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1987–88 British Basketball League Season
The 1987–88 BBL season was the first season of the British Basketball League (known as the Carlsberg League for sponsorship reasons), a breakaway competition formed by teams from the English National League and the Scottish National League. The season featured a total of 15 teams, playing 28 games each. Portsmouth, reigning champions of the English League claimed the regular season title with a dominating campaign led by the likes of Alan Cunningham and Colin Irish. They weren't able to repeat their success in the post-season play-off's as third-seed Livingston, the reigning Scottish champions, caused a huge upset with an 81–72 win over Portsmouth in the final.BBL Media Guide 2003/04, page 15 Kingston won their fourth consecutive National Cup and Livingston claimed the inaugural BBL Trophy. In the National League (the tier below the Carlsberg League) the Worthing Bears won the league with a 100% (18–0) record and in the play-off semi-final Billy Hungrecker scored a record ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British Basketball League
The British Basketball League (BBL) was a men's professional basketball sports league, league in Great Britain. Since its establishment in 1987 the BBL represented the highest level of basketball competition within the United Kingdom. The organisation that operated the competition, Basketball League Limited, folded in July 2024 after the British Basketball Federation terminated its operating license. It was succeeded as the top-level men's basketball competition with Super League Basketball. The BBL operated as a Franchising, franchise model where each member team is located within a separate franchise area. Most recently (in 2023/24), the League featured 10 member franchises from England and Scotland who jointly own the organisation and a chairman was elected by the teams to oversee operations. The League offices were located in Leicester where the country's oldest team, the Leicester Riders, is also based. The BBL sat above the English National Basketball League (England), N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guildford Kings
Guildford Kings was a successful British basketball team, most prominent in the National Basketball League during the early 1980's and later the British Basketball League (BBL) during the late 1980s and early 1990s period. The team ceased operations at the end of the 1993–94 season and folded. History The team's origins date back to the London YMCA Metros who entered the National Basketball League in 1973. The Metros enjoyed several successful seasons and a variety of exotic names - due to sponsorship naming deals - throughout the 1970s, but in 1979, owner Malcolm Chamberlain uprooted the team and relocated them from London to the suburbs of Kingston upon Thames and to the Tolworth Recreation Centre, and rebranding as Kingston. Kingston were one of the first entrants into the new Carlsberg League, finishing second in the inaugural 1987–88 British Basketball League season. In 1988, the franchise was bought out by Rangers F.C., and became the Glasgow Rangers, although the tea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kingston (basketball)
Guildford Kings was a successful UK, British basketball team, most prominent in the National Basketball League (England), National Basketball League during the early 1980's and later the British Basketball League (BBL) during the late 1980s and early 1990s period. The team ceased operations at the end of the 1993–94 season and folded. History The team's origins date back to the London YMCA Metros who entered the National Basketball League (United Kingdom), National Basketball League in 1973. The Metros enjoyed several successful seasons and a variety of exotic names - due to sponsorship naming deals - throughout the 1970s, but in 1979, owner Malcolm Chamberlain uprooted the team and relocated them from London to the suburbs of Kingston upon Thames and to the Tolworth Recreation Centre, and rebranding as Kingston. Kingston were one of the first entrants into the new Carlsberg League, finishing second in the inaugural 1987–88 British Basketball League season. In 1988, the franc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crystal Palace (basketball)
Crystal Palace was a basketball team competing in the National Basketball League (England), 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. 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. In 1972 the club entered the new National Basketball League (England), 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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oldham Celtics
Oldham is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, which had a population of 242,003 in 2021. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, and with little early history to speak of, Oldham rose to prominence in the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture. It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, and among the first ever industrialised towns, rapidly becoming "one of the most important centres of cotton and textile industries in England." At its zenith, it was the most productive cotton spinning mill town in the world,. producing more cotton than France and Germany combined. Oldham's textile industry fell into decline in the mid-20th century; the town's last mill closed in 1998. The demise of textile processing in Oldham de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Derby Rams
Derby Storm was a former British Basketball League (BBL) franchise from the city of Derby, Derbyshire. The team decided to sit out the 2002–03 season after failing to find a suitable venue for home games. Despite early efforts for a new arena, the franchise never returned to playing action. Founded in 1984 as the Derby Turbos later changed to Derby Rams in 1985. (which NBA head coach Nick Nurse was a player/coach), the team was a founder member of the franchise-based professional BBL when it was set up in 1987. Another name change took place in 1991, becoming the Derby Bucks, and in 1993 the franchise withdrew from the BBL due to financial problems, but was "rescued" and allowed to re-enter before the new season began. Future Toronto Raptors coach and NBA championship winner Nick Nurse coached here in 1990. The team became known as the Derby Storm in 1995 and was the first British basketball club to own their own venue, the Thunderdome Storm Arena, which was in fact a conve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sunderland 76ers
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, and the European North Basketball League. They are the most successful club in the history of British men's professional basketball, with 28 British professional titles and 3 English titles as of January 2025. The team was originally founded as EPAB Sunderland, based at the Northumbria Centre in Washington, Tyne and Wear, Washington, and began competing in the Second Division of the English National Basketball League (England), National Basketball League in 1976. In 1987, Sunderland became a founding member of the breakaway British Basketball League with other top-flight English and Scottish clubs. They remained in Sunderland until 1995, when they moved to Newcastle and renamed to the Newcastle Comets, before becoming the Eagles in 1996. Their first Newcastle home was the Newc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hemel & Watford Royals
London Lions are a British professional basketball team based in Stratford, East London, England, and compete in the Super League Basketball (SLB). The team was originally founded in 1977 as the Hemel Hempstead Lakers. Following an ownership take over by Vince Macaulay in 1993, the club subsequently relocated to Watford, and then Milton Keynes, where they were known as Milton Keynes Lions. It was in Milton Keynes that the team won its first silverware in 2008, the BBL Cup. The Lions relocated to London in 2012 and play its home games at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, as well as occasional EuroCup matches at Wembley Arena. The Lions were purchased by 777 Partners in 2020, ending Macaulay's 27-year tenure of ownership. After the threat of bankruptcy following the end of the 2023–24 season, the club was rescued for the 2024–25 season under the ownership of Tesonet, minority shareholders of BC Žalgiris. History Hemel Hempstead Lakers The club i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olympic City Giants
Olympic City Giants were a professional basketball team based in Oldham, England. Previously based in Bolton and Bury, the team were known as Bolton & Bury Hawks and then Bolton & Bury Giants, the team were founder members of the British Basketball League in 1986. After an eighth-place finish in the 1987–88 Carlsberg League campaign, Giants qualified for their first and only BBL-era Play-off. They drew top seed Glasgow Rangers, and were soundly beaten in both games of the bet-of-three series by the regular season Champions. In 1989 after encountering several financial difficulties, Olympic City Giants formally merged with Manchester Eagles (formerly Manchester United) to become Manchester Giants, marking a return of the famous name after a three-year absence, following a merger between the original Manchester Giants and Manchester United in 1985. Season-by-season records Notable former players * Ed Bona * Jimmy Brandon * Terry Crosby * Steve Nelson * Robbie Peers * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leicester City Riders
Leicester Riders are a British professional basketball team and the oldest club in the British Basketball League (BBL). Riders compete in the Super League Basketball (SLB). Established in 1967, the club have played in various locations around Leicestershire before moving to their current purpose-built home venue, the Mattioli Arena, in 2016. History The Loughborough All-Stars, as the Leicester Riders were originally known, were founded by students and lecturers at Loughborough University on 26 April 1967. They were founding members of the National Basketball League in 1972, and the British Basketball League (BBL) in 1987. They are the oldest club in the British Basketball League. The club moved from Loughborough to Leicester in 1981, backed by Leicester City Council and Leicester City Bus (hence the change in nickname to "Riders"), before moving back to play at Loughborough University in 2000, following the closure of Granby Halls, at a new venue barely a stone's throw from V ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Solent Stars
The Solent Stars were a basketball club from Southampton, who were one of the founder members of the British Basketball League, where they competed from 1987 to 1990. For the rest of their existence, the club competed in the English Basketball League and its forerunner the National Basketball League, and the club were members of Division 1 at the time of the club's demise. Club history The Stars first joined the National League in 1980, having been formed the year before by a merger of the Portsmouth Pirates and Southampton Sharks from the Southern League. Success initially came easily to the fledgling club, winning the Division Two title and the National Trophy in their first season, and claiming immediate promotion to Division One. A first Division One title followed in the 1983/1984 season, and at the end of the 1986/1987 season the club were among those who broke away from the National Basketball League to form the British Basketball League. After three years of solid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birmingham Bullets
The Birmingham Bullets were a British professional basketball team from Birmingham, England who competed in the British Basketball League (BBL). The club was founded in 1974 as Coventry Granwood before moving to Birmingham in 1980 as part of the team's sponsorship agreement with Fiat. The Bullets achieved some success in the BBL, mostly in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including winning the Playoffs in 1996 and 1998. They also achieved a 2nd place League finish in 1998 and were runners up in the 2000 Playoffs and 2002 Trophy. In latter years, the club struggled both on and off the court. The club officially resigned from the BBL in the summer of 2006 and soon after went into liquidation. Since then both the Birmingham Panthers and Birmingham Knights have endured short-lived and unsuccessful spells in the BBL. Notable former players Season-by-season records See also *British Basketball League The British Basketball League (BBL) was a men's professional basketball spo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
