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Mead nominated for Sports Personality of the Year

Beth Mead celebrates scoring at Emirates Stadium

Beth Mead has been named in this year's shortlist for the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. 

Beth's staggering year for both club and country included a career-best WSL season with 11 goals and eight assists, and she helped England's Lionesses storm to victory for the first time at a major tournament at the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euros, winning the Golden Boot and the Player of the Tournament awards in the process. Our winger has already racked up plenty of recognition in 2022, winning England Player of the Year and the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year award, and placing second in the Ballon d'Or. 

Beth's fellow nominees for 2022's Sports Personality of the Year include gymnast Jessica Gadirova, curler Eve Muirhead, cricketer Ben Stokes, snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan and middle-distance runner Jake Wightman. 

The awards ceremony, presented by Gary Lineker, Gabby Logan, Clare Balding, and our very own Alex Scott, takes place on Wednesday, December 21. It will be broadcast on BBC One at 6:45pm (UK time) and viewers will be able to vote for their favourite via phone or online. 

Should Beth be announced as the winner on Wednesday, she will be the first Arsenal player to have ever scooped the top prize. Fellow Gunner, Jen Beattie, was awarded the Helen Rollason award last year 'for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity', as she continued to play for both us and Scotland following her breast cancer diagnosis.

Our Premiership and FA Cup-winning side won Team of the Year in 1998 and Theo Walcott won Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2006, with coach Arsene Wenger named Coach of the Year twice across his tenure at Highbury (2002, 2004).