Ready for glittering sports award
Paul John Coulter • Published 22 Feb 2012 15:00
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JUDGES tasked with whittling this year's Inverclyde Sports Personality nominees down to just three in each category say they were left with a selection headache - because of the wealth of talent put forward for an award this year.
Thousands of votes again poured into the Tele office from readers picking their favourite sports stars.
They have been choosing who they want honoured with a prize for their hard work and achievements in their varied sporting fields over the past 12 months.
In the past few weeks the judging team, headed by BBC sports pundit Chick Young, right, have been hard at work narrowing the nominees down to the top three in each of the seven categories. And it proved an arduous task for the expert panel who were overwhelmed by the talent on display.
Chick, who returned to judge the nominees for a second year, said: "There are a number of excellent candidates in all the categories again and I was flattered to be asked back to judge this year's event.
"Picking last year's winners was a difficult but enjoyable task and this year has been no different.
"We enjoyed some great debate around the table and hopefully we came to the right decisions.
"We heard some really interesting stories about some very talented sportspeople.
"Inverclyde is an area that I have a lot of affection for and I also used to live in Langbank, so I have great admiration for the many talented sportspeople Inverclyde has produced over the years."
The 21 sports stars and teams in the running for an award will be in attendance at a glitzy awards bash in Greenock Town Hall on Friday evening.
A winner will be chosen from each of the seven award categories and announced on the night.
But Tele editor Anne Caine says it will be tough to select just one winner, such is the wealth of talent put forward this year.
She said: "It has been extremely difficult to narrow it down to just three finalists in each section - it's a shame only one person can win because they all deserve an award for how they have excelled in the past year.
"But there can only be one winner in each category, which will make for an exciting finale on Friday."
A limited number of tickets for the awards bash are still available from the Tele office priced £30.
The contenders
FINALISTS in this year's Inverclyde Sports Personality of the Year have been announced and, as the countdown continues to the glitzy awards night on Friday, we are taking a closer look at the top 21 in the running for a prize.
RUNNING king Andy Douglas has been there and done it on the track locally, nationally and internationally.
He has been a key figure for Inverclyde AC and the wider area throughout 2011, and is recognised locally as the top 10k half marathon runner in Inverclyde.
A string of medals and success in a list of races as long as his arm mean he is among the nominees for the Senior Sports Personality.
TABLE tennis talent, Gerry McCandless, boasts an undefeated streak playing the sport amongst colleagues, earning him wide acclaim.
The 28-year-old from Port Glasgow is yet to be beaten among workers at T-Mobile call centre in Greenock which has led to him playing at London and Manchester in goodwill matches.
His exploits also earned a slot playing in New York at an event attended by A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland.
Gerry has been nominated for the Senior Personality honour.
RUGBY captain Matt Gray has been influential for his hometown club in a golden era in the side's history in the past 12 months.
The Greenock Wanderers skipper has been an inspirational leader on and off the field of play with his leadership, drive and experience helping his Fort Matilda side gain promotion to the top tier of club competition.
Despite a stint with Hamilton, the 28-year-old returned to Wanderers to use his experience to help mould the current crop of young players into a force in Scottish rugby.
Matt is in the final three of the Senior Personality category.
YOUNG tae kwon dDo expert Amy Rodger is only 12 years old but has already amassed an enviable collection of silverware.
The martial arts star from Gourock is in the running for the Junior Personality award after a trophy-laden 2011, finishing top of the pile in no more than nine competitions throughout the year.
FIGURE skating champ, Ashley Mitchell, from Port Glasgow has picked up a string of awards and top 10 finishes in the past year to earn herself a nomination for Junior Personality of the Year.
The 17-year-old ice queen has competed at home and abroad and impressed judges in a series of competitions including impressive showings at the British qualifiers.
FOOTBALL rising star Ryan Sinnamon, left, did his country proud when he earned his first caps in the dark blue of Scotland.
The 15-year-old from Greenock earned a call-up to the Scotland under-16 squad to play in the Victory Shield tournament against England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
He played in all three matches, earning three caps, and gained a growing reputation after a trio of outstanding performances.
Ryan's bow for his country was after he signed for Rangers thanks to a good grounding at renowned local football academy First Touch.
TAE kwon do Coach of the Year contender Charles Boyle, inset, right, has personally racked up close to 100 first place rankings in the sport, including 17 British titles.
The 41-year-old from Greenock is now passing on his knowledge and skills to younger generations leading over 90 students through grading ranks in 2011 alone, as well as helping the local club to gain recognition from British and International bodies.
GYMNASTICS stalwart Christine Anderson, far left, has been described as a 'pillar' of athletics in Inverclyde as she continues to unearth a wealth of sporting talent.
Christine has spent many a year encouraging young people in the area to take up sport and get active, particularly in the field of gymnastics.
That dedicated work has earned the Gourock coach a nomination in the Service to Sport category and she is also in the running for the Coach of the Year prize.
NETBALL coach Claire Munn, right, inset, has helped raise the profile of the sport dramatically in Inverclyde as well as leading the local Clyde All Stars side to success.
Over the past year, the Greenock coach has been instrumental in co-ordinating a primary school netball programme involving about every primary in Inverclyde.
She helped mastermind Notre Dame High school's success during 2011 when all age groups won the Renfrewshire Schools Cup for both summer and winter tournaments - no other school has ever won all three competitions at the same time.
INVERCLYDE Athletics Club, above, is rightly in the frame for the coveted Team of the Year prize after another medal-laden season in 2011.
Gold medals were littered from the junior ranks through to the seniors and into the women's sections, with prizes picked up in cross country, relay and road race events, to name a few.
Inverclyde AC is now in the top three and well placed in the Team of the Year category.
Clyde All Stars Junior Netball Club Under-15 Netball Squad is the only club in the district but that has not stopped this group of talented young women shining in a host of competitions nationally.
Membership of the club is open to all young female athletes throughout Inverclyde from primary six upwards and with the support of the U15 squad members and input from their coaches netball is now played in all secondary schools in Inverclyde.
Among the highlights last year, the side took part in Netball Scotland District Competition against the very best teams and earned a fourth place national ranking following impressive performances at the tournament.
GREENOCK Wanderers are playing at the highest ever level of club rugby competition since the national league set-up started in the 1970s and the Fort Matilda side continues to go from strength to strength.
Wanderers have been promoted in successive seasons and find themselves taking on Scotland's elite in the Premiership.
What makes their achievements even more incredible is the club have progressed with a very young squad with most players a product of the Fort Matilda side's prestigious youth academy.
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SCHOOL Team of the Year contenders, Ardgowan Primary School Mixed Tennis Team, were crowned west of Scotland champions last year.
The primary five team of four boys and two girls beat off competition from across Inverclyde in the local schools tennis competition.
That triumph was followed by success at the west region championships where the school team beat off competition from seven other local authorities to secure the mini tennis crown.
NETBALL whizz-kids at Notre Dame have won the Renfrewshire Cup and summer tournament in every year they have entered and players have represented Inverclyde District Squad since 2007.
The current squad has had success in Netball Scotland's Scottish Schools Cup making it to the semi-final stage in every year since they started at the school.
Many of the players were part of the Inverclyde District squad which finished third best district in Scotland last year.
Players have also been called up to regional squads and one player has been chosen to represent Scotland at under-17 level and has her sights on competing at the European Championships next month.
The Notre Dame Netball team is in the running for the School Team of the Year award.
Inverkip Primary Athletics have triumphed in the Inverclyde athletics final for the past three years - the only school to have ever done this.
In the build up to last year's final they had to win their league which they did comfortably over three matches then onto the final where they competed against the winners of the other leagues and triumphed as champions.
Last year the team travelled to East Kilbride to represent Inverclyde again at the West of Scotland Regional final against 11 other teams.
It turned out to be an incredibly close and exciting final but Inverkip came out on top as the best primary athletics team in the west.
The side is in contention for the School Team prize.
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DEDICATED golfer Gary Havlin is only 2** but already he has gained adulation from junior members at Whinhill Golf Club for his help and support developing young players and the club's junior scene.
The Greenock resident has been the club's junior convener for the past five years and has been known to sacrifice up to six nights a week during the summer months helping young golfers and organising tournaments.
He also helps youngsters get to competitions and is never far away from a fund raiser or two all in aid of his local club.
That's a glimpse of why he has been put forward in the Service to Sport category.
LEGENDARY local judo expert Joe Doherty from Port Glasgow has not been far from a judo mat for the best part of his 69 years.
The Parkhill Farm man has been put forward for the Rona Boag Service to Sport Award and the Lifetime Achievement honour.
He has spent much of his life, since the age of 18 when he won his black belt at such a young age, competing, practising, training and teaching the sport he loves.
At the peak of his career, Joe competed in Olympic trials before concentrating on teaching generations of Inverclyder's at judo classes in Boglestone Community Centre, Port Glasgow, and in the Larkfield area of Greenock.
He has also served as chairman of the sport's governing body for the area.
Joe has made the final three in both the Rona Boag Service to Sport and Lifetime Achievement categories.
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SPRIGHTLY amateur football coach Larry Barrilli is Inverclyde's very own Sir Alex Ferguson with an incredible career spanning 58 years continuously - and he is still going at the age of 76.
Larry has been manager of a local football side since he was 18 and he is still at the helm this very day - now as gaffer of Wilson's Coaches FC.
During his managerial career he has won 12 league championships, reached 34 cup finals and won 23 in various stints with a number of clubs.
It is rumoured his late wife Nora once said 'choose me or football' to which he replied 'a pity because I liked you'.
Larry is still managing and is loving it more than ever.
Needless to say the tireless football fanatic is in the running for both the Service to Sport Award and the Lifetime Achievement prize.
athlete Lawrie Spence is arguably the greatest distance runner that Greenock has ever produced.
His first success was back when he won the Scottish Schools Cross Country Championship aged 15.
Further to this Lawrie then went on to become Scottish University Champion on numerous occasions and throughout his career he has won countless national titles ranging from the 1500m, 5000m and the 10,000m and many UK championship medals.
During his career he also broke many records and has broken the four-minute mile barrier on more than one occasion.
Lawrie was a very versatile athlete and as a result of this he is the only Scottish athlete to appear on the Scottish hall of fame in every distance from the 800m right up to the marathon.
Lawrie still remains the only runner from Inverclyde to have competed in the Commonwealth Games.
However he has not just produced the goods as an athlete, he is also achieving great success as a coach for the past five years during which he has produced two national champions and three of his athletes have competed for Britain.
He is rightly in contention for the Lifetime Achievement honour for a career dedicated to athletics.
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 22 Feb 12
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