Sutton Coldfield Sports Awards 2011

Boldmere Swimming Club won a hat trick at this year's awards. From left to right: Geoff Fowler (Volunteer of the Year Award), David Moorcroft, Phil Littler (Top Club Award) and David Price (who collected Tully Kearney's Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Physical/Learning Disability).

The Sutton Sports Awards took place at Sutton Town Hall on Friday 27th January 2012 and was a complete success. A sell out event, with a waiting list to attend, it has quickly established itself as one of the top annual Sutton Social events of the year!

Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker was David Moorcroft MBE, one of Britain's most successful athletes of recent times and rightfully recognised for his World Records and many sporting honours.

Councillor Underwood, the Chairman of Sutton Coldfield Constituency, opened the evening and introduced Body Beat who performed the first of two fantastic routines we were to see during proceedings that night.

Here is a list of the 2011 award winners:

Asda Sport in Sutton Award

We had 78 nominations submitted for this year's awards and Asda very kindly gave us £100 worth of shopping vouchers for a lucky person selected from the actual nominators of the entries this year. The winner for 2011 was Phil Littler of Boldmere Swimming Club which this year was not the only time representatives of the club would be gracing the stage that night.

The Birmingham Metropolitan College Junior Sports Personality of the Year

Matt Venables - Sutton Sailing Club

Matt is 15 years old and had a fantastic season with an awesome sailing performance at the World Championships in Dublin where he was crowned World Champion…not bad for a Sutton Coldfield Sailing Club member!

Nominees: Lulu Piovesana - Judo, Jemma Westgate - Modern Pentathlon

The Gomm Insurance Junior Team of the Year Award

Walmley U13's Cricket Team

They had a very impressive season winning the U13 Warwickshire Club Festival, U13 Birmingham Division League, U13 Warwickshire League, U13 Lady Taverners Midland and finished 3rd in the Lady Taverners National Finals.

Nominees: Boldmere Swimming Club, Four Oak's U10's Cricket Team

The Wilson Stuart Active Society Clewer Trophy for Primary School of the Year Award

Coppice School & New Oscott School

All Schools have developed an outstanding sporting ethos through delivering a wide range of sporting activities, developing young leaders and providing extensive, competitive opportunities for all pupils to experience.

Nominees: Little Sutton School, Moor Hall School

The Wilson Stuart Active Society Evans Trophy for Secondary School of the Year Award

Bishop Vesey's Grammar School

This school has extensively succeeded across a wide range of sports and has established pathways with many local clubs, 85% of its pupils experienced competitive sport last year. 11 pupils have achieved national or international honours.

Nominees: Bishop Walsh RC School, Streetly Academy

The Vesey Ward Veteran Sports Team of the Year

Streetly Men's O65's Veterans Team

They won the National Inter Club Champions and will now go on to represent Great Britain in the European Club Championships in 2012.

Nominees: Birmingham Mets Basketball Team, Sutton Town FC O35's

Four Oaks Ward Veteran Sports Personality of the Year

Tony King - Four Oaks Tennis Club

Tony has had an outstanding year in the O55 category winning titles at county, national and International level culminating in playing for GB who won the 2011 World Team Championship in New Delhi India.

Nominees: Steve Ashford - Judo, Mick Webb - Streetly Tennis Club

The Trinity Ward Volunteer of the Year

Geoff Fowler - Boldmere Swimming Club

Throughout his career at Boldmere, Geoff has taken on just about every role from timekeeper, judge, marshal, team manager, instructor, at which he excels often bringing out the best of the less confident swimmers. Geoff is Mr Boldmere!

Nominees: Linda Lord - RSCAC, Margaret Smolden - Sutton Coldfield Rugby FC

The Newhall Ward Coach of the Year Award

Steve Ashford - 2A's Judokwai

Eighteen years ago Steve joined the 2A's Judokwai taking the lead role in the coaching of Junior Players from the age of 2 - 16 years. These achievements have brought recognition from coaches across the UK, with the Club being known for the excellent technical ability of its players. In 2011 the current small competitive squad have consistently won medals at local, national and international levels.

Nominees: Jill Armstrong - Birmingham Mets Netball and Parkside Netball Club, Ashley Cox - Boldmere Swimming Club

The Sportology Senior Team of the Year Award

Sutton Coldfield Hockey Club 1st Team

They won the National North Hockey Conference and scored 85 league goals, which is the highest number of goals scored by any team male or female in the National League. They won the play off's which then secured them a place back in the premiership for the first time in 5 years. They won the England Hockey Board's Team of the Year 2011 and were semi-finalists of the National Cup.

Nominees: Sutton Coldfield Rugby Club 1st XV, Sutton United Football Club

The Tamworth Audi Club of the Year Award

Boldmere Swimming Club

The club was established in 1895 and has over 600 active members aged 5 - 50, including 25 disabled swimmers, 2 of whom are World Champions, whilst their juniors and seniors were National Finalists. In synchronised swimming, Ali Pratt judged at the World Champions while the water polo team are Midland champions and has an active workforce of 72 volunteers.

Nominees: Sutton Coldfield Rugby Club, Sutton Coldfield Hockey Club

The Gemini Lifetime Achievement Award

Sylvia Evans - Sutton Coldfield Golf Club

Sylvia took up golf in her 30's and has been a member of Sutton Coldfield Ladies Golf Club since 1968. She has also been involved with the Warwickshire Ladies for 21 years working on the committee and with the juniors since 1991. She originally started with 8 girls and over the years about 200 girls have been part of junior golf in Warwickshire, including Felicity Johnstone who has gone on to be a professional golfer and more recently Elizabeth Mallett.

Nominees: Ken Buswell - Streetly Tennis Club, Michael Long - Sutton United FC

The Green & Co Sportsperson of the Year with a Physical/Learning Disability

Tully Kearney - Boldmere Swimming Club

Tully represented Great Britain in Berlin and Dublin and has been elevated to the Olympic Diamond Programme. Tully broke the S10 classification 400m World Record and the S10 200m UK and European records in November 2011. Sadly due to training commitments Tully was not able to attend to collect her award which was received on her behalf by David Price of Boldmere Swimming Club.

Nominees: David Howles - Ability Counts Football, Jonathan Morley - Wheelchair Football

The Sutton Coldfield Observer Female Sports Personality of the Year

Rebecca Batsford - Sutton Coldfield Hockey Club

Rebecca is the number one goal keeper for the English Hockey League North Champions and subsequently gained promotion to the English Hockey League Premiership. She was selected for the senior England Indoor Squad that toured Poland in December.

Nominees: Vicky Woolford - Sutton Coldfield Hockey Club, Laura Unsworth - Hockey

The Eltom Sutton Coldfield Male Sports Personality of the Year

Paul Heard - Cycle Speedway

Paul represented the GB Senior Team in three test matches in Poland and America. Part of the four man senior team that won the World Cup in America in April. He won a bronze medal in the Senior World Pairs competition, which was also in America. He won the Home International in England in June and represented England against Rest of World again in England in May.

Nominees: Martin Farmer - Motor Racing, Alex White - Sutton Coldfield RFC