Spoty 2026 starts here

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.

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

I'd still have her ahead of Dina Asher Smith.  Like what on earth was that all about!

Not been on here in awhile, this time of year is specials season for me, I’m not seeing anything on Anthony Joshua/Fury on this thread, the fight is scheduled for 11th December which could just make the shortlist with the last minute rules, obviously Fury has previously started his hatred for the BBC, but if Anthony Joshua Wins he surely will be a massive contender, he had the car crash followed by beating Fury in the best of Britain fight, and possibly retire after, would that be enough to swing it?

Probably only 1 male place up for grabs and would have to be a heavy dose of diversity and inclusion to get him listed ahead of 2/3 more worthy candidates.  (Littler, McIlroy and a second footballer) I wouldn't fancy him myself if he was listed (and the shortlist is as expected)  I'd be surprised if he beat Fury too.  But ofc he's a big price and there's no one getting a big vote.

My feeling on the shortlist is as follows:

Kerr
Weston
Kane and/or Bellingham
Hunt
Finucane probably or Osborne at a stretch
Littler, McIlroy, a second footballer, the winner of AJ/Fury, or at a massive stretch the rally driver.  Think an F1 win is virtually impossible now.

That looks about right, I don’t think they will put both Bellingham and Kane up as that vote share will be close to 50/50 I reckon, and Littler is a strange one as he deserves to be included with the amount of tournament wins this year along with his unbeaten streak, but his popularity has dropped massively so can’t see him winning if was included, he does have his TV show starting October 30th which might work in his favour slightly in getting shortlisted.

With the AJ/Fury I also give Fury the edge in the fight itself, but if it’s competitive and AJ wins I think he is in with a good chance, he will have the bias of the event just happening (probably still showing the damage on his face), he will have a great story in his VT about the crash and coming back to boxing, I personally think he will retire if he wins, Fury winning is a different story entirely though as he doesn’t want to be included, and doubt BBC want to go through that again.

Wouldn't be surprised if the rally driver gets shortlist given the bbc are covering it from next season

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2026 -- Winner

67 Runners            £146,449 Matched

			113.6%		94.9%
Amy Hunt	1.9	1.92	1.93		1.98	1.99	2	£44,812
	£60	£21	£37		£8	£18	£2
Josh Kerr	5.2	5.3	5.4		5.9	6.2	6.4	£17,107
	£26	£5	£6		£7	£13	£25
Harry Kane	3.2	3.4	4.7		6	6.4	7	£19,458
	£2	£19	£3		£5	£17	£4
Matt Weston	12.5	15	16.5		18	18.5	22	£14,917
	£9	£6	£14		£7	£6	£2
Jude Bellingham	22	23	24		38	40	42	£10,967
	£2	£3	£17		£30	£10	£6
Luke Littler	50	60	65		190	200	240	£6,414
	£21	£14	£3		£1	£1	£10
Saffie Osborne	50	55	70		160	170	180	£1,840
	£2	£9	£70		£2	£8	£1
plus 60 more runners not listed above, at odds of over 100

McIlroy is 170 to back

Anna Morris and Lauren Price other contenders for a second female nomination.  Certainly deserve it more than Saffie Osborne (assuming Price wins her fight next month).  Morris prolly deserves it more than Finucane.

Boxing, at the modern SPOTY...how very dare you all...!

Pretty abysmal record in recent years iirc.  Calzaghe was an undisputed undefeated champion who held 4 of the 5 "WC" belts the year he won.  So he can consider himself a WC.  Price is an undisputed unified champion so she can sonsider herself one two. 

You are not a WC if you win one of 5 or is it 6 WC belts?  That's marketing BS.  Anyhow if you are rating women's boxing on a par with men's (I'm not fwiw) but if you are, in today's equal status world then Lauren Price is the UK's elite boxer atm.  Arguably GB's best ever female boxer, but she'll have to prove that in the ring in future fights.

Morris, Finucane and Price are all Welsh.  Can't leave all 3 out surely?  Even a case for a 3 man, 3 woman shortlist.  Not that they have a chance if they are listed

Big move for Kane as he's likely to win the main soccer award tonight

Kane 1.88 lol

My position was laying Amy plus anyone I could who had no chance, and backing Kane(potential BD)/Kerr/Weston/Hamilton(potential WC) and Littler(potential clean sweep) keeping any potential fliers neutral.  I was on Keely early doors.

Seems odd plunge on Kane - he will have his supporters, but his voting issues have been discussed for SPOTY, though does this mean no Belly on the list I wonder? Not sure we can know that.

Except for the two recent girls, football has a dreadful record in this; Kane at 1.68 has to be max red

Just Gazza Owen Beckham and Giggs

Stu he was last nominated in 2018 and finished third in a strong year.  Kane's doing better than in 2018, in a weaker year, and he's got a lifetime achievement angle.  In that year Dina Asher smith won 3 golds in the European athletics Championships.  Dina set British records in both and world leading times in both events that year and iirc she was about a 100/1 poke.  She was undoubtedly GB's premier athletics star that year.  Amy Hunt is 11th and 25th in the world this year on times and been well beat on the global stage.  She's better than that, but not close to being GB's premier athletic's star and not even in the top 3.  You are counting on a highly ignorant vote, or voting for non sporting reasons to have her winning and there's no campaign, regional vote or lifetime achievement angle for the recognition of a great career.  In a lot of ways I feel it's similar to Chloe Kelly and Rory last year.  If Emma Finucane had followed up her 4 Commonwealth Golds with World golds, that would've eliminated any angle Amy had.  Be interesting to see if she or Anna Morris are.

Kane wins now surely. They'll probably skip the belly nom to make sure. Shame for my biggest green but good for my second.

Does this strengthen Kerr as Kane takes
votes off Amy, or does kane take man votes off kerr...

Suppose if the Scots are up for it too.

i know people in team sports have a poor record in this but on the face it it would be odd having won a vote of foreign pundits in by far the most popular and competitive sport on the planet he then can't win a vote on home soil in an exceptionally weak year

He might well win it, but it's all about the price and I just think he'll drift between now and the day

There's only one event left that could affect the result.  Other than that the only determining factor is the shortlist itself.  Kane will shorten further imo unless Bellingham is shortlisted too, and even then I still think Kane will probably win.

Worth noting also that Kane will beat Shilton's England cap record against Croatia and equal the CL scoring record if he scores against Athletico and beat it if he follows up against Lille, so he's going to remain very much in the public eye

Kane is far more likeable than Amy too. She seems pretty false and big headed

Kane is 33 years old, at or near the peak of his illustrious, but soon to be over, sports career.

What are they going to do?
Give him spoty this year and invite him back in 5 years for the lifetime achievement award?
Or just give the accolade of lifetime achievement now, and give the spoty to a lesser mortal?


Answers on a postcard to....


Is it worth opposing him at these odds?

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2026 -- Winner

68 Runners            £190,496 Matched

			106.8%		93.9%
Amy Hunt	5	5.1	5.2		5.8	6	6.2	£54,367
	£53	£10	£2		£2	£17	£2
Harry Kane	1.42	1.44	1.45		1.47	1.48	1.5	£49,945
	£6	£25	£2		£16	£42	£2,500
Josh Kerr	19	19.5	20		28	29	30	£18,763
	£5	£3	£13		£20	£1	£13
Matt Weston	23	24	25		30	32	34	£15,995
	£12	£1	£2		£20	£2	£58
Jude Bellingham	75	80	85		450	500	550	£11,308
	£20	£1	£1		£1	£1	£19
plus 63 more runners not listed above, at odds of over 100

I've opposed him, but not by laying but backing Kerr and Hunt - if he gets beat it will be either of those two.

Kane ticks all the boxes. You might get some movement, but nobody is beating him.

BBC announce changes to spoty this year.

New awards for male and female footballer of the year.

What they gonna do, Give Kane 3 awards? (lifetime, male footballer and spoty)

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2026 -- Winner

69 Runners            £204,669 Matched

			107.8%		97.3%
Harry Kane	1.38	1.39	1.4		1.43	1.44	1.45	£61,101
	£200	£17	£9		£2	£15	£2,510
Amy Hunt	5.6	5.8	5.9		6.2	6.6	6.8	£55,951
	£10	£8	£4		£7	£31	£60
Josh Kerr	16	17	17.5		18.5	19	21	£19,081
	£1	£20	£2		£1	£3	£5
Matt Weston	14.5	19.5	21		25	26	30	£16,385
	£2	£2	£41		£1	£8	£4
plus 65 more runners not listed above, at odds of over 100

Messi must be the big fave for the Lifetime Award, or even the narcissist Ronaldo.  I don't think Kane is in that conversation personally

I think these extra awards are due to diversity.  Two years running with an all white shortlist wouldn't sit well with the BBC

Jimmy Anderson surely a very good chance of getting the Lifetime Award too

Surely giving him a footy award could damage his overall vote for the win - all the 'floating' vote thinks, well he's just got one...

But surely Bellingham would win that. Kane went missing in the qf, sf and 3rd place game. Bonkers how he's fav for this, never mind winning ballon d'or. He scores a lot of goals, but a third are penalties and he's pretty one dimensional otherwise. He's a limited player at best, albeit this award is not about that.

"He's a limited player at best"

https://www.instagram.com/reel/De_p0sPOYlH/?cplk=dmUxOHdicGRxMjR5

Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or, and the replies all say penalties and a weak league. We checked his whole season.

Bayern 2025/26, all competitions:
61 goals. 17 were penalties, so 44 without them. Mbappé scored 42 for Real Madrid, penalties included.
In the Bundesliga he scored 16 against the bottom half of the table and 20 against the top half.
In the Champions League he scored in all four knockout games against Real Madrid and PSG.
At the Bernabéu he scored a chance rated 7%.

Without penalties, his league and Champions League chances were worth about 23 goals. He scored 36, about 13 more than expected. Mbappé beat his chances by about 4, Haaland by 2.
13 of those goals came from chances under 10%. Haaland scored 4.

Haaland gets the best chances. Kane scores the ones nobody else does

He's a brilliant player and England's greatest ever player.  A 6 a 10 and a 9 all rolled into one.  He's produced great numbers for 13 years on the bounce.  39 more goals than any other England player.  Rooney Lineker Shearer all took pens.  All the current top strikers take penalties.  Kane has a better record at penalties than all of them.

Is he a showboater?  No.  Has he got Mbappe's pace or dribbling ability?  No.  Is he better at passing shooting and heading than Mbappe?  Yes.  Is he a team player and a leader on and off the pitch?  Yes

Give your head a wobble KIMBLE

Meant to say England's greatest ever striker not player, but he has a good argument to be considered the best player.

The 2nd fave in this market is 25th fastest in the world at 100m this year and 11th fastest at 200m

Limited player wins Balon d'or

Can't win. Striker doesn't score, he's crap. Striker does his job, he's no good at anything else :):)

'Limited player at best' is a classic
Won the Balon d'or

Haha not much bias on here

know amy hunt only won very low grade european medals but didn't think she was that low down worldwise. thought she was at least olympic final standard

Definitely Olympic final standard in the 200m.  Borderline in the 100m.  Only 7 can run from USA and Jamaica, and that represents the big majority of the faster athletes.  Following winds and optimal conditions can throw season's bests out a bit

Kane is a great player, but it is totally true his performance faded in the later part of the WC this year.

Isn't this year supposed to be a key point?

Kane has consistently gone missing in his biggest games, 2018 sf blank, 2020 final blank, 2022 qf 1 penalty plus a missed pen, 2024 sf 1 penalty,final blank. Worst was the recent world cup which is what should define this award, 1 penalty in the round of 16 and he was a passenger as they threw away the semi final. Bellingham was by far their best player this year but recency/english media bias always plays a part. He will still win it though