SPORTS AWARDS: Treble chance for Taylor and his talented team

Tonight’s the night . . . the night when 11 winners will be announced in the Peterborough Telegraph Sports Awards.
Rob Taylor (right) could win three awards.Rob Taylor (right) could win three awards.
Rob Taylor (right) could win three awards.

And as the drama unfolds at the city’s Holiday Inn, one man could be toasting an unprecedented treble.

That’s martial arts expert Rob Taylor, who runs a thriving Peterborough club called TASK (Taylor’s Academy of Sport Karate) and who is a seven-times world kick-boxing champion.

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Peterborough Telegraph readers have voted him into the top three in Sportsman of the Year, a prize he collected 12 months ago, and in Coach of the Year, and he and his team of top fighters at TASK have also made the final in the Team of the Year category.

Carl Johnson (right) is a contender for Sports Personality of the Year.Carl Johnson (right) is a contender for Sports Personality of the Year.
Carl Johnson (right) is a contender for Sports Personality of the Year.

It could also be a big night for City of Peterborough Swimming Club (COPS) and Netherton United FC.

COPS have no less than five finalists with Amelia Monaghan, a double British champion, leading the charge in Sportswoman of the Year. Last year she was voted Junior Sportswoman of the Year.

COPS also have a contender for the big Sports Personality of the Year prize with their national open water champion Jamie Scholes doing battle against successful Panthers speedway team manager Carl Johnson and long-serving Phantoms ice hockey captain James Ferrara.

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Netherton won four trophies last season and that’s earned them a place in the top three for the Team of the Year gong.

COPS swimmers are up for five awards.COPS swimmers are up for five awards.
COPS swimmers are up for five awards.

Their manager Jon Harrison is also up for Coach of the Year and two of the side’s star players - Mark Baines and Tommy Randall - are in the running for Footballer of the Year.

Up against Baines and Randall is Jess Driscoll from Peterborough United Ladies and she’ll be hoping to make it third time lucky for the fairer sex.

Last year Peterborough Northern Star’s Cassie Steward was voted Footballer of the Year and the year before that it was Jodie Bartle, also from Northern Star.

Athletics, rowing and rugby all have two finalists.

Kev Sanders (left) is a Lifetime Achievement Award finalist.Kev Sanders (left) is a Lifetime Achievement Award finalist.
Kev Sanders (left) is a Lifetime Achievement Award finalist.
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Represting athletics are Peterborough Athletic Club’s popular distance runner Phil Martin in Sportsman of the Year and ace hurdler Freddie Fraser from Nene Valley Harriers in Junior Sports Personality of the Year while the rugger boys in contention are Peterborough Lions forward Tom Lewis (Sportsman of the Year) and Peterborough Rugby Club’s hard-working junior coach and fixture secretary Simon Potter (Unsung Hero).

Peterborough City Rowing Club duo Alice Mason and Kathryn Lindgren are up against footballer Will Palmer for the Disabled Achiever of the Year prize.

The new Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by the Army’s ‘Desert Rats’, is a battle between highly respected martial arts instructor Ian Parker, football servant Tommy Flynn and boxing guru Kevin Sanders.

SPORTS AWARDS FINALISTS

SPORTS PERSONALITY

OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by the Peterborough Telegraph

Jamie Scholes

Carl Johnson

James Ferrara

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

AWARD

Sponsored by 7 Infantry Brigade and HQ East ‘The Desert Rats’

Kevin Sanders

Tommy Flynn

Ian Parker

SPORTSMAN OF

THE YEAR

Sponsored by RA Baker Glaziers

Rob Taylor

Tom Lewis

Phil Martin

SPORTSWOMAN OF

THE YEAR

Sponsored by Moore Steel Developments

Amelia Monaghan

Kenzie Whyatt

Atlanta Hickman

TEAM OF

THE YEAR

Sponsored by Sports Ground

Development

TASK

Netherton Utd

Yaxley FC

JUNIOR SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Peterborough SportsAid

Harriet Salisbury

Freddie Fraser

Sophie Doyle

COACH OF

THE YEAR

Sponsored by Mercedes Peterborough

Michael Fox

Jon Harrison

Rob Taylor

UNSUNG

HERO

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Sponsored by The Peterborough Football & Sports Development Foundation

Colin Day

Simon Potter

Nathan Griffin

FOOTBALLER OF

THE YEAR

Sponsored by Smartfit Auto Centre

Mark Baines

Jessica Driscoll

Tommy Randall

JUNIOR FOOTBALLER OF

THE YEAR

Sponsored by Sandhills East

Lewis Sharpe

Dylan Enright

Luca Christoudias

DISABLED ACHIEVER OF

THE YEAR

Sponsored by City College Peterborough

Kathryn Lindgren

Alice Mason

Will Palmer