YP Comment: Vote Yorkshire in BBC Sports Personality of the Year race

UNLIKE the glory days of Sports Personality of the Year when the great and good would gather to learn how readers of the Radio Times had voted via postal coupon, it's now very much a glitzy talent contest '“ in keeping with omnipresent reality TV shows '“ with telephone votes on the night determining the winner of sport's ultimate honour.

Vote Yorkshire in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Yet, after a sporting year like no other, how heartening that five of the 16 shortlisted contenders belong to Team Yorkshire – in alphabetical order Nicola Adams, Alistair Brownlee, Kadeena Cox, Jamie Vardy and Danny Willett. Although tennis titan Andy Murray is the runaway favourite, each of the quintet from God’s own county would be a worthy winner. And so, too, would those white rose champions who did not make the cut like Paralympian Hannah Cockroft, diver Jack Laugher and rower Andy Triggs Hodge.

It’s why The Yorkshire Post’s endorsement is as follows. Vote Yorkshire, keep voting Yorkshire and urge family and friends to do likewise so the whole country is left in no doubt about the public’s respect, and appreciation, for this county’s role models.