Crystal Palace (basketball)

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Crystal Palace was a basketball team competing in the National Basketball League (NBL) and then the British Basketball League (BBL), until they merged with the London Towers in 1998. They played in the Crystal Palace Sports Centre and were the most successful team in Britain throughout the seventies and early eighties. [1]

Contents

History

In 1966 the Old Suttonians basketball club was founded by several ex pupils of Sutton Grammar School including David Last and Terry Doherty who both performed the role of director of the club in future years. [2] In 1972 the club entered the new National League as Sutton basketball club and finished third of six teams. the following season they relocated to Crystal Palace and became the Sutton & Crystal Palace club. Success arrived quickly with a league and cup double the very next season.

In 1975 the club dropped the Sutton prefix and gained sponsorship from Cinzano which helped propel them into being the best club in Britain. The team would go on to complete three consecutive doubles of National League and National Cup. [3] The team became regarded as the pioneers of UK basketball and their early players included Jim Guymon, Martin Hall, Barry Huxley, Mark Saiers, Alan Baillie, Pete Jeremich and Paul Philp. An incredible treble ensued in the 79–80 season and other players to represent the club included players such as Dan Lloyd, Bob Roma, Paul Stimpson, Mick Bett and Alton Byrd, the latter considered the man who revolutionised basketball in Britain. [4] Further success followed and it was not until the advent of Channel 4 TV coverage and big spending football club takeovers that Palace lost their mantle as top club.
In September 1986 Crystal Palace and Brunel Uxbridge & Camden Ducks joined forces with fixtures being split between the Crystal Palace Sports Centre and Brunel University. [5] Immediate glory returned to the club when after finishing fourth in the league they went on to win the 1987 play Off's but after just one season the club ran into financial difficulty and were forced to sell many players and change their name back to just Crystal Palace. [6]
Players from the highly successful junior programme led by Roy Packham and Mark Dunning made up the team along with a number of talented juniors from Kevin Hibb's Kingston Junior programme. Graham Hill, Derek Johnson, Brian Moore, Roger Hosannah, Derek Lewis, Paul Smith, Michael Hosannah and Adrian Cummings were notable juniors that made the transition to the senior team which was led by Daryl Reshaw and Shaughan Ryan.

Following the completion of the 1988 season the club dropped out of the Carlsberg League into the National League before failing to compete for the first time in the 1990/91 season. A return to action came the following season when Crystal Palace lined up in the third division of the revamped Carlsberg League finishing runners up to another former basketball giant the Solent Stars.
The returning Tim Lewis led the home grown talent along with Junior Peters Clinton ford, Brian Moore, Tunde Orelaja, Roger Lloyd and Adrian Jones. This team gain promotion two years running.

Palace1996.jpg


The 1993–1994 season saw Budweiser sponsor tier 1 of the league which as a consequence meant the National League was restructured moving Palace into division one where they finished Runner-up to Coventry Crusaders. The following season Alton Byrd returned to the club as player/general manager kick starting a successful season as they won Division One. [7] The league win was repeated the following year because Palace had remained in the National League after their application to join the Budweiser League (tier 1) was rejected.
The team continued the development of British talent. Richard Scantlebury, Neill Rickets, Andy Powlesland, Graham Hill, Adrian Cummings, Ade Orelaja and Time Lewis all becoming permanent fixtures in the team.

In 1996 a return to the top tier in for the first time since 1988 ensued. Transition back to the BBL was difficult, other talented British players such as, Barry Gooch, Jason Crump, Clive Lindo, Jimmy Markham joined the club along with Junior Williams and Wayne Henry. A lack of sponsorship and the retirement of Alton Byrd had a major impact on the club. The Club tried to hang on to its ethos of growing local talent, Graham Hill a former junior and senior player was given the coaches job but after two mediocre seasons and despite the best efforts of club stalwarts Roy Packham and Terry Doherty the club merged with London Towers and the name Crystal Palace (the most successful UK basketball club in history at the time) ceased to exist.

Record in European competition

SeasonCompetitionRoundOpponent1st Leg2nd LegAggregate
1973-74 FIBA Korać Cup First round Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Carad89-7876-97165-175
1974-75 FIBA European Champions Cup First round Flag of the Netherlands.svg BV RZ55-10765-87120-194
1975-76 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup Second round Flag of Turkey.svg Galatasaray 77-9183-60160-151
Quarter-finals Flag of Spain.svg CB Estudiantes 79-10787-87166-194
Quarter-finals Flag of Italy.svg Milan 89-8273-81162-163
Quarter-finals Flag of Germany.svg Hagen 96-8674-83170-169
1976-77 FIBA European Champions Cup Group stage Flag of Spain.svg Real Madrid
Group stage Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Federale Lugano
Group stage Flag of Portugal.svg Sporting CP
1977-78 FIBA European Champions Cup Group stage Flag of France.svg ASVEL
Group stage Flag of Bulgaria.svg CSKA Sofia
1978-79 FIBA European Champions Cup Group stage Flag of Spain.svg Joventut
Group stage Flag of the Netherlands.svg Leiden
Group stage Flag of Sweden.svg Södertälje
1979-80 FIBA European Champions Cup Group stage Flag of Spain.svg Real Madrid
Group stage Flag of Germany.svg Leverkusen
Group stage Flag of Denmark.svg Stevnsgade
1980-81 FIBA European Champions Cup Group stage Flag of Israel.svg Maccabi Tel Aviv
Group stage Flag of France.svg ASPO Tours
Group stage Flag of Greece.svg Panathinaikos
1981-82 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup First round Flag of Iceland.svg Valur 118-80104-81222-161
Second round Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Nyon90-9398-89188-182
Quarter-finals Flag of Croatia.svg Cibona 70-7497-105
Quarter-finals Flag of Italy.svg Virtus Bologna 91-9768-77
Quarter-finals Flag of Israel.svg Hapoel Ramat Gan 111-9678-95
1982-83 FIBA European Champions Cup First round Flag of Germany.svg Saturn Köln 75-7498-97173-171
Second round Flag of Spain.svg Real Madrid 89-8181-111170-192
1983-84 FIBA Korać Cup Second round Flag of Germany.svg Osnabrück 101-7658-60159-136
Quarter-finals Flag of France.svg Olympique Antibes
Quarter-finals Flag of Israel.svg Maccabi Ramat Gan
Quarter-finals Flag of Italy.svg Reyer Venezia
1984-85 FIBA Korać Cup First round Flag of the Netherlands.svg Den Helder 80-8977-80157-169

Season-by-season records

SeasonDivisionTierRegular SeasonPost-SeasonTrophyCup
FinishPlayedWinsLossesPointsWin %
Sutton
1972-73 NBL 13rd1064160.600Runners Up
Sutton & Crystal Palace
1973-74 NBL 11st14131260.929Winners
1974-75 NBL 12nd18162340.889Runners Up
Crystal Palace
1975-76 NBL 11st18171350.944Winners
1976-77 NBL 11st18180261.000Winners
1977-78 NBL 11st18180361.000Winners
1978-79 NBL 12nd20164320.800WinnersRunners Up
1979-80 NBL 11st18180361.000WinnersWinners
1980-81 NBL 12nd18162320.889Runners UpWinners
1981-82 NBL 11st22202400.909WinnersQuarter-finals
1982-83 NBL 11st24213420.875Runners UpSemi-finals
1983-84 NBL 12nd362511500.694Semi-finalsSemi-finals
1984-85 NBL 110th261016200.385Did not qualifyQuarter-finals
1985-86 NBL 15th281711330.607Semi-finalsFirst round
Brunel Crystal Palace
1986-87 NBL 14th24177340.708WinnersQuarter-finals
Crystal Palace
1987-88 BBL 115th2822640.071Did not qualifyPool StageSecond round
1988-89 BBL 111th2021840.100Did not qualifyPool StageQuarter-finals
1989-90 NBL 27th22913180.409Semi-finalsSecond round
1990-91Withdrew from league
1991-92 NL D3 32nd22184360.818
1992-93 NL D2 23rd22166320.727Third round
1993-94 NL D1 22nd18126240.667Second round
1994-95 NL D1 21st22211420.955Fourth round
1995-96 NL D1 21st22220441.000Semi-finals
1996-97 BBL 112th36531100.138Did not qualifyPool StageFourth round
1997-98 BBL 111th36828160.222Did not qualifyPool StageFourth round

Notable players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

References

  1. Matthews & Morrison, Peter & Ian (1987). The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records & Results . Guinness Superlatives Ltd. ISBN   0-85112-492-5.
  2. "Nicholas Harling. "Good win in new home."". Times. London, England. 7 October 1986. p. 46 via find.galegroup.com.
  3. "Men's Senior League Winners". Basketball England.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. "Where are they now?". sfgate.com.
  5. "Clubs join forces". Times. London, England. 4 September 1986 via find.galegroup.com.
  6. "Julian Desborough. "Players sold as Palace battle for survival."". Times. London, England. 9 September 1987 via find.galegroup.com.
  7. ""Byrd moves to Palace."". Times. London, England. 11 August 1994 via find.galegroup.com.

See also