Royals Complete BBC Awards Hat-Trick

Reading captain and right back, Graeme Murty has received the BBC South Sports Personality of the Year award.

Murty is Reading`s longest serving player and captained the team throughout last year`s record-breaking season leading the side into the Premiership for the first time in the club`s history.

The Royals skipper pipped fellow nominees; sailor, Dee Caffari, and mountaineer, Rhys Jones, to the award voted by the public from Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Sussex and Wiltshire.

Two hundred guests bare witness to Murty`s accepting his award at the De Vere Grand Harbour hotel, Southampton on Sunday evening. Amongst the guest were 100 local sporting personalities. Murty received the trophy from Alan Ball commenting that his award was a ‘testament to the team,” and not to him personally.

Reading boss Steve Coppell was also on the awards list, he received the BBC South award for manager of the year to add to his ever growing collection of trophies. Coppell directed Reading through an unbeaten home streak that lasted over 12months.

Finally, Reading Chairman John Madejski was surprised to find himself honoured at the awards for his services to football in the Royal County of Berkshire completing a hat trick of awards for the club.