feb 6 2008 sports personality birmingham

Great evening at the Echo Sports Personality of the Year Awards at the Echo Arena.

Sat next to one of my heroes - Micky Quinn, the ex-Newcastle striker who was guest speaker. Fantastic goalscorer and one of the rare breed of professional sportment who managed to combine beer, pies and top performances. We may never see their like again.

Also impressed with Sky TV's Jeff Stelling - a really charming guy as well as a consumate pro. Same applies to Mikel Arteta who picked up the top award of the evening and demonstated enormous dignity and Blue passion in the process.

His behaviour and patience with the fans was a credit to the club, to the parents who brought him up, and to himself.

In bed at 2 and up again at 6 to drive to Birmingham for a meeting. Birmingham in the rain makes me yet more proud of Liverpool.