Sports Personality of the Year: How to vote Earps!
Manchester United fans around the world can help Mary Earps to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award – but you need to be quick, because the window of influence is short.
Voting for the historic prize is set to open at 19:00 GMT on Tuesday as the live broadcast begins on BBC One, from Media City in Salford Quays – opposite Old Trafford.
The BBC Sport poll is expected to close before 21:00 GMT and that’s when the award will be presented to Earps or one of her fellow nominees: cricketer Stuart Broad, jockey Frankie Dettori, wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett, athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and golfer Rory McIlroy.
Vote for Mary to win the Sports Personality of the Year award here from 19:00 GMT.
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023 contenders!
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 15, 2023
🌟Stuart Broad
🌟Frankie Dettori
🌟Mary Earps
🌟Alfie Hewett
🌟Katarina Johnson-Thompson
🌟Rory McIlroy@BBCOne & @BBCiPlayer | Tues, 19 Dec 2023, 19:00 GMT. #BBCSPOTY pic.twitter.com/1JpHdqxO1G
PLATINUM EDITION OF THE AWARDS
The BBC's Sports Personality of the Year awards were first held back in 1954 and Tuesday night will be the 70th edition of the annual ceremony.
The top award remains a prestigious honour in British sport and the roll call of previous winners includes icons such as Bobby Moore, Sir Jackie Stewart, Daley Thompson, Lord Coe, Lennox Lewis, Sir Steve Redgrave, Jonny Wilkinson, Dame Kelly Holmes and Sir Andy Murray, to name just a few.
David Beckham and Ryan Giggs are the only United players who have won the award as Reds; Michael Owen earned it during his time at Liverpool.
Becks is also one of four United greats to win the Lifetime Achievement award, alongside Sir Alex Ferguson, George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton.
Speaking ahead of this year’s event, Becks has explained exactly why the award means so much. “It's actually magical,” he told BBC Sport. “It was kind of a surreal moment to be stood up there. Winning Sports Personality of the Year and, 20 years before that, watching it at home with my mum and dad, thinking I would one day love to do that, it was one of the proudest moments of my career.
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“Seeing Beth Mead win last year after such an incredible year for the Lionesses, to see her win was a very special moment. In all honesty, the best part of it is knowing you are winning because the people deciding who wins it are the great British public. And that makes it special.”
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Whether she wins or loses, everybody at United is so proud of Mary and the same can be said about our supporters, who have been wearing her goalkeeper shirt with pride all season.
The famous ‘Earps no.27’ jersey has been available to buy from United Direct all season and we can confirm it is our second most popular women’s shirt this season, behind Ella Toone.
The top five is completed by three more recognised England internationals in Maya Le Tissier, Katie Zelem and Leah Galton.
Visit United Direct now to browse the full range of women’s shirts.