Andy to help our search to find sports heroes of 2017

Right down to grassroots level, we want you to name your contenders

The Sunday Mail sportscotland Scottish Sports Awards are entering their second decade — and to launch them for 2017, we’re joined by the man who dominated the first.

Five-time winner of Scotland’s Sports Personality of the Year, Sir Andy Murray has thrown his weight behind the Stirling Observer’s sister paper Sunday Mail and event partner sportscotland’s annual quest to find the best of the best in his homeland.

Not just in his own elite stratosphere at the top end of world sport – and we have plenty of rivals for him to fight off as he defends his 2016 title.

We’re also shining a light in every corner of the country on those who keep sport alive in Scotland – the local heroes, local clubs and schools who are the heartbeat of their communities.

And we want to put them on stage alongside the icons they help create.

For every world and European champion, for every Katie Archibald on a bike or Elise Christie on skates, there’s a coach or a volunteer who has helped them earn that medal around their neck and achieve their dream.

So as we launch the search this week, we need your thoughts on the best Scotland has to offer from the podium all the way down to the grassroots.

In an exclusive interview to spearhead the launch, the Dunblane ace said: “It’s great to be involved – Scotland will always be somewhere I hold close to my heart, it’s always special when I go back.

“And these awards mean an awful lot to me. The people have always been incredible, most of them have been with me from the very beginning in terms of supporting me and I’m incredibly proud that I’ve been able to repay that support in what I’ve achieved over the course of my career.

“And I look at some of the Lifetime Achievement winners at these awards over the years and realise just how special a place it is at times.

“Guys like Kenny Dalglish, Sir Jackie Stewart, the Lisbon Lions – but if I had to pick anyone I’ve looked up through my own career it would be Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Chris Hoy. Both were unbelievably talented and incredibly successful in their respective fields. I always love talking about football with Sir Alex – he’s got some pretty good stories!”

Murray’s story isn’t too shabby in his own right – but he has stiff competition this year for the top award.

So who are the people in 2017 who have earned their place alongside him on our pantheon?

We need to hear your voice in every category, and the big decisions will all be made by our panel of judges before our spectacular awards night in the Doubletree by Hilton, Glasgow on December 7.

One of those judges will be the chairman of sportscotland – the national agency for sport – and renowned social entrepreneur Mel Young, whose Homeless World Cup project has earned worldwide praise.

He said: “Right across Scotland there are dedicated people working hard in every community to put sport at the heart of society through our schools and clubs.

“The 11th Sunday Mail sportscotland Scottish Sports Awards will give us an opportunity to celebrate not only the work of these community heroes, but also the sportspeople who compete on behalf of Scotland on the world stage.

“We are delighted to once again be sponsoring the Scottish Sports Awards and I would urge anyone who is passionate about Scottish sport to nominate in as many categories as they can.”

To do that, you can log on to the website at www.sundaymailsports awards.co.uk or alternatively write to us at Scottish Sports Awards, Sunday Mail, One Central Quay, Glasgow, G3 8DA.

If you’re nominating a local hero or your local club, tell us as much as you can about your nominee and why they deserve an award.

Nomination deadline is October 2.

These awards mean an awful lot to me