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Fans of Oxford United FC are attempting to get the club’s manager Malcolm Shotton elected as BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 1998.
Supporters’ crisis group FOUL (Fighting for Oxford United’s Life) believes that a large vote for Shotton would both publicise the club’s plight and at the same time demonstrate their support for the manager, described by the group’s chairman Steve Hanks as "inspirational and unpaid". Shotton hadn’t received any pay for two months, until the sale of goalkeeper Phil Whitehead to West Bromwich Albion for £250,000 at the start of December.
Supporters are planning to gather outside Oxford Town Hall at 11.00am on Saturday 5th December before making their way to the Manor ground for the fixture against Bradford City. En route they will encourage everyone they meet to sign forms nominating Shotton as BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the voting for which ends on Thursday. All Oxford United fans are being encouraged to turn up, wearing club colours, in order to gather as many votes as possible.
It is also possible to vote for Shotton by e-mail to: sports.review@bbc.co.uk or by writing to: BBC Sports Personality of the Year, PO Box 98, London W12 7RJ. Forms can also be found on the Save Oxford United web site: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/2286/
