Chance to nominate this year’s sporting heroes
The countdown to the Shetland Sports Awards 2015 begins today – and there is lots of incredible sporting achievement for you to consider.
It has been another phenomenal year for Shetland sportspeople with some magnificent highlights.
Prominent among the sporting memories for many will, undoubtedly, be the NatWest Island Games in Jersey. Who can forget the stunning images and videos which helped keep sports fans up to date with events at the games?
Shetland sent its biggest ever travelling team and came back with an impressive haul of medals – the most ever apart from the home games of 2005. That medal haul included golds for Faye Cox, Tamar Moncrieff, Kristi Grant and Sophie Moar in the Women’s 4x100m relay; Claire Wilson in the Women’s 3,000m steeplechase and Andrea Strachan in the Women’s 50m and 100m breaststroke.
Shetland FC has enjoyed a successful season, including reaching the semi-finals of the island games football competition. The team was also triumphant in the Jock Mackay Memorial Cup, one of the North of Scotland Caledonia League’s knockout competitions.The footballers also thrashed Orkney 6-0 at home in the inter-county.
The Ladies’ Hockey Team also did well in their knock-out competition, reaching the semi-finals of the Scottish District Cup.
Various athletes have had success at a national level. Charlotte Black represented Scotland in long-distance running and more recently youngsters Leigh Nicolson and Lucy Holden won gold medals in the Scottish Athletics track and field age group competition.
This week Edward Oldbury played with the national schools volleyball team (see report in today’s paper). And Lerwick runner Emma Leask won a bronze medal in the 800 metres at the Scottish National Senior Championships, held at the Aberdeen Sports Village in August.
That is just a small selection of some of the memorable sporting moments and the list could go on. It is now down to you to review the sporting year and make your nominations.
This year’s awards are again hosted with the support of The Shetland Times, Shetland Recreational Trust, SIC Sport and Leisure and the sports development agency, sportscotland. As ever, they are about celebrating success in the sporting arena. But all the partners involved also wish to congratulate those who work hard behind the scenes to make that success possible.
The event is as much about celebrating participation in sport as praising those who excel in their chosen
field.
Hundreds of sportspeople and sports fans will be at the Shetland Sports Awards celebration on Friday 20th November and
SRT general manager James Johnston is looking forward to the event. He said: “This has been a fantastic and very memorable year for Shetland sport, with homegrown talent excelling at the highest level.
“We will be catering for up to 250 guests and we are looking forward to a great night celebrating sporting achievements of all kinds.”
This year Shetland Times readers are able to make nominations in eight categories – Sportsperson of the Year, Young Sportsperson of the Year, Team of the Year, Young Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Young Volunteer of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, and Technical Official of the Year.
You can nominate by filling leaving a comment below this story. Please ensure you provide a name and address (which will not be published) and which category you are making the nomination in.
Readers can also tell us their choice via social media at either www.facebook.com/shetland.times or www.facebook.com/shetlandsportsawards. On Twitter use the hashtag #ShetlandSportsAwards and post to @ShetlandTimes.
The judges include representatives of all the supporting organisations who will review the nominations and select winners. They will also select a winner of the Lifetime Endeavour Award which is presented annually in honour of the late Rob Anderson.
Nominations are not sought for this special award which recognises an outstanding commitment to support.
But we do need your help to give the judges as broad a selection of nominees as possible to consider. Please ensure your nominations reach The Shetland Times before 5pm on Friday, 2nd October.
Once the judging panel has reached a decision three nominees in each category, or representatives of clubs nominated, will be invited to attend. Winners will be announced at the presentation evening, hosted by Shetland Recreation Trust at the Clickimin Complex.
Tickets will also be sold for the ceremony which will include food, as well as a sporting demonstration. MSP Tavish Scott will again be compere for the evening.
● Keep an eye on the newspaper for more details about the tickets.
Julie Kirkness
Would like to nominate the following person in the category of Volunteer of the Year.
Janice Johnston
Lille Burn
Aith
Shetland
For many, many years she has worked with netball throughout Shetland. She works each week primarily with the Westside Netball Club. The children coming to her club range from p4 to secondary 4. She also gives up time to take them along to league days on Sunday’s throughout the winter. Her passion, commitment and personality are a real asset to the girls she works with. She is a retired teacher but still gives up her own time to attend any school netball events.