The annual Farnham Sports Awards – organised by Farnham Sports Council – were held at a packed Farnham Rugby Club.
Farnham Runners’ Linda Tyler was crowned the Sports Personality of the Year, and many other individuals, teams and clubs received awards for achievements in 2023.
The awards were presented by the Mayor of Farnham Cllr Alan Earwaker in the first half of the programme and the Mayor of Waverley Cllr Penny Rivers in the second half.
Two running clubs enjoyed success on the evening but the newer club, the Farnham Town Running Club, won the Club of the Year Award for the progress they’ve made since starting up during Covid-19.
The English Schools’ National Football Champions, the Weydon School under-16 football team, were deserving winners of the Young Sports Team of the Year Award and the Badshot Lea men’s first XI football team won the Sports Team of the Year Award for last season’s achievements.
There were joint winners in this year’s Sports Coach of the Year category: the inspirational Shane Carrington from Atomic Boxing and the passionate roller hockey coach Callum Piper.
The Farnham Sports Council aspires to give environmental sustainability a much higher profile in the sporting community and last year the sports council introduced an Environmental Impact award, which was won by Stellar Gymnastics. This year it was won by Chris Cocker from Brightwell Tennis Club.
Two talented young sports people won Sporting Role Model awards – William Stratton-Brown from Frensham Pond Sailing Club and Will Barnicoat from the Aldershot, Farnham and District Athletic Club.
Farnham Swimming Club are often in the spotlight at the annual awards evening and this year four of their young volunteers – Bronwen Price, Jilly Antrobus, Amy Lee and Holly Langton – were recognised. Each of them is inspirational to the younger swimmers in the club.
The evening’s show-stoppers were the Frensham Pond Sailing Club, particularly their Sailability section where club chairman Ivor Barrett won the Service to Sport Award, Kate Wyhatt was named the Volunteer of the Year and sailor Paul Phillips won the Disability Sports Award – probably helped by securing second place in the World Championships last year.
Farnham Fireballs’ 16-year-old captain Jacob Stockwell won the Young Sports Personality of the Year award, but the biggest honour was reserved for the Farnham Sports Personality Linda Tyler.
Farnham Sports Council chairman David Gill said: “We would like to pay tribute to all the winners and those highly commended on the evening.
“Farnham consistently achieves so much in the world of local sport, thereby enhancing the quality of life for many of our residents.
“A special well done to Linda – she is a great ambassador for the sport of running.”
Farnham Sports Council secretary Sue Keogh added: “A big thank you to Farnham Rugby Club for hosting this special sporting event and also to everyone who submitted the nominations.
“Without them we wouldn’t be able to have this amazing awards evening every year.”