Spoty 2026 starts here

Jul 20, 2026 -- 1:59PM, stu wrote:

Belly has certain weaknesses though - plays abroad for a start, and is a bit more on the 'masculine/footy' side for the lady voters to bother with in this. Kerr far more acceptable for those ladies IMO.Can't ever agree that a Scot won't form some kind of Jock vote support - no matter what kind he is.

"more on the 'masculine/footy side' for lady voters" - Jude is the most popular man in the world amongst the ladies right now. Some watched England games just for him

But yeah, doesn't mean they vote for him. Insanely popular though

He has a chance for sure in this, just not so sure how good that chance is, compared to a world record holder and world championship winner this year.

He just hasn't won anything, and I'm struggling to think of many that won this event that didn't win anything. Giggs would be closest example potentially, but that was an extreme outlier, not a short price selection.

He might not even get listed, as they don't have to - though I think it's likely he would get listed. The two girls from England split their vote despite winning also. If Kane is on the list (likely too) then he's dead as a selection IMO.

Kerr wins 1500m in home commonwealth games
wrapped in saltire.... Probably

1500m record is a goodun, but he must have a crack at it, and perhaps that's the key to
his chances, but still a runner on mile record and commonwealth gold.

Everyone know the games aren't on normal telly?

Audiences will be tiny

Belly in team of the tournament.  Only brit

Will be some interesting test case potentially in this vote and year - a traditional male sport and fans selection vs a Scot holding a shiny new world record in a more female friendly sport of athletics.

We had similar in Littler v Keely, and the former won it of course. But, Littler was less generally popular perhaps than Belly. On other hand, he had achieved and won more than Belly.

Some interesting tests to come in this.

*Latter won it, doh!

Keely was watched by millions in a huge event

True but she wasnay a Jock either

TBH it's more important who views the actual SPOTY show itself overall IMO.

Some back to laying going on with kerr I think.

I'm not bothering with the first half

Joshua vs fury maybe more interesting in that respect. The boxing fans will maybe think they can sneak someone over the line

Some back to laying going on with kerr I think.

Yes, TBF did a bit of that myself - only sensible to reduce risk after backing.

Where's army - will he appear this year...?

Backing finucane at 1000, when he has 1 million green he'll appear

She's on for a comeback in this at some point!

LPM 260

Is there any cycling in the commonwealth krwap?

May as well lay the 1000 if not

When are you backing bellingham stu?  Sooner you start the better

Thanks to Kerr shortening heavily enough Belly for me is: 0

Prob keep him there, he could win it, but I don't want money on it.

She's 1000 even if there is cycling there IMO

Hammy piss poor on a weekend where he could have won

Some backers starting to like Kane again, for some reason...?

7/1 lpm

Kane 6/4 fav for the Ballon d'Or (world's best player award).

Fair issue yes - not sure why that means he should win SPOTY though. He probably shouldn't win Ballon d'Or either really...given several better than him at this WC, including Belly.

Does feel like both Belly and Kane will get listed for SPOTY though - and that is not good for either chance in it.

kane's clearly been the best player in the world this season whether he wins the balon d'or or not. sure if france or argentina had won the world cup he would have been struggling but spain relied more on team excellence rather than individual brilliance. they don't really have any big names who have stood out at club level this year

Not Yamal?

ddd

Sorry. Ignore me..

yamal was largely peripheral for spain and barcelona underachieved in getting knocked out by atletico in the CL

Still seems odd for Kane to be rated the best world player really, given he ultimately failed (due to high standards of course) at the world cup. Didn't even get a game in the last one, when Belly of course did and scored. Club level he was good of course, but surely the world cup represents world football most. Either way, he looks like getting it and a SPOTY nom.

Can someone get Billy listed ?

Quite obviously, Auntie hates horse racing, but Billy is odds on to be champion @20, abundant charisma, on a peoples' horse that might well go to the Breeders' Cup, and the field in this so far is tish. There would definitely be support from the industry, meaning the shortlisting is less likely, but it would be interesting to see the market price him up.

If Hollie Doyle can get a placed finish in this, he should be odds on

But he doesn't have her USP though

Not female no, but of good Irish stock ;)

With seriousness, his parents are great, and there's not much not to like about Billy himself. If he makes champion jockey, he should be a live runner.

Give owa man.  They're never nomming some Irish midget after what happened with the last one

it's a stretch (obviously), but people who have won something significant are pretty thin on the ground atm. and if he is champion jockey aged 20, I could see the sport/rp lobbying for a shortlisting. already has a profile with itv oldster viewers. plus of course, he is synonymous with the horse of the season and champion miler.

get him listed and you can lay me ;)

TBF he should at least be listed on BF, as we have great names like Harry Maguire, Bruce Mouat and Tyrell Hatton listed to win it

Hang on, where is Stuart Bingham - he has as much chance as each of those

I've kept 6 consecutive clean sheets at walking footy, just sayin

typo

There's no clean sheets with that cider

Kerr wins gold, 1500 record and this is done for the year

Couldn't have even been called a win for the gold - it was a massacre.

In a weak year he's got what he needs for Scots to push him to win SPOTY here - the beeb even owe him it, after snubbing his previous world championship title year. He's also one of few who actually won anything this year. Doesn't need another world record, he has one already this year.

Yeah but if they strike now and go for the 1500, this is a slam dunk barring something coming out of nowhere

Can't see another in the top 20 even having a chance to do anything

His biggest dangers are both the England footie players, and if they'd won the WC, or even finaled, I probably wouldn't be backing Kerr. But they have the weaknesses of not winning enough, and being in a clear split vote situation likely. With some Scot vote practically a guarantee for Kerr, + plenty general athletics fans who will recognise his wins and record all achieved this year, I think he's already close to a slam dunk personally.

The ghost of a previous army train arrives on the scene...Finucane suddenly in double figures!

Amy hunt could be low by the weekend if ending up with 4 golds

18 into 5 today

Down to evens now, be 1.2 by tomorrow night

Doubt it

1.2 would be very silly, but there's no doubt she's taken this market apart...

Agreed. This Academic badass could do it!

I was of course joking about 1.2 but it's hard to see her beat atm. Though 2 athletes and 2 ballers at the top is def split vote potential.

Her comments on bbc having won her 3rd Gold bigging up her team mates was perfect for spoty.

Winning a 4th gold surely seals it

Kerr probably needs to break 1500 wr, but avoiding euros might cost him a decent run at spoty.

yeah 1500 record and we might get a good lay price but no way a cocky scot/yank beats a women winning 4 golds

As always, the only thing that matters is the price; with four months to go, who knows what yet to happen and for recency bias to exert ever less influence, gotta lay some of it

Oops, forgot to mention that price is 1.71

A cocky female cambridge grad living in italy. They must still be jizzzing over at bbc towers. Only lacking one thing.

It's still pretty hard to adjust to the new world of spoty now where events like european letics championships are considered important. I was AO green from laying the ballers short, so not pocket talking.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2026 -- Winner

64 Runners            £94,044 Matched

			109.5%		94.2%
Amy Hunt	1.75	1.76	1.77		1.78	1.79	1.82	£13,037
	£38	£7	£17		£57	£102	£18
Luke Littler	9.4	9.6	10		10.5	11.5	12	£3,687
	£10	£5	£5		£2	£2	£2
Harry Kane	12	12.5	13		16	21	22	£14,335
	£15	£2	£2		£2	£1	£5
Josh Kerr	11.5	12	12.5		13.5	14.5	23	£11,318
	£4	£16	£2		£2	£1	£1
Matt Weston	15	16	18.5		26	29	75	£13,837
	£3	£1	£1		£12	£4	£42
Lewis Hamiliton	22	23	24		29	30	70	£2,092
	£4	£3	£2		£10	£5	£2
Jude Bellingham	19	21	22		25	27	32	£9,982
	£16	£6	£3		£8	£8	£6
Rory McIlroy	16.5	19.5	48		180	200	600	£7,449
	£6	£10	£1		£3	£10	£1
plus 56 more runners not listed above, at odds of over 100

I think she likely wins it from here (no sh sherlock...) but maybe market now slightly underestimating Kerr - his fundamentals still haven't gone from him as a selection.

Interesting Littler still clinging in as a selection market sees possible...

Another toothy bird went low last year too remember...

Pat Murphy
@patmurphybbc

Amy Hunt seems an unusual sporting colossus. Hugely impressive , with a hinterland, who has battled through, against the odds. No wonder she’s favourite for the Sports Personality of the Year: a winner with a personality. Hope she doesn’t change.

Pat Murphy
@patmurphybbc
Ex BBC sports staffer, specialising in football and cricket. Waffler at sports lunches/ dinners.



https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/articles/clyqqxgrdqqo

Extraordinary this gushing article, laying it on thicker than even I had anticipated. I feel like we are in Emma territory personally, will be a coronation won't it.

She's hugely impressive in a daddy arousal sort of way.  Easier to look at than ginger jocks I think, I mean in my personal opinion, not sure how stu feels

In a year where there's pretty much nothing to get excited about it seems, the bbc have fallen on a narrative that will be virtually impossible to resist for them. Looking at the market, it doesn't seem like there will be any other high profile females short listed either. Last year I made it a 50% chance Mc would be their pick, Hunt I'd put it at 90%. Failed ballers, nah, Luke is just not bbc, Hunt has gazumped any other running people and others in the market are boring prior winners.

Typical spoty year, loads of deserving winners, most get forgotten after a few weeks.

She's hugely impressive in a daddy arousal sort of way.

Not sure whether the hetero male vote is much use these days GB, though a few of the ladies vote that way in these current climes I suppose

In terms of the 'ginger' vote - the jocks all get aroused at the site, male or female!

*sight even

Saffie Osbourne first classic winner ridden by a female jockey...should be odds on if Doyle got third in this

Josh kerr wins ultimate world crown

Guy he beat in commonwealth finishes 2nd.

Must be worth a few votes.

Post race remarks won't help, turns off the patriots

Post race remarks won't help, turns off the patriots

Amy 4th,and 4 golds

Josh 1st and 1 gold

Amy always interviews well, which wins her
a few extra votes.

Bring on the votes...

World Indoor Champ, World Ultimate Champ, World Record holder, Commonwealth Champ.  Scottish, undisputed world number 1 and possibly male World Athlete of the year (to be decided later), against the fave who failed to reach the final in the World Indoors, finished 4th and 8th in the outdoors beaten out of sight, was second in the Commonwealth Games and won 2 individual golds in a very sub standard European Champs.  There is no comparison on a sporting level at all.

The only other athlete who won Indoor and Outdoor World Champs this year was Armand Duplantis (who also broke the WR twice)

No Billy but Saffie got listed

Very logical Clyde, and a deserving winner in any year.

But it's a public vote.

2.34 v 5.7,...

Substance or style

Both Saffie and Amy being backed more because they possess a specific feature...actually rhymes with Amy's name (rude sorry)

According to rtv, the bbc or other legacy media didn't even acknowledge it happened on their broadcasts. Aside from everyone getting awfully giddy on the live show.

There were horse racing people writing emails in to say how good her price was at 16-1 and they were having plenty on. Dimwits.

Female is a massive advantage in current day spoty obviously, but I saw Amy Hunt was part of the pile on moaning about Sydney Sweeney in the media this week. She's like the weird science product for the bbc, a grauniad poster girl. Whereas Saffie was on the front page of the Sunday Telegraph.

Littler won't be 16-1 if he wins all 10 majors this year. Big if though and he was robbed by a bbc golden girl 2 years ago. Split track vote and split footy could see him go close. The problem for Kerr is no one will see him him now til December whereas Hunt will be promoted everywhere. Kane Ballon d'Or is only other x factor.

I've cashed up unless a pressing opportunity arises (like AO Saffie green). But as has been covered countless times, the bbc picks their winner. What are the chances of them picking Littler? Slim picking, pardon the double pun. Harry seems pretty unlikely too. That doesn't mean obviously money can't be made from the market thinking people have a better chance than the reality (such as the f1 dude in '25). The ballers this year, case in point.
I would genuinely have liked to have seen Billy listed for the trading opportunity, but he needed that wow moment of Bow Echo winning the Breeders' Cup to crown his championship season, obviously that's now off the table.

Saffie potentially a runner in this is the biggest joke really - even worse than Doyle, as she's 8th currently in the jockeys championship. David Egan is ahead of her, wonder what price he'd be in this.
Yes, she won one classic ride. So did several riders this year, who funnily aren't listed.
Plus, it's not even a sport.

TBH I couldn't see the beeb actually pushing for a horse racing winner - they hate it these days.

What are the chances of them picking Littler?  They'd be pleased if he won imo, because they want young viewers.  If they didn't want him winning they wouldn't have shortlisted him in 2024 or 2025.  What they don't want is an undeserving winner with the result in danger of being discredited by a campaign which is why it's now 6 people.

They didn't mind him winning in the break out year, as he was a cultural phenom. I'd argue pretty much impossible to leave out, and a tolerable winner. But obviously, he was given a back seat on the night. If they push him as number one 1st choice this year I will quit the forum for 6 months. Unfortunately for many perhaps, as it's not going to happen!

Jude Bellingham has been named England men's Player of the Year... Voted by fans online.

A British child chess prodigy has become the youngest player in history to earn the woman grandmaster (WGM) title.

Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, from north-west London, secured her third and final WGM norm - a certified title-level performance - while representing England at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) confirmed.

It is the latest milestone in a remarkable rise for the schoolgirl, who has already become Britain's youngest women's chess champion and the youngest person to represent England internationally in any sport.

Is chess a sport?

BBC article, so noted.

If the shortlist was 50 id still make her 1000 to be on it

Yeah, agree, but for reference.