BBC broadcaster John Inverdale was back in Lincolnshire last night, November 11th, to host the Lincolnshire Sports Awards 2010, showing a lot of love for the city.
Inverdale, who began his career at the Lincolnshire Echo, says that Lincolnshire is more energetic now compared to when he was here.
“The University of Lincoln didn’t exist in those days. So I have to say that if I hadn’t had rugby to play in the winter and tennis and cricket in the summer I’m not sure what I’d have done.
“There was hardly anywhere to go or anything to do. But I’ve come back now and it’s so vibrant and lively”.
The broadcaster, with a wealth of experience in sports-broadcasting for radio stations such as BBC Radio 2, says that though there may be eyebrows raised about Lincoln’s student population, students ultimately give the city a positive atmosphere.
“I’m sure there will be an element of society that that isn’t wild about this influx of young people, but by God it’s transformed the whole place. It’s fantastic.”
The Sony Award-winning broadcaster believes that sports and awards events such as the Lincolnshire Sports Awards are particularly important in places such as Lincoln.
“I think it is interesting being here tonight and seeing how many people from this part of the world are competing at national and international level.
“Some of the people who’ve won awards tonight are actually the oil that makes the wheels of sport move in this country.”
He presented awards from seventeen categories, to a whole array of sportsmen and women from all around Lincolnshire.