Journal Sports Awards 2003 (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Journal Sports Awards 2003

THE waiting is almost over. The polls have closed and the hundreds and hundreds of votes that have poured into our office over the past five weeks have been counted.

But there are still seven days until the winners of the 2003 Journal Sports Awards are made public.

Last minute preparations are being carried out to ensure our gala presentation ceremony at Salisbury City Hall on Thursday, February 19 goes with a real swing.

Once again, the response from Journal readers for our annual poll, was overwhelming.

More than 100 sportsmen and women were nominated for our 2003 honours and more than 6,000 votes - both postal and via our special sports awards phoneline - were received, ensuring the previous year's tally - itself a new record - was comprehensively smashed.

The vast majority of the area's sporting stars who shone during the past 12 months will gather at the city centre venue for our annual event which will begin with a review of the sporting year presented by members of the Journal newsroom.

It is the fifth time the popular ceremony has been held at City Hall and Journal sports editor Mike Turner will again be on stage, leading the newspaper's sports team from the front, as master of ceremonies.

More than 50 sparkling trophies will be handed out on the night, kicking off with a dozen junior awards recognising the tremendous success of the area's sporting youngsters.

The senior honours will close with the most coveted quartet of awards - manager/coach of the year award, the individual sportsman and sportswoman and the team of the year accolade.

The names of the winners are being kept a closely guarded secret, ensuring the excitement continues right up to the moment of truth.

Local businesses and individuals have again sponsored the various award categories, but for the first time since the newspaper's annual celebration was revamped under Turner's stewardship, the event sees a major sponsor, HSBC, on board.

Their representatives will be among almost 400 invited guests, who will fill the venue, ensuring an exciting atmosphere.

Although no tickets for the event are on sale to the public, five Journal readers and their guests will enjoy the VIP treatment at the ceremony after being chosen at random from the hundreds of nominations and voting forms received.

A special commemorative supplement on our big night will be published in the week following the event. But, for now, we present the full list of those in the running for honours on February 19.

As well as listing all of those nominated for an award, this special eight-page pull-out highlights some of the local sporting successes and events that made 2003 a year to remember.