As Britball revealed earlier this summer, the British Basketball League is to re-jig its format for next season.
The BBL Trophy reverts back to regional group stages for the opening round - with these games played at the beginning of the season (commencing 17th September). The four group winners progress through to the semi final round with both the semi and final rounds of the competition taking place over two legs (aggregate scores) at the competing club venues in the first half of the season.
The BBL Cup format will remain the same as last term with 4 teams receiving a bye from the 1st Round based on their BBL Championship position last season (Newcastle Eagles - 1st, Sheffield Sharks - 2nd, Glasgow Rocks - 3rd & Cheshire Jets - 4th). The opening rounds will be one-off games, with the semi finals contested over two legs (home & away) and decided on aggregate score. The conclusion of the BBL Cup competition will take place in a one-off game at a central venue in January.
The BBL Championship season will begin following the BBL Trophy group stages in early October and the format will remain the same as last season with teams playing each other three times. Teams will each play 33 regular season games, with sides meeting one another once at home, once away, and once home or away. Two league points are awarded for a win, and the top eight teams will progress to the BBL Championship Playoffs in April.
The format for the post-season also sees a minor modification as for 2010-11 both the quarter and semi final rounds are to be played over two legs (home & away) with the higher seed having choice of home advantage in the either the 1st or 2nd leg - aggregate scores will determine the victors. The climax of the season will once again be a single day showpiece event.
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Showing posts with label British Basketball League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label British Basketball League. Show all posts
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Thursday, 27 May 2010
BBL to re-jig format
The BBL is to move to two-legged play-off quarter-finals next season, Britball has learnt.
The move, according to league sources, comes in response to unhappiness at the lack of revenue for away teams in the first round of the end-of-season competition.
A proposal to move the BBL Trophy to the start of the campaign remains under consideration but it was postponed at last week’s meeting of the league’s board.
However it is likely that the 2010-11 campaign will start a week earlier to accommodate the switch.
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The move, according to league sources, comes in response to unhappiness at the lack of revenue for away teams in the first round of the end-of-season competition.
A proposal to move the BBL Trophy to the start of the campaign remains under consideration but it was postponed at last week’s meeting of the league’s board.
However it is likely that the 2010-11 campaign will start a week earlier to accommodate the switch.
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Friday, 14 May 2010
BBL changes on the table
Plans have been tabled to move the secondary BBL Trophy competition from its place in the middle of the season to the start of the next campaign in tandem with an expected return of the domestic game to Sky Sports.
There are also proposals to tinker with the format of the play-offs come next term, the BBL has confirmed.
"We want to make sure that you get something for home advantage but also that teams who are seeded fifth to eighth don't just lose money if they go out in the quarter-finals," said a league official.
The changes will be discussed at the BBL's next board meeting.
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There are also proposals to tinker with the format of the play-offs come next term, the BBL has confirmed.
"We want to make sure that you get something for home advantage but also that teams who are seeded fifth to eighth don't just lose money if they go out in the quarter-finals," said a league official.
The changes will be discussed at the BBL's next board meeting.
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Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Voting doesn't always produce a clear election victor
So the votes are in. And there’s a convincing winner.
Fabulous Flournoy, living up to the name, is the Coach of the Year in the eyes of both the Basketball Journalists Association and among the New Yorker’s peers, who vote in the BBL’s international awards.
I confess that I put Worthing’s Dave Titmuss one place ahead of Flournoy on my ballot but there is no disputing the job that he has done on Tyneside over the past seven year.
Being a player-coach is no easy ride. Flournoy’s legendary drive, 7am practices, and general intolerance of anything less than the fabled 100 per cent, would have taken Newcastle into a position of strength even if their budget were not among the highest in the league.
“Hiring him initially was a risky decision in some ways but I saw something in Fab the year before that made me think this guys could be the next Chris Finch or Nick Nurse,” said Eagles owner Blake in tribute. “It was clear he had that character but we didn’t know if he understood the Xs and Os. But eight years later, it’s clear he has an absolute command of it.
“The only reason we’ve not seen the full scope of his abilities is that I keep putting him in the difficult position of continuing to be a player as well. “But I’m keen to get to a position where Fab can retire and focus exclusively on coaching.”
The award also reflects Flournoy’s backroom staff, from former assistant Billy Spragg (whose mid-season departure has not yet been explained), recruitment supremo and one-man brains trust Dave Forrester, and team statistics-cruncher Jeff King.
By contrast, there was no unanimity when it came to determining the best player in the league.
The journalists went for Joe Chapman. The coaches for Mike Cook.
The Eagles guard, I admit, came second on my ballot (to Rob Yanders, if you’re interested) for the manner in which he adjusted to coming off the bench to provide spectacular consistency for the league champions. In many ways, the greatest compliment comes from Flournoy himself – in the way, he handed over that sparkplug role to Chapman, allowing the coach to spend more time, um, coaching.
For me, Cook is a baffling choice from the men who call the plays. He’s had some terrific offensive performances and dominated at times. But he doesn’t defend (much) and he has gone AWOL more than once in big games. Arguably, Ryan Patton has proven more valuable to Sheffield, judging on how his injury almost certainly cost the Sharks the title.
I’ve had more than one Tweet/email/text on Luol Deng winning the BJAUK International Player of the Year, ahead of Joel Freeland and Matt Bryan-Amaning. “What has he done other than play in the NBA?” I was asked.
True. But that’s democracy in action, as we’ll witness again on Thursday.
.
Fabulous Flournoy, living up to the name, is the Coach of the Year in the eyes of both the Basketball Journalists Association and among the New Yorker’s peers, who vote in the BBL’s international awards.
I confess that I put Worthing’s Dave Titmuss one place ahead of Flournoy on my ballot but there is no disputing the job that he has done on Tyneside over the past seven year.
Being a player-coach is no easy ride. Flournoy’s legendary drive, 7am practices, and general intolerance of anything less than the fabled 100 per cent, would have taken Newcastle into a position of strength even if their budget were not among the highest in the league.
“Hiring him initially was a risky decision in some ways but I saw something in Fab the year before that made me think this guys could be the next Chris Finch or Nick Nurse,” said Eagles owner Blake in tribute. “It was clear he had that character but we didn’t know if he understood the Xs and Os. But eight years later, it’s clear he has an absolute command of it.
“The only reason we’ve not seen the full scope of his abilities is that I keep putting him in the difficult position of continuing to be a player as well. “But I’m keen to get to a position where Fab can retire and focus exclusively on coaching.”
The award also reflects Flournoy’s backroom staff, from former assistant Billy Spragg (whose mid-season departure has not yet been explained), recruitment supremo and one-man brains trust Dave Forrester, and team statistics-cruncher Jeff King.
By contrast, there was no unanimity when it came to determining the best player in the league.
The journalists went for Joe Chapman. The coaches for Mike Cook.
The Eagles guard, I admit, came second on my ballot (to Rob Yanders, if you’re interested) for the manner in which he adjusted to coming off the bench to provide spectacular consistency for the league champions. In many ways, the greatest compliment comes from Flournoy himself – in the way, he handed over that sparkplug role to Chapman, allowing the coach to spend more time, um, coaching.
For me, Cook is a baffling choice from the men who call the plays. He’s had some terrific offensive performances and dominated at times. But he doesn’t defend (much) and he has gone AWOL more than once in big games. Arguably, Ryan Patton has proven more valuable to Sheffield, judging on how his injury almost certainly cost the Sharks the title.
I’ve had more than one Tweet/email/text on Luol Deng winning the BJAUK International Player of the Year, ahead of Joel Freeland and Matt Bryan-Amaning. “What has he done other than play in the NBA?” I was asked.
True. But that’s democracy in action, as we’ll witness again on Thursday.
.
BBL coaches pay tribute to Flournoy
The BBL coaches have voted Mike Cook as MVP while Fab Flournoy is Coach of the Year.
.
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Monday, 3 May 2010
No new teams for BBL
It has been confirmed that no new franchises will be added to the BBL for next season. Applications from groups based in Birmingham and London were among those who were rejected by the league.
Essex Pirates and London Capital’s positions are both under review with both clubs likely to learn their fate later this week.
Read the full story here .
,
Essex Pirates and London Capital’s positions are both under review with both clubs likely to learn their fate later this week.
Read the full story here .
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Tuesday, 27 April 2010
BBL moves closer to Sky deal
The British Basketball League is set to return to television next season after bosses opened talks with Sky Sports.
The BBL, who had a brief spell on the defunct Setanta channels, has been desperate to find a long-term TV deal to boost its fortunes since it was hit by the demise of ITV Digital in 2002.
“We’ve agreed a deal with the company who already produce ice hockey and netball for Sky Sports,” revealed BBL chairman Paul Blake. “We probably missed an opportunity to get some exposure for the end of this season but we’re continuing to talk about next year.”
The proposed deal is understood to involve a regular highlight show rather than live coverage.
Clubs are also considering a draft plan that would see the BBL Trophy move to the start of the season, away from its traditional berth in the spring time. No timescale has been set for a decision on the idea.
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The BBL, who had a brief spell on the defunct Setanta channels, has been desperate to find a long-term TV deal to boost its fortunes since it was hit by the demise of ITV Digital in 2002.
“We’ve agreed a deal with the company who already produce ice hockey and netball for Sky Sports,” revealed BBL chairman Paul Blake. “We probably missed an opportunity to get some exposure for the end of this season but we’re continuing to talk about next year.”
The proposed deal is understood to involve a regular highlight show rather than live coverage.
Clubs are also considering a draft plan that would see the BBL Trophy move to the start of the season, away from its traditional berth in the spring time. No timescale has been set for a decision on the idea.
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Saturday, 17 April 2010
Newcastle Eagles are BBL champions
Newcastle Eagles have been crowned as BBL champions for the fourth time in five seasons after one of the most dramatic title climaxes in years.
Rivals Sheffield Sharks needed to beat Worthing on Saturday to force the Tyneside outfit to overcome Glasgow 24 hours later to snatch the crown on the head to head tiebreaker.
But the Thunder, who led by as much as 20 points at one stage, held off a late Sharks rally to clinch a 97-95 victory that handed the Eagles the title.
In the play-off race, Everton's 108-86 win at Essex means the Tigers finish fifth and will visit Cheshire in the 1st Round of the play-offs. Glasgow Rocks host Leicester while Sheffield meet MK Lions. Newcastle will meet Worthing after the Thunder beat Plymouth 108-99 in an overtime thriller to snatch the final play-off berth. .
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Rivals Sheffield Sharks needed to beat Worthing on Saturday to force the Tyneside outfit to overcome Glasgow 24 hours later to snatch the crown on the head to head tiebreaker.
But the Thunder, who led by as much as 20 points at one stage, held off a late Sharks rally to clinch a 97-95 victory that handed the Eagles the title.
In the play-off race, Everton's 108-86 win at Essex means the Tigers finish fifth and will visit Cheshire in the 1st Round of the play-offs. Glasgow Rocks host Leicester while Sheffield meet MK Lions. Newcastle will meet Worthing after the Thunder beat Plymouth 108-99 in an overtime thriller to snatch the final play-off berth. .
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Friday, 16 April 2010
BBL announce (part of) All Star line-ups
The BBL have unveiled part of the league's All Star Game line-up for Birmingham next month - in the middle of the most enthralling conclusion to the season in years.
So we now know that included, in what many players now regard as an utterly meaningless prelude to the BBL play-off final, will be:
UK: Taner Adu, Gareth Murray, Anthony Martin, Julius Joseph, Ibrahim Gariba.
Rest of the World: Rob Yanders, Randy George, Milek Jivens
We await the remainder of the teams with baited breath.
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So we now know that included, in what many players now regard as an utterly meaningless prelude to the BBL play-off final, will be:
UK: Taner Adu, Gareth Murray, Anthony Martin, Julius Joseph, Ibrahim Gariba.
Rest of the World: Rob Yanders, Randy George, Milek Jivens
We await the remainder of the teams with baited breath.
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Friday, 26 February 2010
When a deadline .. isn't a deadline
The BBL's transfer deadline isn't, apparently, as hard and fast this season as it has been in the past.
Firstly, and rather inexplicably, England Basketball's registration office – which handles all player documentation – was closed on Friday. It's understood that clubs now have until Monday to complete any paperwork on potential signings.
Intriguingly, it's been revealed that the BBL passed a new signing exemption rule at a board meeting last summer. The get-out clause has not been widely publicised, even among coaches themselves, but teams will be able to replace one player – on a like-for-like basis (i.e. Non-national for non-national), until March 31.
The rule is intended primarily for use in the case of injuries. However, like most aspects of British Basketball, flexibility is ever-present.
.
Firstly, and rather inexplicably, England Basketball's registration office – which handles all player documentation – was closed on Friday. It's understood that clubs now have until Monday to complete any paperwork on potential signings.
Intriguingly, it's been revealed that the BBL passed a new signing exemption rule at a board meeting last summer. The get-out clause has not been widely publicised, even among coaches themselves, but teams will be able to replace one player – on a like-for-like basis (i.e. Non-national for non-national), until March 31.
The rule is intended primarily for use in the case of injuries. However, like most aspects of British Basketball, flexibility is ever-present.
.
Thursday, 31 December 2009
The 10 Best Basketball Stories of 2009
1. The Win That Almost Was. September 8 2009. Warsaw. 3:27 left in the fourth quarter. Spain – reigning world champions, Olympic silver medallists – are staring a most improbable defeat in the face to Great Britain after leading by 16 points at one stage. Mike Lenzly puts the underdogs 73-69 ahead. The sound of pins dropping.
It was not to be. The Spaniards put up a 15-3 finish to avoid an early exit before going on to lift the title. GB went home but with some face saved.
2. Phil Jackson’s Supremacy. Sure, the legends of MJ, Scottie, Kobe and Shaq will live on in history. But Phil’s NBA title number 10 affirmed his place in the pantheon, if any additional evidence were required. The late Red Auerbach, ceding his throne atop the rankings, would have hated that the Lakers won another crown but you can’t begrudge Jackson his dues.
3. And likewise Kobe… All the talk about who is better: Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, has been settled. For everyone who thought the young pretender had assumed the crown (myself included), the Lakers guard provided the answers with a string of stellar showings and his fourth championship ring. LBJ, at 25, still has it all to do.
4. Capital Calamities. We were promised that London Capital wouldn’t remain the laughing stock of the BBL after last season. They were wrong. London lost 110-38 to Leicester in December, equalling a league-record of infamy. There have been claims of bills unpaid. Their only consolation is that Essex are bottom on loss difference headed into 2010. As one BBL director said recently: “I think the time is coming where no matter how much we want a team in London, it’s not doing us any good to have them in the league.”
5. Worcester-isms. It says a lot about basketball’s decline in the UK that the claims of racism made against former Wolves coach Chuck Evans received scant attention in the mainstream media. Or perhaps, it says something about our culture that while white-on-black racism is (thankfully) spotlit and decried, the inverse provoked little comment. Throw striking players, sackings and the welcome return of Paul James to the BBL into the mix, and what a bizarre tale it all was.
6. AI or not AI? Is Allen Iverson done or about to do something improbable? His meek exit from Memphis hinted at the mortality of a once-omnipotent star who could not accept his slide into the realms of lowly back-up. As anticipated, , he made a swift, unlikely, return in the colours of the Philadelphia 76ers. In the last chance saloon, this will either be AI’s time to cement his legacy or the ignominious final chapter in his riveting journey.
7. The enigma that was Andre Smith. Two weeks after arriving in the BBL, Everton’s expensive capture admitted the league “wasn’t as good as I thought it would be.” It was one thing to accomplish the astonishing feat of regularly putting up 30 points and 20 rebounds while, at the same time, appearing utterly disinterested. It was quite another when he was alleged to have told an opposing player that he hoped the Tigers would lose the game so he could go home early for the summer. One of the best performers in BBL history, it spoke volumes when the ballot of coaches declined to vote him as MVP.
8. The Ups and Downs of the NBA Brit-Pack. Luol Deng will surely be glad to see the back of 2009, having been sidelined for six months with a fractured tibia and watching the mixed messages surrounding his return to the Bulls damage his stock – and his reputation. With coach Vinnie Del Negro on the verge of being sacked, and Deng no longer considered an potential All Star, where does Lu go from here?
Credit, at least, to Pops Mensah-Bonsu for sticking to his pursuit of his personal NBA dream. Cut by San Antonio, dropped by Toronto, jettisoned in Houston, the popular Londoner is back in Raptor-land, hoping to stick through the end of the season. Coming back to Europe may have been his best bet. But who would argue with his persistence?
9. Joel stays in Spain. In an unrelated move, Great Britain forward Joel Freeland turned down a three-year rookie deal with the Portland Trailblazers in the summer, in favour of a (slightly) more lucrative move from Gran Canaria to ACB rivals Unicaja Malaga. "I would prefer to go (to the NBA) when I feel I am ready,” he said. “I don't want to sit on the bench for a couple of years.”
Ironically, with Portland’s injury problems, playing time wouldn’t have been an issue. Those of us who have followed the progression of Aldershot’s finest would argue he is ready as he’ll ever be – right now.
10. Two steps forward, two steps back. For basketball in the UK, this was a year of minimal progress. Great Britain’s men and women did not produce the results needed to advance their cause sufficiently to get FIBA to end their damaging Olympic dithering. The BBL went an entire year without any TV coverage and the trend toward smaller venues continues.
The NBA sold out the 02 Arena but, for all the noise it made, it otherwise flirted with obscurity on these shores at a time when the NFL is solidifying its own position. And for all the extra cash arriving in the lead-in to 2012, there are still too many familiar tales of volunteers not getting the support they need at a grassroots level.
There is a coherent strategy on paper for British hoops but no real evidence of delivery or results. Must do better in 2010.
.
It was not to be. The Spaniards put up a 15-3 finish to avoid an early exit before going on to lift the title. GB went home but with some face saved.
2. Phil Jackson’s Supremacy. Sure, the legends of MJ, Scottie, Kobe and Shaq will live on in history. But Phil’s NBA title number 10 affirmed his place in the pantheon, if any additional evidence were required. The late Red Auerbach, ceding his throne atop the rankings, would have hated that the Lakers won another crown but you can’t begrudge Jackson his dues.
3. And likewise Kobe… All the talk about who is better: Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, has been settled. For everyone who thought the young pretender had assumed the crown (myself included), the Lakers guard provided the answers with a string of stellar showings and his fourth championship ring. LBJ, at 25, still has it all to do.
4. Capital Calamities. We were promised that London Capital wouldn’t remain the laughing stock of the BBL after last season. They were wrong. London lost 110-38 to Leicester in December, equalling a league-record of infamy. There have been claims of bills unpaid. Their only consolation is that Essex are bottom on loss difference headed into 2010. As one BBL director said recently: “I think the time is coming where no matter how much we want a team in London, it’s not doing us any good to have them in the league.”
5. Worcester-isms. It says a lot about basketball’s decline in the UK that the claims of racism made against former Wolves coach Chuck Evans received scant attention in the mainstream media. Or perhaps, it says something about our culture that while white-on-black racism is (thankfully) spotlit and decried, the inverse provoked little comment. Throw striking players, sackings and the welcome return of Paul James to the BBL into the mix, and what a bizarre tale it all was.
6. AI or not AI? Is Allen Iverson done or about to do something improbable? His meek exit from Memphis hinted at the mortality of a once-omnipotent star who could not accept his slide into the realms of lowly back-up. As anticipated, , he made a swift, unlikely, return in the colours of the Philadelphia 76ers. In the last chance saloon, this will either be AI’s time to cement his legacy or the ignominious final chapter in his riveting journey.
7. The enigma that was Andre Smith. Two weeks after arriving in the BBL, Everton’s expensive capture admitted the league “wasn’t as good as I thought it would be.” It was one thing to accomplish the astonishing feat of regularly putting up 30 points and 20 rebounds while, at the same time, appearing utterly disinterested. It was quite another when he was alleged to have told an opposing player that he hoped the Tigers would lose the game so he could go home early for the summer. One of the best performers in BBL history, it spoke volumes when the ballot of coaches declined to vote him as MVP.
8. The Ups and Downs of the NBA Brit-Pack. Luol Deng will surely be glad to see the back of 2009, having been sidelined for six months with a fractured tibia and watching the mixed messages surrounding his return to the Bulls damage his stock – and his reputation. With coach Vinnie Del Negro on the verge of being sacked, and Deng no longer considered an potential All Star, where does Lu go from here?
Credit, at least, to Pops Mensah-Bonsu for sticking to his pursuit of his personal NBA dream. Cut by San Antonio, dropped by Toronto, jettisoned in Houston, the popular Londoner is back in Raptor-land, hoping to stick through the end of the season. Coming back to Europe may have been his best bet. But who would argue with his persistence?
9. Joel stays in Spain. In an unrelated move, Great Britain forward Joel Freeland turned down a three-year rookie deal with the Portland Trailblazers in the summer, in favour of a (slightly) more lucrative move from Gran Canaria to ACB rivals Unicaja Malaga. "I would prefer to go (to the NBA) when I feel I am ready,” he said. “I don't want to sit on the bench for a couple of years.”
Ironically, with Portland’s injury problems, playing time wouldn’t have been an issue. Those of us who have followed the progression of Aldershot’s finest would argue he is ready as he’ll ever be – right now.
10. Two steps forward, two steps back. For basketball in the UK, this was a year of minimal progress. Great Britain’s men and women did not produce the results needed to advance their cause sufficiently to get FIBA to end their damaging Olympic dithering. The BBL went an entire year without any TV coverage and the trend toward smaller venues continues.
The NBA sold out the 02 Arena but, for all the noise it made, it otherwise flirted with obscurity on these shores at a time when the NFL is solidifying its own position. And for all the extra cash arriving in the lead-in to 2012, there are still too many familiar tales of volunteers not getting the support they need at a grassroots level.
There is a coherent strategy on paper for British hoops but no real evidence of delivery or results. Must do better in 2010.
.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Home moves see BBL downsize over decade
Guildford Heat’s re-location to the campus of the University of Surrey by the end of this season means that three British Basketball League teams will – presuming the line-up remains unchanged – start the next campaign at a different home than this one.
With Milton Keynes about to decamp Bletchley for a temporary venue at Middleton Hall, and Newcastle Eagles packing their bags for Northumbria University next summer, it’s interesting to draw the comparisons with ten years ago – a season that represented the high watermark in terms of available seats around the BBL (and also in the sheer number of freebie tickets that were given away to fill the vast empty expanses in Manchester, Sheffield and London’s Docklands).
Only one team – the Chester/Cheshire Jets - has stayed put (although Plymouth and Worthing were then in the EBL). Even more remarkably, only 5 of the 13 teams from the 1999-2000 campaign have hung around (the Rocks subsequently switched from Edinburgh to Glasgow).
Looking at the capacities from ten seasons ago, down 83 per cent, it’s a stark measure of the down-sizing in the BBL’s ambitions. A year later, Birmingham Bullets and London Leopards retrenched from arenas to leisure centres, Leicester were forced out of their long-time base at Granby Halls and things were never quite the same again.
2010-11
Cheshire (Northgate Arena): 1300 capacity
Essex (Southend Tennis Centre): 1100
Everton (Greenbank Academy): 600*
Glasgow (Kelvin Hall): 1200
Guildford (Surrey Sports Park): 800
Leicester (DMU): 800
London Capital (Willesden): 300
Milton Keynes (Middleton Hall): 1500
Newcastle (Northumbria University): 2600
Plymouth (Pavilions): 1480
Sheffield (EIS): 1200
Worcester (University): 800
Worthing (Worthing LC): 700
TOTAL: 14,380
1999-2000
Birmingham (NEC): 13000
Brighton (Brighton Centre): 5000**
Chester (Northgate): 1300
Derby (Thunderdome): 2500
Edinburgh (Meadowbank): 1900
Leicester (Granby Halls): 1500
Leopards (London Arena): 15000
London Towers (Crystal Palace): 3500
Manchester Giants (MEN Arena) 18000
Milton Keynes (Bletchley): 907
Newcastle (Metro Arena): 11000
Sheffield (Hallam Arena): 12500
Thames Valley (Bracknell SC): 1200
TOTAL: 87,307
*Some games at Echo Arena (7500)
** Some games at The Triangle (1500)
.
With Milton Keynes about to decamp Bletchley for a temporary venue at Middleton Hall, and Newcastle Eagles packing their bags for Northumbria University next summer, it’s interesting to draw the comparisons with ten years ago – a season that represented the high watermark in terms of available seats around the BBL (and also in the sheer number of freebie tickets that were given away to fill the vast empty expanses in Manchester, Sheffield and London’s Docklands).
Only one team – the Chester/Cheshire Jets - has stayed put (although Plymouth and Worthing were then in the EBL). Even more remarkably, only 5 of the 13 teams from the 1999-2000 campaign have hung around (the Rocks subsequently switched from Edinburgh to Glasgow).
Looking at the capacities from ten seasons ago, down 83 per cent, it’s a stark measure of the down-sizing in the BBL’s ambitions. A year later, Birmingham Bullets and London Leopards retrenched from arenas to leisure centres, Leicester were forced out of their long-time base at Granby Halls and things were never quite the same again.
2010-11
Cheshire (Northgate Arena): 1300 capacity
Essex (Southend Tennis Centre): 1100
Everton (Greenbank Academy): 600*
Glasgow (Kelvin Hall): 1200
Guildford (Surrey Sports Park): 800
Leicester (DMU): 800
London Capital (Willesden): 300
Milton Keynes (Middleton Hall): 1500
Newcastle (Northumbria University): 2600
Plymouth (Pavilions): 1480
Sheffield (EIS): 1200
Worcester (University): 800
Worthing (Worthing LC): 700
TOTAL: 14,380
1999-2000
Birmingham (NEC): 13000
Brighton (Brighton Centre): 5000**
Chester (Northgate): 1300
Derby (Thunderdome): 2500
Edinburgh (Meadowbank): 1900
Leicester (Granby Halls): 1500
Leopards (London Arena): 15000
London Towers (Crystal Palace): 3500
Manchester Giants (MEN Arena) 18000
Milton Keynes (Bletchley): 907
Newcastle (Metro Arena): 11000
Sheffield (Hallam Arena): 12500
Thames Valley (Bracknell SC): 1200
TOTAL: 87,307
*Some games at Echo Arena (7500)
** Some games at The Triangle (1500)
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