And the Winner Is: 70 Years of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year

By Peter Donaldson

And the Winner Is takes a fascinating look at the 70 holders of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year trophy. Together, their stories - and the moments that define them - offer a unique account of British sport in the television age.

Since it was first broadcast 70 years ago, the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) is a national institution, with the announcement of the winner guaranteed to spark heated debates in the press and online, as well as in the front rooms of viewers.

Why have more royals won than rugby players? What do Ronnie or Rory have to do to win? And should winning the F1 Drivers' Championship really trump gold medals at four consecutive Olympic Games? Damon Hill's mum certainly didn't think so.

Some of the winners, and the moments that define them, are cornerstones of the nation's sporting fabric - Bobby Moore and the World Cup in 1966 or Andy Murray and Wimbledon in 2013. But others are less familiar: 44-year-old golfer Dai Rees in 1957 or 17-year-old swimmer Ian Black a year later. Discover them all here.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1801507678
• ISBN13: 9781801507677
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Pitch Publishing
• Length: 288 Pages