Birmingham Panthers
Encyclopedia
The Birmingham Panthers (official name Team Birmingham Panthers) was a professional basketball
club in the British Basketball League
. Established in 2007, the Birmingham
-based franchise competed in Britain's
top-tier league during the 2007-08 season
, but following a disastrous season and a lack of organisation, the franchise ceased operations in 2008, lasting just one year.
, one of British basketball's most successful franchises, Birmingham was left without a major basketball team for the 2006-07 season
. Though many Bullets fans defected to the Worcester Wolves
, elected to the BBL to replace the Bullets and retain professional basketball in the West Midlands
, every effort was made for Birmingham to return to the fold for the following season.
On March 23, 2007, it was officially confirmed that Birmingham would be part of the mass-expansion of the BBL, with former Bullets assistant coach Herman Wilson leading a consortium of investors behind the project. Behind the scenes both the BBL and Wilson worked fast to establish a franchise amid speculation of rival league the British Basketball Association
announcing their own Birmingham franchise for the following season, the Birmingham Athletics
.
Within weeks of the initial announcement it was confirmed on April 18 by the BBL that Team Birmingham Panthers would be the eleventh franchise taking to the court for the 2007-08 season
, with the Aston Events Centre
, a former home of both the Bullets and Athletics, hosting all home games of the new team (This was later changed, see below ) with a move to a future arena already planned. Rumours abound that former Bullets coach Tony Garbelotto
would be hired by the club were rapidly quashed by Wilson. In the same interview with regional newspaper Birmingham Mail
, Wilson was keen to stress that the new club is attempting to cut any links to the former Bullets franchise. Wilson also claimed the Bullets name was not chosen for the new franchise because of connotations with gun crime, a move that was taken by the NBA's Washington Wizards
(formerly called Bullets) in 1995. Instead, the name Panthers was opted for in reference to former BBL franchise Doncaster Panthers
, where Wilson started his career as a basketball coach as an assistant to Curtis Xavier in the early 1990s.
and Birmingham Sports Centre were both considered, however the board settled on the 500-seat capacity Nechells Community Sports Centre on Rupert Street in Nechells
as their final choice.
Panthers played their inaugural match away on September 16 at local rivals Worcester Wolves
in a Pre-Season friendly. Unfortunately for Panthers fans, the team lost 108-81. Luck didn't change a week later when the Panthers took to the court in their first ever league game, away to Leicester Riders
, who defeated them with a similar scoreline, 101-79. The fact that none of Birmingham's import players had yet arrived only added to Coach Nigel Lloyd's woes, and just a few days later the clubs' dream of returning professional basketball to the city of Birmingham hung in the balance.
After having to uproot venue from Aston to Nechells, the club were forced again to seek alternative venues to stage home games as the cost and facilities available at their new home did not suit the club. Just days before their first home fixture, against Leicester on October 6, the Birmingham Mail broke the news that the club were planning to relocate to Telford
, 35 miles north of Birmingham. Defeating the object of Panthers' franchise application, the BBL blocked the move in an attempt to keep basketball in Birmingham, and after discussions with the University of Wolverhampton
, a deal was struck on October 2 to use their Walsall
Campus Sports Centre as the home venue for all of the clubs' games for the upcoming season.
On October 21, the Panthers got their first BBL win at home to local rivals Worcester Wolves
. They won the
game 98-86 with Daniel Sandell led all scorers with 38 points for the Panthers, while Anthony Paez
led the Wolves' scoring with 32. A long and difficult season ensued for the Panthers, who managed to notch up only 6 victories throughout the whole league campaign, coupled with first round exits in both the BBL Cup
and BBL Trophy
. Their Trophy game with Worcester was switched to the NIA, former home of the Bullets, in a one-off showpiece game but were pipped to the honours losing 91-95.
suited up for the Panthers with a contract ready to sign to fulfill the Birmingham Panthers roster for the rest of the 2007/08 season.
Though the club were seriously considering a move to Telford on a permanent basis (with the possibility of keeping the Birmingham name), the league confirmed that no official request had been made and that the move was only temporary in a bid to promote the club. The team was comfortably beaten in both games at Telford by Newcastle Eagles
and Plymouth Raiders
, and the club returned to their usual home venue for the remainder of the season.
On April 17, two days before the final game of the season at home to Everton Tigers
, the Birmingham Mail confirmed an application to move the franchise to Telford for the following season had been made by owner Herman WIlson, citing a lack of suitable venues in Birmingham as his main reason. The move fell apart however after Telford's backers pulled out, but with renewed interest from the Aston Events Centre, the possibility of remaining in Birmingham looked increasingly likely. However it was officially announced on June 4, that the Panthers franchise had been withdrawn from the BBL and folded. Despite the ill-fated outcomes Birmingham-based franchises, there is still keen interest in bringing top-level basketball back to the city, with a group headed by Bullets legend and Panthers general manager Clive Allen currently seeking to reignite interest and start a new team.
Notes:
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
club in the British Basketball League
British Basketball League
The British Basketball League, often abbreviated to the BBL, is the premier men's professional basketball league in the United Kingdom. The BBL runs two knockout competitions alongside the league championship; the BBL Cup and the BBL Trophy....
. Established in 2007, the Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
-based franchise competed in Britain's
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
top-tier league during the 2007-08 season
British Basketball League 2007-08
The 2007-08 season, the 21st since the establishment of the British Basketball League, commenced on September 9, 2007, when the Plymouth Raiders succumbed to the Guildford Heat in the inaugural Cup Winners' Cup competition...
, but following a disastrous season and a lack of organisation, the franchise ceased operations in 2008, lasting just one year.
Basketball back in Birmingham
Following the demise and eventual liquidation of the Birmingham BulletsBirmingham Bullets
The Birmingham Bullets is a basketball team from Birmingham, who competed in the British Basketball League . The club resigned from the BBL league in the summer of 2006 and soon after went into liquidation, and currently no-longer exist as a basketball franchise.-The future of Birmingham...
, one of British basketball's most successful franchises, Birmingham was left without a major basketball team for the 2006-07 season
British Basketball League 2006-07
The 2006-07 season, the 20th since its establishment of the British Basketball League, started on September 29, 2006 when reigning champions Newcastle Eagles began with a 85-83 loss away to Sheffield Sharks....
. Though many Bullets fans defected to the Worcester Wolves
Worcester Wolves
Worcester Wolves is a basketball team from the city of Worcester which plays in the British Basketball League. The Wolves currently play at in the 800-seat capacity Sports Hall of the University of Worcester, although they are to use the new Worcester Arena as their home venue once completed in...
, elected to the BBL to replace the Bullets and retain professional basketball in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, every effort was made for Birmingham to return to the fold for the following season.
On March 23, 2007, it was officially confirmed that Birmingham would be part of the mass-expansion of the BBL, with former Bullets assistant coach Herman Wilson leading a consortium of investors behind the project. Behind the scenes both the BBL and Wilson worked fast to establish a franchise amid speculation of rival league the British Basketball Association
British Basketball Association
The British Basketball Association, or BBA for short, is a proposed professional basketball league in the United Kingdom.The league is backed by a group of American and UK investors and advisers, some of which include former NBA players A. C. Green and John Amaechi, technology entrepreneur Ken...
announcing their own Birmingham franchise for the following season, the Birmingham Athletics
Birmingham Athletics
Birmingham Athletics, formerly called and often still referred to as Aston Athletics, is a basketball team based in Birmingham, England.The club was founded in 2004, as Aston Athletics, to play at the Aston Events Centre, which had just been vacated by Birmingham Bullets...
.
Within weeks of the initial announcement it was confirmed on April 18 by the BBL that Team Birmingham Panthers would be the eleventh franchise taking to the court for the 2007-08 season
British Basketball League 2007-08
The 2007-08 season, the 21st since the establishment of the British Basketball League, commenced on September 9, 2007, when the Plymouth Raiders succumbed to the Guildford Heat in the inaugural Cup Winners' Cup competition...
, with the Aston Events Centre
Aston Events Centre
The Aston Events Centre is an indoor sports and event venue, located in Birmingham, England.Formerly called Aston Villa Leisure Centre, the venue is situated adjacent to Villa Park football stadium, home of Aston Villa F.C...
, a former home of both the Bullets and Athletics, hosting all home games of the new team (This was later changed, see below ) with a move to a future arena already planned. Rumours abound that former Bullets coach Tony Garbelotto
Tony Garbelotto
Tony Garbelotto is an English basketball coach. He became head coach of Everton Tigers in 2008, and is an assistant coach to Chris Finch with Great Britain....
would be hired by the club were rapidly quashed by Wilson. In the same interview with regional newspaper Birmingham Mail
Birmingham Mail
The Birmingham Mail is a tabloid newspaper based in Birmingham, UK but distributed around Birmingham, The Black Country, Solihull, Warwickshire and parts of Worcestershire and Staffordshire. The newspaper, which was re-branded from the Birmingham Evening Mail in October 2005, is one of the biggest...
, Wilson was keen to stress that the new club is attempting to cut any links to the former Bullets franchise. Wilson also claimed the Bullets name was not chosen for the new franchise because of connotations with gun crime, a move that was taken by the NBA's Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
(formerly called Bullets) in 1995. Instead, the name Panthers was opted for in reference to former BBL franchise Doncaster Panthers
Doncaster Panthers
The Doncaster Panthers Basketball Club was established in 1954 by Morris Wordsworth and played out of Balby High School Gym in their formative years and gained entry to the elite National Basketball League in 1973 playing as Wilson Panthers. This was the NBL's second year of its existence and in...
, where Wilson started his career as a basketball coach as an assistant to Curtis Xavier in the early 1990s.
Venue difficulties
On September 11, it was announced that due to health and safety risks, the Aston Events Centre was not in a suitable condition to host Panthers' home games, thus a search for an alternative venue was conducted at short notice. The National Indoor ArenaNational Indoor Arena
The National Indoor Arena is a large indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. It is situated in central Birmingham, England and was opened in 1991, as the largest indoor arena at the time in the UK...
and Birmingham Sports Centre were both considered, however the board settled on the 500-seat capacity Nechells Community Sports Centre on Rupert Street in Nechells
Nechells
Nechells is an area in inner-city Birmingham, England, with a population of 27,969 . It is also a ward within the formal district of Ladywood. Nechells local government ward includes areas, for example parts of Birmingham city centre, which are not part of the historic district of Nechells as such...
as their final choice.
Panthers played their inaugural match away on September 16 at local rivals Worcester Wolves
Worcester Wolves
Worcester Wolves is a basketball team from the city of Worcester which plays in the British Basketball League. The Wolves currently play at in the 800-seat capacity Sports Hall of the University of Worcester, although they are to use the new Worcester Arena as their home venue once completed in...
in a Pre-Season friendly. Unfortunately for Panthers fans, the team lost 108-81. Luck didn't change a week later when the Panthers took to the court in their first ever league game, away to Leicester Riders
Leicester Riders
The Leicester Riders, officially known as the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders for sponsorship reasons, is a British professional basketball team that play in the British Basketball League...
, who defeated them with a similar scoreline, 101-79. The fact that none of Birmingham's import players had yet arrived only added to Coach Nigel Lloyd's woes, and just a few days later the clubs' dream of returning professional basketball to the city of Birmingham hung in the balance.
After having to uproot venue from Aston to Nechells, the club were forced again to seek alternative venues to stage home games as the cost and facilities available at their new home did not suit the club. Just days before their first home fixture, against Leicester on October 6, the Birmingham Mail broke the news that the club were planning to relocate to Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
, 35 miles north of Birmingham. Defeating the object of Panthers' franchise application, the BBL blocked the move in an attempt to keep basketball in Birmingham, and after discussions with the University of Wolverhampton
University of Wolverhampton
The University of Wolverhampton is a British university located on four campuses across the West Midlands and Shropshire. The city campus is located in Wolverhampton city centre with a second campus at Compton Park, Wolverhampton; a third in Walsall and a fourth in Telford...
, a deal was struck on October 2 to use their Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
Campus Sports Centre as the home venue for all of the clubs' games for the upcoming season.
On October 21, the Panthers got their first BBL win at home to local rivals Worcester Wolves
Worcester Wolves
Worcester Wolves is a basketball team from the city of Worcester which plays in the British Basketball League. The Wolves currently play at in the 800-seat capacity Sports Hall of the University of Worcester, although they are to use the new Worcester Arena as their home venue once completed in...
. They won the
game 98-86 with Daniel Sandell led all scorers with 38 points for the Panthers, while Anthony Paez
Anthony Paez
Anthony Paez is a professional basketball player, currently starring in Hungary for Dombóvár KC of the Hungarian Basketball League....
led the Wolves' scoring with 32. A long and difficult season ensued for the Panthers, who managed to notch up only 6 victories throughout the whole league campaign, coupled with first round exits in both the BBL Cup
BBL Cup
The BBL Cup is one of two peripheral competitions operated by the British Basketball League during the regular season, the other being the BBL Trophy...
and BBL Trophy
BBL Trophy
The BBL Trophy is one of three cup competitions operated by the British Basketball League. The competition begins with a regional group format and comprises the BBL clubs divided into four regional qualifying groups of three...
. Their Trophy game with Worcester was switched to the NIA, former home of the Bullets, in a one-off showpiece game but were pipped to the honours losing 91-95.
Move to Telford
After failing to attract a decent fanbase and support from investors in Birmingham, owner Herman Wilson switched two games to the TCAT Arena at Telford College, rebooting the idea of moving the franchise to Telford permanently despite earlier block's from the league.*Shropshire Warriors Manager/Owner Tom Sunley help back the idea to move to telford by selling out the 500 seater TCAT Arena. Having two young guns sign for the panthers helped the spot light on the idea. Sean Jones and *Josh CrutchleyJosh Crutchley
Josh Crutchley , is a British professional basketball player playing for the Shropshire Warriors sponsored by a popular costume venue, professional sports massage therapist, and a topless waitering company. Played for the Birmingham Panthers which competed in the British Basketball League...
suited up for the Panthers with a contract ready to sign to fulfill the Birmingham Panthers roster for the rest of the 2007/08 season.
Though the club were seriously considering a move to Telford on a permanent basis (with the possibility of keeping the Birmingham name), the league confirmed that no official request had been made and that the move was only temporary in a bid to promote the club. The team was comfortably beaten in both games at Telford by Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle Eagles is a British Basketball League team from Newcastle upon Tyne. Since 2010 they have played all home games at the 3,000 capacity Sport Central arena at Northumbria University in the city...
and Plymouth Raiders
Plymouth Raiders
The Plymouth Raiders, officially called UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders for sponsorship reasons, is South-west England's leading basketball team. Based in the city of Plymouth, they play their home games at the Pavilions arena and have competed in the top-tier British Basketball League since 2004...
, and the club returned to their usual home venue for the remainder of the season.
On April 17, two days before the final game of the season at home to Everton Tigers
Everton Tigers
The Mersey Tigers are a professional basketball team based in the city of Liverpool, in England. The club was established in 2007 as a start-up franchise of the British Basketball League, the country's elite competition...
, the Birmingham Mail confirmed an application to move the franchise to Telford for the following season had been made by owner Herman WIlson, citing a lack of suitable venues in Birmingham as his main reason. The move fell apart however after Telford's backers pulled out, but with renewed interest from the Aston Events Centre, the possibility of remaining in Birmingham looked increasingly likely. However it was officially announced on June 4, that the Panthers franchise had been withdrawn from the BBL and folded. Despite the ill-fated outcomes Birmingham-based franchises, there is still keen interest in bringing top-level basketball back to the city, with a group headed by Bullets legend and Panthers general manager Clive Allen currently seeking to reignite interest and start a new team.
Home arenas
- University of Wolverhampton, Walsall CampusUniversity of WolverhamptonThe University of Wolverhampton is a British university located on four campuses across the West Midlands and Shropshire. The city campus is located in Wolverhampton city centre with a second campus at Compton Park, Wolverhampton; a third in Walsall and a fourth in Telford...
(2007-2008) - TCAT Arena (2008)
Season-by-season records
| Season | Div. | Pos. | Pld. | W | L | Pts. | Play Offs | Trophy | Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Panthers | |||||||||
| 2007-2008 | BBL British Basketball League The British Basketball League, often abbreviated to the BBL, is the premier men's professional basketball league in the United Kingdom. The BBL runs two knockout competitions alongside the league championship; the BBL Cup and the BBL Trophy.... |
|12th | 33 | 6 | 27 | 12 | DNQ | 1st Round | 1st Round |
Notes:
- DNQ denotes Did Not Qualify.
Head coaches
As of July 8, 2008| Name | From | To | Regular Season | Play-offs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |||
 Nigel Lloyd |
1997 | 1998 | 6 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
External links
- Official Birmingham Panthers website
- Birmingham Panthers on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Birmingham Panthers news from Birmingham MailBirmingham MailThe Birmingham Mail is a tabloid newspaper based in Birmingham, UK but distributed around Birmingham, The Black Country, Solihull, Warwickshire and parts of Worcestershire and Staffordshire. The newspaper, which was re-branded from the Birmingham Evening Mail in October 2005, is one of the biggest...