BBC director of sport Roger Mosey believes it is fitting that the 2008 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards will be held in Liverpool.
The event comes to Merseyside as part of the city's Capital of Culture Celebrations for 2008.
Mosey told BBC Radio Merseyside: "We thought having Sports Personality in Liverpool would be great.
"Obviously Capital of Culture was the convincing reason why we thought we should come to the North of England."
The event comes to Liverpool for the first time in its 55-year history and Mosey is predicting an open contest.
"The names being mentioned a lot are Chris Hoy in cycling and Rebecca Adlington in swimming.
"If Lewis Hamilton wins the [Formula One] World Championship he'll be a strong contender, obviously Andy Murray is making a late surge, winning a number of ATP events.
"If you then add all the other names people could possibly come up with, like Christine Ohuruogu, it really is an open contest this year."
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