point. 

Runner-up Jessica Ennis, for instance, was an athlete under pressure like no other this summer. As the great American sprinter Michael Johnson pointed out in an excellent video, she was the accepted "Face of the Games", and was expected to win. 

Thankfully, Sheffield-born Ennis is a steely character and she opened her account by running 12.54s in the 100m hurdles, a time that would have won gold in the individual event in 2008. 

Overall, Ennis stormed to gold with victories in three of the seven disciplines over two days, and the golden girl of British sport summed up perfectly just how well these Olympics were going. 

It was no surprise, meanwhile, that Andy Murray took third place in the voting. Remarkably, Britain had been craving a male Grand Slam champion for 77 years and, this year, the man from Dunblane finally delivered. 

First, though, Murray had to suffer more heartache as he broke down in tears after Roger Federer had beaten him in four sets in the Wimbledon final. 

But, if anything, that setback - his fourth Grand Slam final defeat - only spurred Murray on more and he gained revenge over Federer in the Olympics final, again at Wimbledon, winning in straight sets in one of his most complete performances ever. 

That same day, Murray partnered Laura Robson as an unseeded pair in the mixed doubles final. But, despite a gallant effort in which they took the first set, Murray-Robson ultimately had to settle for silver against their opponents, the number one seeds from Belarus. 

Murray was not finished yet. There was one last Grand Slam of the year to go: the US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York. 

There, Murray excelled again, beating Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic in an epic see-saw battle to fulfil his destiny. 

Britain's wait for a Grand Slam champion was over - as was Murray's own wait for a Grand Slam. It was as if the Olympics had never finished.

Murray's fellow Scot, Katherine Grainger, had endured a similar sporting tale. If Murray, until this year, had been the nearly-man, then rower Grainger had been the ultimate nearly-woman with three successive Olympic silvers in Sydney, Beijing and Athens. 

This was a "home" Games, though, and the feeling was that if Grainger could not win Olympic gold at Eton Dorney, then she never would. 

In the end, her superb partnership with Anna Watkins held firm. On the way to the final, the pair broke the double sculls world record, and then - importantly - in the final, they crossed the line first.

One man who has never struggled with doing that is another Scot on the shortlist, Sir Chris Hoy, who won the main award in 2008 after winning three gold medals in Beijing. 

In London, Hoy added another two golds to his collection to take his total to six golds (and one silver). 

And the comeback on the last bend of the Keirin race effectively made him Britain's most decorated Olympian in history, ahead of Sir Steve Redgrave. It is a remarkable career achievement.

Similarly, Paralympians Sarah Storey and David Weir can reflect on an amazing year with four gold medals each. 

Storey - who won five golds as a swimmer in the 1992 and 1996 Paralympic Games - has now added six golds to her tally as a cyclist in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. 

Meanwhile, Weir is now the recognised as the most versatile wheelchair athlete of all time after winning in London over four different distances ranging from 800m to the marathon.

But, for all of Weir and Storey's success, it was quickly established that it was Ellie Simmonds who would be "The Face" of the Paralympic Games. 

Just like Ennis before her, Simmonds delivered brilliantly under pressure, winning two golds, a silver and a bronze in the pool, setting world records in the 200m and 400m S6 freestyle.

Incredibly, Simmonds has just turned 18, and so - without trying to tempt fate - you would expect many more shiny honours will head her way in the years to come.

At the opposite end of the age scale is 35-year-old Ben Ainslie, who made his Olympics debut at Atlanta in 1996, taking silver at the age of 19. 

Since then, Ainslie has only ever known victory and he won his fourth successive gold at Weymouth to become the most decorated sailor in Olympic history.

It was not all plain sailing, however. In the early stages of the competition, Ainslie struggled to keep up with Danish rival Jonas Høgh-Christensen - and matters only got worse when Ainslie was forced into making a penalty turn in race two.

It turned out to be the worst thing that Høgh-Christensen could have done as an angry Ainslie simply became even more determined to win the Battle of the Bay in front of unprecedented crowds for an Olympic sailing event.

The support was also magnificent at the ExCel where Nicola Adams was another British Olympian making history as the first woman in history to win an Olympic boxing gold medal. 

Adams easily defeated Chinese world number one in the final of the flyweight bout - but it was probably her beaming smile and her effervescent personality which people will most remember of the Leeds lass.

And so, that just left Rory McIlroy, an outsider in this selection as the only one of the 12 contenders not to have taken part at either the Olympic or Paralympic Games.

It is not hard to see why McIlroy was chosen, however. The 23-year-old has had another fantastic year out on the course, climbing to the world number one ranking, and winning his second major championship, the PGA, by eight strokes.

Then, just as the sporting summer seemed ready to be put to rest, the Northern Irishman was part of the greatest comeback of the year - by Europe in the Ryder Cup.

This was the sporting year which just kept on giving.


OTHER AWARDS
Unsurprisingly, though, it was the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games which dominated proceedings in all of the other awards as well.

Team GB and Paralympics GB took the Team of the Year award, even though - technically - the decision was against the original rules.

While it does indeed seem like somewhat of a cop-out, the feel-good atmosphere generated by all of the home athletes in London 2012 made it no surprise that the regulations were changed unanimously by the panel.

Having said that, though, the above could have just as appropriately applied to another great team at London 2012, the Games Makers.

The Coach of the Year was Dave Brailsford, a fitting honour for a man who has done so much for elite cycling in this country.

Brailsford has not only overseen the successes of the Team GB cyclists as performance director of British Cycling - but he has also led Team Sky as its general manager, and boldly made the claim that a Briton would win the Tour de France.

His statement was roundly mocked at the time, particularly in the French press - but it is the likes of Wiggins and Brailsford who have got more and more Britons on their bikes and produced this incredible emergence of two-wheeled talent.

The Overseas Sports Personality of the Year was Usain Bolt who takes the prize for the third time in the last five years.

London 2012 was the Olympics in which Bolt went from being a fast man to a self-proclaimed legend after he defended his 100m and 200m Olympic titles in the face of strong competition from his protege Yohan Blake.

Bolt and Blake then teamed up as part of Team Jamaica to storm to a world record 4x100m title, making it six Olympic golds for the Fastest Man on the Planet.

If it was not for Jamaica, the award would have surely gone to Alex Zanardi, and perhaps it still should have done. Former F1 man Zanardi lost both his legs in a Champ Car crash in 2001 but has still managed to sate his competitive instincts by taking up road cycling.

Not only that but the Italian has succeeded, winning gold in the T4-category road race and road time trial, and adding silver in the road race relay. I suppose it just came down to the fact that Bolt is (understandably) a bigger name.

At least I did entirely agree with the Young SPOTY prize going to 15-year-old Jarrow swimmer Josef Craig, Britain's youngest gold medal winner from either the Olympic or the Paralympic Games.

This is, no doubt, a bit parochial - but, rather than the excellent Simmonds, the wonderful Weir, or the supreme Storey, it was Craig smashing two seconds off his own world record in the 400m freestyle S7 final pool which was the highlight of those Games for me.

But it was not just the action which will prove unforgettable from this summer. Yes, actions usually speak louder than words but sometimes it can be the other way around as Lord Sebastian Coe proved in picking up his Lifetime Achievement award.

Lord Coe was simply a fantastic orator this summer and genuinely moved me and made me proud when he signed off the London 2012 Games as chairman with the words: "When our time came, Britain, we did it right."

The speech of the night on Sunday, though, went to Martine Wright, who won the Helen Rollason award as someone who has shown "outstanding achievement in the face of adversity".

Wright's story will forever be intertwined with London 2012. On 6 July 2005, when it was announced by IOC chairman Jacques Rogge that London would host the Olympics seven years later, Wright went out for a few drinks with her work colleagues in celebration.

The following day, running late and attempting to take a shorter route to her office, Wright was caught up in the 7/7 bombings which would kill 52 people.

Wright lost both her legs at Aldgate tube station, and was lucky not to lose her life. Ever since, she considered it her destiny to be part of the London 2012 Games.

That dream was not to go unfulfilled and she qualified as a Paralympics GB team member as a sitting volleyball player.

And there was surely not a dry eye in the house as Wright said: "Thank you all so much for an absolutely fantastic summer."

To which I say - no, thank you for being part of it, Martine.