Ron Atkinson Scoops Rts Sports Award

Three years after he was sacked by ITV for making racist comments live on air, Ron Atkinson sealed his TV comeback with a prestigious Royal Television Society sports award for his Sky One show, Big Ron Manager.

Atkinson's show, in which he tried to turn around the fortunes of struggling Peterborough United, was named best sports show at last night's awards.

There were also wins last night for the BBC's Hazel Irvine, formula one's Martin Brundle and ITV boxing commentator, John Rawling, who is also the Guardian's boxing correspondent.

BBC1's Grandstand, axed after 49 years this year, received the judges' award, while veteran BBC golf commentator Peter Alliss won the lifetime achievement award.

Irvine beat Steve Rider and Mark Nicholas to win the sports presenter award, while former formula one driver Brundle was named best sports pundit, beating Olympic champion turned BBC athletics pundit Michael Johnson and Cricket on Five's Simon Hughes.

Rawling won the commentator prize, beating formula one's James Allen and Channel 4 Racing's Simon Holt.

Atkinson's prize capped a remarkable comeback for the former Manchester United manager, who left ITV in disgrace after he referred to French footballer Marcel Desailly in racially abusive terms after a Champions League match in 2004.

He made the comments when he thought the mike was off but his comments were broadcast around the world.

The RTS judges said Big Ron Manager, made by North One Television, was a "hugely entertaining entry into a sporting world that sometimes beggared belief. It provided insight without ever being intrusive or gratuitous and had a big personality to open the doors."

ITV's university boat race coverage was a double winner, beating the BBC's Open Golf and ITV's Big Fight Live to the live outside broadcast prize, as well as winning the sports feature award.

Channel 4 Racing won sports programme of the year, while Eurosport's Plungecam, used in its diving coverage, won the sports innovation award.

BBC2's World Cup Stories: Argentina - From Darkness into the Light won the sports documentary prize.

Last night's RTS sports awards were hosted by Clare Balding at London's Savoy Hotel.