Sheffield gets Sports Personality

Sports Personality of the Year
Venue: Sheffield Arena Date: Sunday, 13 December Time: 1900 GMT Coverage: Live on BBC One, BBC Radio 5 Live & BBC Sport website.

The BBC has announced that the 2009 Sports Personality of the Year event will be held in Sheffield for the first time on Sunday 13 December.

The event moves to Yorkshire after a record crowd of over 9,000 watched Olympic hero Chris Hoy crowned at Liverpool's Echo Arena in 2008.

Live coverage from Sheffield Arena will feature on BBC One, 5 Live, BBC Red Button and the BBC Sport website.

Programme, ticket and voting details will be announced nearer the time.

Last year's event was watched by 9.8m people, who witnessed Beijing cycling champion Hoy beat Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and double Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington to the honour.

Sport Editors' Blog

" A number of the UK's top cities were very interested in staging the event but Sheffield was the worthy choice for 2009 "

BBC director of sport Barbara Slater said: "We are delighted that this year's Sports Personality of the Year will be taking place in Sheffield, an area with such a proud sporting heritage.

"Sheffield is the latest stop for the event since we began taking it around the UK four years ago. The reaction so far from viewers and those members of the public who have been able to attend has been fantastic.

"It also seems fitting that we are making this announcement during such an iconic event as the World Snooker Championships at the Crucible."

Sheffield council leader, councillor Paul Scriven, added: "The BBC Sports Personality of the Year has a special place in the hearts of the British public and Sheffield will play its part in applauding our sporting heroes and heroines for their achievements during 2009."

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