I'M sad to say that British sport has had a lot more losers than winners in the last 12 months.

We used to pride ourselves on being a nation which finishes first - but now it seems we are content with celebrating the fact we finish second or third.

Joe Calzaghe won the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year Award because he was pretty much the only outright winner we produced.

Be it Ricky Hatton, Lewis Hamilton, the cricket, rugby union or football team - everyone else has failed when it really matters at the last hurdle.

We should take a leaf out of Manchester United's book. Time after time they produce when it really matters - and they did it again at the weekend against Everton.

Other teams would have settled for a draw, but they just kept pushing forward until they got a penalty to win the game. It's typical of how they have played the game over the last 10 years or more.

If I had to pick out a sportsman of the year, I'd plump for Hamilton who has been a breath of fresh air in Formula One.

I've said before that it is a sport which badly needed a boost, and though he has been through all the spying scandals, he came through the other end with his reputation intact.

He might have the best car, but Hamilton's skill can't be in doubt and I think will be a champion this season, and for a long time to come.

My team of the year would have to be the England's rugby team, simply because they got to the World Cup Final without really having any stars in their team.

It has been a bad year for team sports, but the way they came together surprised us all, and they do deserve credit for what they achieved in France.

As a result, Brian Ashton gets my nod for coach of the year. It's sad to think that people believed he should get the sack before he even got started in the World Cup.

It's the world we live in. Lawrie Sanchez got the boot after eight months at Fulham - not that it should surprise me, I got the sack after six months at Peterborough when a new chairman came in. It's all money-driven.

The year's biggest loser has to be jockey, Keiron Fallon, who was at the top of his sport before being dragged down with allegations of race fixing and drugs. He is no example and the whole affair is a very sorry one indeed.

In 2008 I'd like to see Fabio Capello make a go of the England job and reinstate that winning mentality.

I'd love to see Andy Murray do something at Wimbledon and Hamilton take the Formula One title.

Lastly, I'd like to see Bury get some reward for the way we have been playing.

All the very best for the New Year, Keith Alexander