It’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year time again and as the bookies have it at the moment, Lionesses star Mary Earps is odds on favourite to win the award this time around.
The England and Manchester United Women‘s goalkeeper has had a truly remarkable year, there’s no denying that, and has already swept up several other trophies and personal accolades over the past 18 months, let alone 12, so it’s no wonder she’s leading the race for Sports Personality of the Year as well.
Having recently added the BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year Award to her collection just last month, the news outlet and public service broadcaster has already made it clear how much of an impact she has had in her field this year and we all know how much of an icon she became this summer.
With that in mind, as per Oddschecker, various other comparison sites and pretty much every betting site in the country, bookmakers are tipping Earps as the favourite to win the Sports Personality of the Year for 2023. Just ‘Big Mearps’ things.
Earps is the current favourite to win Sports Personality of the Year.
Virtually every site we can find has the 30-year-old shot-stopper as a shoo-in for this year’s award, with gambling brand Betfair listing her as the 1/10 favourite to win yet another token of recognition from the BBC in the space of just a few weeks.
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With the full list of nominees revealed on Tuesday, the other names who made the shortlist for Sports Personality of the Year include legendary jockey Frankie Dettori, Irish golfer Rory McIlroy and England cricketer Stuart Broad, who is boasting the next best odds behind Mary Earps.
Having retired from the game following the Ashes this past July, he called it quits after becoming England’s second-leading Test bowler with 604 wickets to his name and is widely considered to be one of the best the country has ever produced — the award would be a fitting sign-off to a sparkling career.
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You can see the rest of the names in line to win it down below.
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023 contenders…
🌟 Stuart Broad 🌟 Frankie Dettori 🌟 Mary Earps 🌟 Alfie Hewett 🌟 Katarina Johnson-Thompson 🌟 Rory McIlroy
However, it’s hard to overstate just how much impact Mary Earps has had not only in women’s football but across sports in general, not only giving the nation one of the best sporting memories ever with that incredible penalty save in the Women’s World Cup final, but going far beyond that as a public figure.
Having taken on Nike following their refusal to manufacture women’s keeper kits and winning, with her replica jersey selling out almost instantly, the Nottingham-born athlete stood up not only for fellow players in her position but the women’s game in general, having inspired countess youngsters to get into football ever since the Euros.
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We’d be happy to see any of the names on this year’s list of BBC Sports Personality of the Year nominees take home the award, but if you asked anyone who the first person who came to their mind as a standout star this past year, we reckon the vast majority would say Mary Earps.
Our money is on ‘Mary, Queen of Stops’ sweeping up yet another bit of silverware.
Former Manchester City player Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer Joey Barton has officially been found guilty of assaulting his wife following his two-day trial in the capital this week.
Barton, who played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and a number of other clubs, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 25 March, following an incident back in June 2021.
The former midfielder left his wife, 37-year-old Georgia Barton (McNeil), with a bleeding nose and a bruise on her forehead following a drunken row at their home in London.
Barton is said to have grabbed and pushed her to the floor before kicking her in the head. Married in 2019, the two have four children and are thought to still be together.
The 42-year-old was still employed in professional football as the manager of Bristol Rovers at the time, but he was ultimately sacked in October 2023.
His wife called 999 at the time, telling police that he had hit her, but later retracted her statement.
Born in Huyton, Merseyside, the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring recognised that the one-time England has a history of violence.
He was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence, meaning he won’t serve time unless he commits another offence and has been ordered to pay £2,138.
Since dropping out of mainstream football, in particular, Barton has come under heavy criticism for allegations of racism, sexism and controversial right-wing politics; he even started an ‘anti-woke’ podcast called Common Sense with Joey Barton.
Back in June of last year, he was ordered to pay £35,000 in damages to settle a libel claim with presenter Jeremy Vine after a series of inflammatory comments made online.
The Radio 2 presenter sued Mr Barton earlier this year, after the former footballer wrote a series of posts suggesting Mr Vine had a sexual interest in children.
He also accused of threatening fellow former pro, Eni Aluko, after a torrent of abuse regarding her punditry online – the ex-England international even went so far as to say she no longer felt safe staying in the country.
The Hundred is calling for up-and-coming presenters to co-host this year’s tournament
Danny Jones
The Hundred 2025 is fast approaching and cricket’s fastest-growing tournament is once again asking for aspiring presenters to join their roster of co-hosts and help cover the action.
The fast-paced 100-ball format is entering its fifth year and next to T20, you find a more accessible and thrilling form of cricket, so it’s no wonder the competition is gaining a greater audience each year.
With that in mind, the need for a top-notch broadcast team is more crucial than ever but just like those who backed The Hundred in its infancy, they’re looking to invest in future creatives and on-screen talent.
Are you someone looking to get into presenting or know someone who is? Keep reading.
For the fifth year in a row, we want you to be part of #TheHundredRising! 🎤
So how does it work? Well, it’s pretty straightforward: The Hundred is looking for eight up-and-coming presenters to join their team of main venue hosts up and down the country.
Tasked with guiding and talking fans through an action-packed five weeks across all host cities, successful applicants will be responsible for building excitement and atmosphere inside the seven cricket grounds on each match day.
From player and pundit interviews to crowd engagement and interactive other activations with partnered brands, not to mention members of this year’s live music lineup, you’ll be a key part of putting out the top-quality sports and entertainment product they promise every year.
The best part of all is that no prior hosting experience is necessary – this is all about platforming you and The Hundred as a whole.
Successful applicants will be mentored by the main hosts at their respective venues and will attend a two-day workshop with special guests to get them ready to hit the stage this summer.
The ‘Rising Hosts’ scheme has been set up in tandem with their dedicated event production agency, Progress Productions, which will be in charge throughout the application and selection process.
Shortlisted applicants will then have their details shared with the ECB (English Cricket Board) who will be involved when it comes to making their final decisions.
It goes without saying that even if you just love sports or just want to find a way into the industry, this is an opportunity that is not to be missed.
Danny Jones -
12th December 2023 
