Local sporting talent celebrated at Wirral Sports Awards 2023
Local sporting talent was celebrated at the annual Wirral Sports Awards on Tuesday evening (17 October).
As well as recognising the peninsula’s best sportspeople, the awards also commended the huge number of volunteers, who dedicate time and service to their clubs, leagues, and associations.
The Mayor of Wirral, Cllr Jerry Williams - who is who is himself a passionate marathon runner - opened the 59th annual awards at a packed Floral Pavilion in New Brighton, saying:
The benefits of participating in sport for the health and wellbeing are well documented, so it’s wonderful to hear about the huge number of people taking part in such a wide range of sports across the borough.
And while it’s fantastic to celebrate the achievements of all those competing, it’s great to recognise those who work tirelessly in the background providing support, including volunteers, coaches, officials, caretakers and parents, to name just a few.
The evening was compered by BBC Radio Merseyside’s Ian Kennedy, who helped to announce that Matthew Jordan was the Wirral Sports Person of the Year, following his incredible top-10 finish amongst the world’s golfing elite at this year’s Open Championship in Hoylake.
Former West Kirby Wasps and now Chelsea and England Lioness, Niamh Charles, picked up the Outstanding Achievement Award.
Young Sports Person of the Year was awarded to Wirral snooker player Zoe Killington in recognition of her meteoric rise in the women’s snooker rankings and tournament wins.
Other awards presented on the night included:
- Club of the Year: Caldy Rugby Club
- Junior Team of the Year: Rakers Blue Football
- Senior Team of the Year: Oxton Mens Hockey 1st team
- Young Sports Volunteer: Patience Wood, Bebington Archers
- Coach of the Year: Andrew Soutar, Caldy Rugby Club
- Volunteer of the Year: Jon Waring, Vauxhall Motors FC
- Sports PE Dept of the Year: Clare Mount Specialist Sports College
- Secondary School Girls Team of the Year: West Kirby Grammar Yr 9/10 Athletics
- Secondary Boys School Team of the Year: Pensby High School Year 8 Football
- Primary School Team of the Year: Poulton Lancelyn Football
- Active Wirral Individual Award: Luke Smith, Clare Mount School
- Active Wirral Organisation Award: Energise Cycles & Home Instead
- Lifetime Achievement: Roger Flashman, Caldy Rugby Club
Special Recognition Awards were also passed out to:
- Alex McCrudden - Wirral Gymnastics Club
- Jack Tattersall - Birkenhead Trampoline Club
- Keith Marsh - Brackenwood Golf Club
- Kirsteen Eardley - Warriors Pentathlon Club
This year’s event was supported by Active Wirral and included headline sponsors Stagecoach, Liverpool John Moores University School of Sports Science and Liverpool One.
Proceeds from the event go towards the Wirral Sport Forum’s annual Bursary award scheme to financially assist young Wirral sports people.
Further information on the awards, bursaries and the Wirral Sports Forum is available from Wirral Council’s Sports Development Team on tel. 07876 577187 or email: davesimmonds@wirral.gov.uk.
