Newcastle Eagles

Last updated

Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle Eagles logo.svg
Leagues SLB (men)
SLB (Women)

ENBL
Established1976;48 years ago (1976)
HistoryEPAB Sunderland
1976–1977
Sunderland Sunblest
1977–1980
Sunderland Saints
1980–1983
Austin Rover Sunderland
1983–1984
Sunderland Maestros
1984–1985
Sunderland
1985–1986
Sunderland 76ers
1986–1990
Sunderland Saints
1990–1993
Sunderland Scorpions
1993–1995
Newcastle Comets
1995–1996
Newcastle Eagles
1996–present
Arena Vertu Motors Arena
Capacity3,000
Location Newcastle upon Tyne
Team coloursBlack, gold, white
Main sponsorNewcastle Foodbank
Head coachMarc Steutel
Ownership Paul Blake, Ken Nottage
2021/22 position9
ChampionshipsMen:
7 BBL Championship
7 BBL Playoffs
6 BBL Cup
7 BBL Trophy
1 National Cup
Woman:
1 WBBL Playoffs
Website newcastle-eagles.com

The Newcastle Eagles are a professional basketball club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. They play in Super League Basketball, the top-tier professional basketball league in Britain for men and women. They are the most successful club in the history of British men's professional basketball, with 28 national titles as of 2024.

Contents

The Eagles moved into their own purpose-built arena, the Eagles Community Arena (known as the Vertu Motors Arena for sponsorship purposes), in January 2019 when they hosted the Plymouth Raiders. [1] Their traditional arch rivals are the Caledonia Gladiators, however in recent years a rivalry with the Leicester Riders has also developed.

Franchise history

Early years and move to Tyneside

The club's roots can be traced back to the founding of EPAB Sunderland in 1976. The club played in Washington at the Northumbria Centre under various monikers throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, managing a second place league finish in 1983, as well as two play-off victories at Wembley in 1981 & '83. [2] In 1995, the owner Dave Elderkin moved the club to Newcastle, to be known as the Newcastle Comets. [2] Soon afterwards the club was bought by Sir John Hall, then the chairman of Newcastle United, adding them to his Newcastle Sporting Group of the city's football, ice hockey and rugby teams. Hall's Sporting Club group was considered by most observers to be a relative failure and upon its dissolution, Ken Nottage and Paul Blake became the Eagles' new owners. The final name change, from the Comets to the Eagles, took place in 1996. Performances remained consistent with the club achieving regular top five league placings from 1998 onwards.

The "Clean sweep" of 2005–06

The 2005–06 season proved to be the most successful in their history so far when, under the guidance of player/coach Fabulous Flournoy, the club achieved a "clean sweep" of trophies, including the BBL Cup, BBL Trophy and Championship "double".

In addition, Flournoy picked up the BBL Coach of the Year and former Villanova Wildcat, Andrew Sullivan, was voted BBL Player of the Year. Flournoy, Sullivan and Andrew Bridge were also members of the bronze medal winning England team in the 2006 Commonwealth Games during March 2006.

Recent times

At the start of the 2007–08 season it was announced that Nike and Northern Rock were to sponsor the Eagles, bringing in more money to the club. Also, the signing of Richard Midgley gave great hope that the eagles could challenge Guildford Heat to regain the BBL League title. However, after a bust up with player/coach, Fab Flournoy he soon left to join the Everton Tigers. This meant there was no point guard and this led to the signing of Bryan Defares who could not settle in England and he too left. Finally, at the third attempt, Steve Leven (former NBA prospect) was signed despite his bad boy reputation. After defeat in the BBL Cup, then later defeat in the BBL Trophy Final the Eagles were in danger of having a poor season. Fortunately, after a miraculous overtime win against Guildford Heat, they won the BBL League Title.

At the start of the 2008–09 season they were strengthened by the signing of Trey Moore from Cheshire Jets. After an indifferent start, they embarked on a 17 match winning run to become the first team for nearly two decades to retain the BBL title, finishing 8 points ahead of Everton Tigers. They also reached the semi-finals of the BBL Cup, losing narrowly to Everton Tigers on aggregate before gaining revenge by beating them home and away in the BBL Trophy semi-final. The Eagles beat Guildford Heat at The Spectrum in the Final. In the play-offs they narrowly avoided an upset after seeing off Cheshire Jets 88–83 before beating Plymouth Raiders to form a match against Everton Tigers once again. Despite 30 points from ex-Eagles Richard Midgley, the Eagles held on for a 97–94 win, therefore winning the treble to cap off their most successful season since the clean sweep.

In the 2009–10 season the Eagles again retained the BBL title, finishing 2 points ahead of Sheffield Sharks. The league title actually came down to the last game of the season with Sheffield Sharks losing their last game of the season 97–95 to Worthing Thunder thanks to Evaldas Zabas' basket 4 seconds from the end. This completed the double for the Eagles who had won the BBL Trophy by beating 111–95 in the Final at The Spectrum. In the BBL Cup Eagles lost 64–61 in the quarter-finals to Cheshire Jets and in the play-offs Everton Tigers beat the Eagles 190–158 on aggregate in the two legged semi-final.

At the start of the 2010–2011 season it was announced that the Esh Group, along with partners Northumbria University and Northumbrian Water would be the new main sponsors of the Eagles. [3] In the BBL Cup the Eagles were beaten 204–182 on aggregate by the Mersey Tigers in the semi-finals. Eagles had won the first leg at home 97–90 but lost the second leg away 114–85. It was the Mersey Tigers who would beat the Eagles in the semi-finals of the BBL Trophy also. After a rare first leg draw (82–82) away from home, the Eagles went down 77–74 at home.

Modern era

Rahmon Fletcher was one of Eagles' star players, with three won BBL Cup MVPs. Rahmon Fletcher.jpg
Rahmon Fletcher was one of Eagles' star players, with three won BBL Cup MVPs.

The club repeated the feat of 2005–06 by winning all of the trophies on offer in a season for a second time 2011–12. The previous season was the first time since 2003–04 that they had failed to win a trophy. They lost 7 league games, 3 less than in 2005–06, although this time around they were only required to play 30 games, 10 less than in 2005–06. They clinched the clean sweep with a victory over Leicester in the play-off final on 12 May. A hat-trick of sweeps was completed in the 2014–15 season.

Eagles Community Arena

In January 2019, the Eagles moved into their own purpose-built arena on the Scotswood Road. [4] Success did not follow them there at first, as they crashed out of the BBL Trophy, BBL Cup and BBL Playoffs without reaching any finals, and finished 3rd in the BBL for the second consecutive season.

On the night of their first preseason game ahead of the 2019-20 British Basketball League season, the club was rocked by the announcement that head coach Fabulous Flournoy would leave the club after 17 years. Flournoy would join the Toronto Raptors, the then-defending NBA champions, as an assistant coach, reuniting with his friend and mentor Nick Nurse, who gave him his first professional contract with the Birmingham Bullets in 1996. Assistant coach Ian MacLeod was announced as his interim replacement as head coach. [5] In a season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, MacLeod was able to lead the Eagles to the 2020 BBL Trophy title, defeating NBL side Solent Kestrels, which had made an historic run as an invited team from outside the BBL by beating established BBL clubs London Lions and Bristol Flyers, as well as fellow NBL side Worthing Thunder.

In the following 2020-21 season, further success followed as the club defeated London in two tense finals to capture the Cup and Playoffs titles, recording their 6th and 7th titles in those competitions respectively, the most for any BBL club. The following season, however, saw the Eagles slump to 9th in the regular season and miss out on postseason basketball for the first time since 2000.

The 2022-23 season saw Great Britain coach Marc Steutel replace MacLeod as head coach. [6] The team continued to struggle, but returned to the Playoffs. Results improved in the following 2023-24 season, as the team recorded a 6th place finish in the league and made the semi-finals in the Playoffs. Newcastle also made their first foray into European basketball since the club moved to the city, entering the European North Basketball League for the first time. A strong debut campaign followed, as the Eagles finished 3rd in their group and advanced to the playoffs, where they narrowly lost in a two-legged tie to eventual champions Bakken Bears of Denmark. [7]

In the off-season following the 2023-24 BBL season, the league's operating company was stripped of its licence to organise the league by governing body British Basketball due to financial concerns. [8] A consortium of the participating clubs was issued a 3-year interim licence to organise a new league, which was christened Super League Basketball, and replaced the BBL as the premier professional league in Britain. [9]

Home venues

Season-by-season records

Seasons 1976-1996
SeasonDivisionTierRegular SeasonPost-SeasonTrophyCupHead coach
FinishPlayedWinsLossesPointsWin %
EPAB Sunderland
1976–1977 NBL2 II4th20137260.650N/AN/A(NC)
1977–1978 NBL2 II1st20200401.000N/AN/A(NC)
Sunderland Sunblest
1978–1979 NBL I7th20713140.350Did not qualifyN/A(NC)
1979–1980 NBL I6th1899180.500Did not qualifyN/A(NC)
Sunderland Saints
1980–1981 NBL I4th18117220.611Winners, beating Crystal Palace, 96-92N/ASemi-final (NC)
1981–1982 NBL I3rd22166320.727Runners-up, losing to Crystal Palace, 86-111N/AQuarter-final (NC)
Sunderland Saints/Maestros
1982–1983 NBL I2nd24186360.750Winners, beating Crystal Palace, 75-74N/AQuarter-final (NC)
Austin Rover Sunderland
1983–1984 NBL I5th362313460.638Did not qualifyN/ASemi-final (NC)
Sunderland Maestros
1984–1985 NBL I9th261214240.461Did not qualifyN/A1st round (NC)
Sunderland
1985–1986 NBL I13th28820160.285Did not qualifyN/AQuarter-final (NC)
Sunderland 76ers
1986–1987 NBL I10th24717140.291Did not qualifyN/A2nd round (NC)
1987–1988 BBL I12th28820160.286Did not qualify1st round (LT)Quarter-final (NC)Dave Elderkin
1988–1989 BBL I6th20128240.600Quarter-final1st round (LT)1st round (NC)Craig Lynch
1989–1990 BBL I3rd28208400.714Runner-up, losing to Kingston, 82-87Semi-final (LT)Runner-up (NC)Craig Lynch
Sunderland Saints
1990–1991 BBL I2nd24186360.750Runner-Up1st round (LT)Winners, beating Leicester, 88–81Craig Lynch
Dave Elderkin
1991–1992 BBL I10th3032760.100Did not qualify1st round (LT)3rd round (NC)Dave Elderkin
1992–1993 BBL I11th33627120.181Did not qualify1st round (LT)3rd round (NC)Dave Elderkin
Sunderland Scorpions
1993–1994 BBL I10th361323260.361Did not qualify1st round (LT)Quarter-final (NC)Dave Elderkin
1994–1995 BBL I13th3643280.111Did not qualify1st round (LT)4th round (NC)Dave Elderkin
Newcastle Comets
1995–1996 BBL I10th361125220.440Did not qualifyQuarter-final (LT)4th round (NC) Tom Hancock
SeasonDivisionTierRegular SeasonPost-SeasonTrophyCupHead coach
FinishPlayedWinsLossesPointsWin %
Newcastle Eagles
1996–97 BBL I7th362115420.583Quarter-final1st round (LT)Semi-final (NC) Tom Hancock
1997–98 BBL I3rd362511500.694Quarter-finalSemi-final (LT)4th round (NC)Craig Lynch
1998–99 BBL I5th362115420.583Quarter-finalQuarter-final (LT)Semi-final (NC)Craig Lynch
1999–00 BBL N I6th361026200.277Did not qualifyQuarter-final (LT)1st round (NC)Craig Lynch
2000–01 BBL N I3rd362016400.5551st roundRunner-up (LT)Quarter-final (NC) Tony Garbelotto
2001–02 BBL N I3rd321715340.531Quarter-finalQuarter-final (BT)Quarter-final (NC) Tony Garbelotto
2002–03 BBL I5th402515500.625Semi-finalSemi-final (BT)Quarter-final (NC) Fab Flournoy
2003–04 BBL I6th361818360.500Quarter-final1st round (BT)Quarter-final (BC) Fab Flournoy
2004–05 BBL I2nd40319620.775Winners, beating Chester, 78–75Winners, beating Brighton, 85–60Quarter-final (BC) Fab Flournoy
2005–06 BBL I1st403010600.750Winners, beating Scottish, 83–68Winners, beating Leicester, 71–50Winners, beating London, 83–69 Fab Flournoy
2006–07 BBL I3rd362511500.694Winners, beating Scottish, 95–82Runner-up (BT)Semi-final (BC) Fab Flournoy
2007–08 BBL I1st33294580.878Semi-finalRunner-up (BT)Runner-up (BC) Fab Flournoy
2008–09 BBL I1st33285560.848Winners, beating Everton, 87–84Winners, beating Guildford, 83–71Semi-final (BC) Fab Flournoy
2009–10 BBL I1st36315620.861Semi-finalWinners, beating Cheshire, 115–95Quarter-final (BC) Fab Flournoy
2010–11 BBL I2nd33249480.727Semi-finalSemi-final (BT)Semi-final (BC) Fab Flournoy
2011–12 BBL I1st30237460.733Winners, beating Leicester, 71–62Winners, beating Plymouth, 184–177 agg.Winners, beating Plymouth, 115–94 Fab Flournoy
2012–13 BBL I2nd33258500.758Runners-upQuarter-final (BT)Runner-up (BC) Fab Flournoy
2013–14 BBL I1st33285560.848Runners-upQuarter-final (BT)Runners-up (BC) Fab Flournoy
2014–15 BBL I1st36315620.861Winners, beating London, 96–84Winners, beating Leicester, 96–90Winners, beating Glasgow, 84–71 Fab Flournoy
2015–16 BBL I2nd33285560.848Quarter-finalRunners-up (BT)Winners, beating Leicester, 94–82 Fab Flournoy
2016–17 BBL I2nd332310460.697Runners UpQuarter-final (BT)Winners, beating Glasgow, 91–83 Fab Flournoy
2017–18 BBL I3rd332211440.667Quarter-finalQuarter-final (BT)Quarter-final (BC) Fab Flournoy
2018–19 BBL I3rd332112420.636Quarter-finalQuarter-final (BT)Semi-final (BC) Fab Flournoy
2019–20 BBL IRegular Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemicWinners, beating Solent, 96–94 OTQuarter-final (BC)Ian MacLeod
2020–21 BBL I4th301812360.600Winners, beating London, 68–66Quarter-final (BT)Winners, beating London, 84-77Ian MacLeod
2021–22 BBL I9th271017200.370Did not qualify1st round (BT)Group stage (BC)Ian MacLeod
2022–23 BBL 18th361125220.305Quarter-final1st round (BT)Quarter-final (BC)Marc Steutel
2023–24 BBL 16th361818360.500Semi-final1st round (BT)-Marc Steutel

Club records

Accurate as of 7 October 2014 (Includes BBL Championship games only)

Trophies

League

Playoffs

Trophy

Cup

European record

SeasonCompetitionRoundOpponentHomeAwayAggregate
2023–24 European North Basketball League ENBL Regular Season Flag of Lithuania.svg BC Siauliai N/A92-94N/A
Regular Season Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Basket Brno 87-81N/AN/A
Regular Season Flag of Latvia.svg Valmiera Glass ViA N/A90-74N/A
Regular Season Flag of Romania.svg CSO Voluntari N/A76-84N/A
Regular Season Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Liege Basket 100-92N/AN/A
Regular Season Flag of Estonia.svg Keila KK N/A92-84N/A
Regular Season Flag of Poland.svg Zastal Zielona Gora 86-80N/AN/A
Quarter Final Flag of Denmark.svg Bakken Bears 87-9292-96 (OT)179-188
2024–25 European North Basketball League ENBL Regular Season Flag of Slovakia.svg Spišskí Rytieri N/A91-84N/A
Regular Season Flag of Bulgaria.svg Spartak Pleven 75-61N/AN/A
Regular Season Flag of the Netherlands.svg Donar Groningen 67-63N/AN/A
Regular Season Flag of Poland.svg Dziki Warsaw N/AN/A
Regular Season Flag of Romania.svg CSO Voluntari N/AN/A
Regular Season Flag of Latvia.svg Valmiera Glass ViA N/AN/A
Regular Season Flag of the Czech Republic.svg BK Opava N/AN/A
Regular Season Flag of Estonia.svg Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits N/AN/A

Players

Men's team roster

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

Newcastle Eagles roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.
G/F 2 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ward-Hibbert, Joshua 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
G 3 Flag of the United States.svg Okauru, Mike 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
G 4 Flag of the United States.svg Bynum, Jared 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
G 7 Flag of the United States.svg Knight, Seneca 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
F 9 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Kandé, Sauveur 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
F/C 13 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Defoe, Darius  (C)6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
F 15 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Long, Cole 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
F/C 22 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Delpeche, Malcolm 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
G 23 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Spencer, Jordan 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
F 25 Flag of the United States.svg Allen-Eikens, De'Sean 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
F/C 88 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Neighbour, Will 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured
Updated: 1 October 2024

Women's team roster

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

Newcastle Eagles roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.
G 1 Flag of the United States.svg Currence, Kendall 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
G 2 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Birkett, Sarah 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
F 3 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Gaynor, Chloe 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
G 4 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Willis, Zoe 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
G 8 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bland, Rachael 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
G 9 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lowe, Abby 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
G 10 Flag of the United States.svg Saiki, Lauren 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
G 11 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Campbell, Alex 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
G 15 Flag of the United States.svg Hodges, Tierra 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
G 22 Flag of the United States.svg Swann, Lyric 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
G 24 Flag of the United States.svg Guinn, Jada 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
G 25 Flag of Ireland.svg Adeogun, Princess 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
G 33 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Hatch, Shannon 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured
Updated: 1 October 2024

Notable former players

To appear in this section a player must have either:

– Set a club record or won an individual award as a professional player.
– Played at least one official international match for his senior national team at any time.

Head coach

Stats correct up to and including 31 May 2024

NameFromToRegular seasonPlay-offsCupTrophyTotalWin %Notes
WLWLDWLDWLWL%
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dave Elderkin1987198882000011–33122433.33%
Flag of the United States.svg Craig Lynch19881990321613012–612403351.94%
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dave Elderkin199119952610900014–393012219.74%
Flag of the United States.svg Tom Hancock 19951997324012032–27385142.70%
Flag of the United States.svg Craig Lynch19972000565224023–1110716950.71%
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tony Garbelotto 20002002373112022–105504055.55%
Flag of the United States.svg Fabulous Flournoy 200220194171373815032131581654518176.60%
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ian MacLeod2019202235353111413–53575252.29%
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Marc Steutel2022-294324011–23345140.00%

Retired numbers

Hall of Fame

Staff

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheffield Sharks</span> British professional basketball team

The Sheffield Sharks, currently known as "B.Braun Sheffield Sharks" for sponsorship reasons, are a professional basketball team from the city of Sheffield, England. The Sharks compete in the Super League Basketball and play their home matches at Park Community Arena, which opened in 2023. They are one of the most successful teams in the history of British basketball and dominated domestic competitions throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth Raiders</span> English national league basketball team

Plymouth Raiders are a basketball team based in Plymouth, England, currently competing in Division 3 of the National Basketball League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surrey Scorchers</span> British professional basketball team

The Surrey Scorchers were an English professional basketball team based in Guildford, Surrey, that competed in the British Basketball League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Lions (basketball)</span> British professional basketball team

London Lions are a British professional basketball team based in Stratford, East London, England, and compete in the Super League Basketball (SLB).

The 2006–07 BBL season, the 20th since its establishment of the British Basketball League, started on 29 September 2006 when reigning champions Newcastle Eagles began with an 85–83 loss away to Sheffield Sharks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabulous Flournoy</span>

Fabulous Flournoy is a former professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was previously the player-coach for the Newcastle Eagles, who compete in the British Basketball League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBL Cup</span> British basketball competition

The British Basketball League Cup, often shortened to the BBL Cup, was an annual cup competition for the British Basketball League (BBL). It was one of two peripheral competitions operated by the League during the regular season, with the other being the BBL Trophy. The competition was usually played as a single game knock-out tournament, and was only contested by members of the British Basketball League. The final takes place in early January at the Arena Birmingham in Birmingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBL Trophy</span> British basketball competition

The British Basketball League Trophy, often shortened to the BBL Trophy, is an annual cup competition for the British Basketball League (BBL). It is the unique of peripheral competitions operated by the League during the regular season, The competition's structure and format vary from season to season and, unlike the BBL Cup, often includes invited clubs from the English Basketball League and the Scottish Basketball League, and representatives from Basketball Wales, a novelty in BBL events which gives the competition much of its character.

The 2007–08 BBL season, the 21st since the establishment of the British Basketball League, commenced on 9 September 2007, when the Plymouth Raiders succumbed to the Guildford Heat in the inaugural Cup Winners' Cup competition. The regular season started two weeks later on 21 September with 12 teams including new additions Birmingham Panthers, Everton Tigers and London Capital the later of whom stepped up from EBL Division 1 during the summer. After just one season in the top-flight, London United were forced to drop out due to the loss of its financial backer just weeks before the start of the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mersey Tigers</span> Former British basketball team

The Mersey Tigers were a professional basketball team based in the city of Liverpool, England. The club was established in 2007 as a start-up franchise of the British Basketball League, the country's elite competition. The Tigers started competing at the start of the 2007–08 season, and won the BBL Cup in their second season as well as finishing as runners-up in the league. In 2013 it was officially announced that the Tigers franchise had been withdrawn from the BBL due to financial difficulties that had plagued the club throughout the previous season, which resulted in the Tigers becoming the first ever BBL club to complete an entire season without a single victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skouson Harker</span> Canadian basketball player

Skouson Harker is a Canadian former professional basketball player of the FIBA European Leagues. Harker is from Raymond, Alberta, Canada. After five seasons as a Head Coach in the British Basketball League, Harker most recently coached the Edmonton Energy of the International Basketball League.

Richard Midgley is a retired British professional basketball player who finished his career at the age of 26. He played point guard and played for Great Britain. His final club was Everton Tigers of the British Basketball League; he previously played for Newcastle Eagles after graduating from the University of California, and subsequently became a high-school basketball coach.

The 2008–09 BBL season was the 22nd campaign in the history of the British Basketball League (BBL), which commenced on 14 September 2008 with the Cup Winners' Cup. The regular season began a week later with 12 teams competing, though a line-up change saw the Birmingham Panthers withdraw and fold during close season and the inclusion of Worthing Thunder from the English Basketball League.

The 2009–10 BBL season of the British Basketball League (BBL) was the 23rd season since the league's establishment in 1987. The regular season commenced on 25 September 2009, when Milton Keynes Lions claimed the first win of the season with a 94–81 victory in the opening game against Worcester Wolves.

The 2010–11 BBL season was the 24th campaign of the British Basketball League since the league's establishment in 1987. This season saw the league reduced to 12 teams with the withdrawal of London Capital during the summer and was the first campaign ever to not feature a club from the capital city London.

The 2011–12 BBL season was the 25th campaign of the British Basketball League since the league's establishment in 1987. The season featured 11 teams from across England and Scotland, with Durham Wildcats appearing in their first campaign after election from EBL Division 1. The League did not feature two teams from the previous season; Worthing Thunder had stepped down to the EBL, whilst Essex Pirates withdrew just two weeks prior to the season starting due to the loss of a major sponsor. There was also uncertainty regarding the participation of reigning champions Mersey Tigers, who had to postpone their first game due to off-court problems and operational issues.

The 2012–13 BBL season was the 26th campaign of the British Basketball League since the league's establishment in 1987. The season featured 12 teams from across England and Scotland including a new entrant, the reformed Manchester Giants, who were based on the original franchise of the same name that folded in 2001. East London Royals were due to become the 13th member of the League, but after their financial backing fell through weeks before the start of the season, the League deferred their entry until the 2013–14 season. The pre-season also saw long-time member franchise Milton Keynes Lions relocate to London and rebrand itself as the London Lions, whilst Cheshire Jets – encountering severe financial difficulties and threatened with the franchise being dissolved – were saved by campaigning local fans and businessmen and renamed as Cheshire Phoenix midway through the season.

The 2013–14 BBL season was the 27th campaign of the British Basketball League since the league's establishment in 1987. The season featured 12 teams from across England and Scotland, including new entrant Birmingham Knights. East London Royals and Essex Leopards were both due to become the 13th and 14th League members respectively, but after deferring their original entries from the 2012–13 season for a season, both franchises withdrew their applications to join the BBL due to financial constraints.

The 2014–15 BBL season was the 28th campaign of the British Basketball League since the league's establishment in 1987. The season featured 13 teams from across England and Scotland, including new entrants, Bristol Flyers and Leeds Force. The season started on 26 September 2014 and ended on 10 May 2015 with the Play-off Final at The O2 Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caledonia Gladiators</span> Scottish professional basketball team

The Caledonia Gladiators are a professional basketball club based in East Kilbride, Scotland. The Gladiators compete as the sole Scottish-based team in the Super League Basketball, the top tier of domestic basketball in the United Kingdom.

References

  1. ↑ "Basketball's Newcastle Eagles to play in front of capacity crowd at Eagles Community Arena". Chronicle Live. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Sunderland basketball stars reflect on glorious team". Jake Harrison. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "Sky's the limit for Newcastle Eagles". Bdaily Business Network Northeast. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  4. ↑ "Eagles Community Arena". Newcastle Eagles. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  5. ↑ "Flournoy Realises NBA Dream". Newcastle Eagles. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  6. ↑ "Marc Steutel Confirmed As New Eagles BBL Head Coach". Newcastle Eagles. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  7. ↑ "ENBL 2023/2024". ENBL. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  8. ↑ Donaldson, Alex (17 June 2024). "British Basketball League has license terminated as creditors step in". Sportcal. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  9. ↑ Dixon, Ed (24 September 2024). "Super League Basketball 'starting from scratch' after 'unsustainable' BBL". SportsPro. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.