Cheshire Jets
Encyclopedia
The Cheshire Jets are a British
professional basketball
team based in the city of Chester
, in Cheshire
, England
. Formerly known as the Chester Jets, their home court is the Northgate Arena
and they play in the top-tier British Basketball League
.
team, the St Saviours in 1984. The team was initially named after their sponsors 'Motocraft Centre Ellesmere Port'. However, after the loss of their sponsor, they renamed themselves Ellesmere Port Jets.
Division 2 in 1986 and showed little sign of what was to come as they finished last in their first season, with just a single victory. Edging up to seventh in 1987-88, they then changed their name to Cheshire Jets, though still continuing to play in Ellesmere Port
. They continued a steady mid-table development until, in 1991, they won the divisional title despite suffering five defeats. The same year, the Jets moved up into the BBL
joining in with Britain
's elite basketball teams. Later however, the arena in Ellesmere Port became unsuitable, and so in 1993 the Jets were forced to move to Chester
, and into the Northgate Arena
. The move was reflected in another name change to what is now the Chester Jets.
The real turning point for the Jets came in 1996, when the application of the Bosman
ruling to basketball
resulted in the departure of many of the top English players to European clubs, and the BBL
changed its eligibility rule to entitle teams to use five non-national players.
, an 81-102 defeat, club owner and head coach Mike Burton formally announced that he would be retiring from the franchise at the end of the 2006-07 season
. Burton's announcement, after 19 years at the helm, raised serious doubts of the clubs' future, with mounting debts and lack of financial backing. Shortly after the announcement, group of fans formed a committee to help save the club, while arranging several meetings and fund-raisers, the dedication and commitment publicly received the backing of players including Jets legend James Hamilton. Following a sponsorship deal agreed during the summer of 2007 with local firm BiG Storage to save the club and preserve their future, the Jets was renamed as the BiG Storage Cheshire Jets to cover the wider demographic of Cheshire
county as BiG Storage not only has branches in Chester but also other sites such as Warrington. When BiG Storage terminated the sponsorship, the managing director of the company arranged a successor sponsor; Cheshire West and Chester Council
.
Notes:
Todd Cauthorn
Correy Childs Greg Francis
Dave Gardner
Kenny Gregory
Delme Herriman
John McCord Louis McCullough
Greg Meldrum Loren Meyer
Tony Rampton
John Simpson
Billy Singleton
Alto Virgil
TJ Walker
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...
professional basketball
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...
team based in the city of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Formerly known as the Chester Jets, their home court is the Northgate Arena
Northgate Arena
Northgate Arena is an arena and leisure centre complex in Chester, England. Built in the 1970s on the site of the Chester Northgate railway station, Northgate Arena includes swimming pools, a gymnasium, several sports halls and a sauna. The main sports hall is also used for toy and train, antique,...
and they play in the top-tier 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....
.
Origin
The team was first formed from the ruins of the Ellesmere PortEllesmere Port
Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
team, the St Saviours in 1984. The team was initially named after their sponsors 'Motocraft Centre Ellesmere Port'. However, after the loss of their sponsor, they renamed themselves Ellesmere Port Jets.
Moving to the BBL
The Jets were admitted to NBLEnglish Basketball League
The English Basketball League is a semi-professional and amateur basketball league in England. It forms the second-tier of competition below the professional British Basketball League....
Division 2 in 1986 and showed little sign of what was to come as they finished last in their first season, with just a single victory. Edging up to seventh in 1987-88, they then changed their name to Cheshire Jets, though still continuing to play in Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
. They continued a steady mid-table development until, in 1991, they won the divisional title despite suffering five defeats. The same year, the Jets moved up into the 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....
joining in with Britain
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...
's elite basketball teams. Later however, the arena in Ellesmere Port became unsuitable, and so in 1993 the Jets were forced to move to Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, and into the Northgate Arena
Northgate Arena
Northgate Arena is an arena and leisure centre complex in Chester, England. Built in the 1970s on the site of the Chester Northgate railway station, Northgate Arena includes swimming pools, a gymnasium, several sports halls and a sauna. The main sports hall is also used for toy and train, antique,...
. The move was reflected in another name change to what is now the Chester Jets.
The real turning point for the Jets came in 1996, when the application of the Bosman
Bosman
Bosman is a Dutch surname, and may refer to:* Dick Bosman , American baseball player* Herman Charles Bosman , South African writer and journalist* Jean-Marc Bosman , Belgian footballer...
ruling to basketball
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...
resulted in the departure of many of the top English players to European clubs, and the 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....
changed its eligibility rule to entitle teams to use five non-national players.
Millennium success
Astute trans-Atlantic recruitment by coach and co-owner Mike Burton resulted in a highly competitive team, which finished fifth in the League table in 1997. They have remained highly competitive ever since, with best-ever performances in 2002 (Northern Conference Champions) and 2003 (3rd in the re-unified League), and a string of successes in the BBL trophy (4-times winners, from 2001 to 2004), culminating in the League Championship in 2005.Future in doubt
On April 7, 2007, prior to the Jets' season finale at home to Guildford HeatGuildford Heat
Guildford Heat is a basketball club based in Guildford, England that currently play in the British Basketball League. Heat play their home games at the brand-new Surrey Sports Park and was formed in 2005 by fans of former BBL franchise Thames Valley Tigers, who folded during the same year...
, an 81-102 defeat, club owner and head coach Mike Burton formally announced that he would be retiring from the franchise at the end of 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....
. Burton's announcement, after 19 years at the helm, raised serious doubts of the clubs' future, with mounting debts and lack of financial backing. Shortly after the announcement, group of fans formed a committee to help save the club, while arranging several meetings and fund-raisers, the dedication and commitment publicly received the backing of players including Jets legend James Hamilton. Following a sponsorship deal agreed during the summer of 2007 with local firm BiG Storage to save the club and preserve their future, the Jets was renamed as the BiG Storage Cheshire Jets to cover the wider demographic of Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
county as BiG Storage not only has branches in Chester but also other sites such as Warrington. When BiG Storage terminated the sponsorship, the managing director of the company arranged a successor sponsor; Cheshire West and Chester Council
Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health...
.
Return to Ellesmere Port?
The Jets have expressed an interest in moving back to Ellesmere Port if plans to build a new £10.8m leisure centre in the town to replace the ageing EPIC centre get the go-ahead. The centre, which would be due for completion by 2014, would offer seating for 1,500 spectators, a welcome increase on the 1,000-capacity Northgate Arena.Season-by-season records
| Season | Div. | Pos. | Pld. | W | L | Pts. | Play Offs | Trophy | Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellesmere Port Jets | |||||||||
| 1986–1987 | NBL 2 National Basketball League (United Kingdom) The National Basketball League, or NBL for short, is a British basketball league. The league started in 1972 and continued through to 2003 renamed the English Basketball League.-1972-1993:... |
|10th | 18 | 1 | 17 | 2 | DNQ | DNQ | 1st Round |
| 1987–1988 | NBL 1 National Basketball League (United Kingdom) The National Basketball League, or NBL for short, is a British basketball league. The league started in 1972 and continued through to 2003 renamed the English Basketball League.-1972-1993:... |
|7th | 18 | 7 | 11 | 14 | DNQ | DNQ | 2nd Round |
| Cheshire Jets | |||||||||
| 1988–1989 | NBL 1 National Basketball League (United Kingdom) The National Basketball League, or NBL for short, is a British basketball league. The league started in 1972 and continued through to 2003 renamed the English Basketball League.-1972-1993:... |
|8th | 20 | 6 | 14 | 12 | DNQ | DNQ | 2nd Round |
| 1989–1990 | NBL 1 National Basketball League (United Kingdom) The National Basketball League, or NBL for short, is a British basketball league. The league started in 1972 and continued through to 2003 renamed the English Basketball League.-1972-1993:... |
|6th | 22 | 10 | 12 | 20 | Quarter-final | DNQ | 1st Round |
| 1990–1991 | NBL 1 National Basketball League (United Kingdom) The National Basketball League, or NBL for short, is a British basketball league. The league started in 1972 and continued through to 2003 renamed the English Basketball League.-1972-1993:... |
1st | 22 | 17 | 5 | 34 | Quarter-final | DNQ | Quarter-final |
| 1991–1992 | 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.... |
|11th | 30 | 2 | 28 | 4 | DNQ | 1st Round | 3rd Round |
| 1992–1993 | 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.... |
|10th | 33 | 10 | 23 | 20 | DNQ | 1st Round | Quarter-final |
| Chester Jets | |||||||||
| 1993–1994 | 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.... |
|11th | 36 | 11 | 25 | 22 | DNQ | 1st Round | Quarter-final |
| 1994–1995 | 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 | 36 | 6 | 30 | 12 | DNQ | 1st Round | Quarter-final |
| 1995–1996 | 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 | 36 | 8 | 28 | 16 | DNQ | Quarter-final | 4th Round |
| 1996–1997 | 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.... |
|5th | 36 | 24 | 12 | 48 | Semi-final | Runner-up | 4th Round |
| 1997–1998 | 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.... |
|10th | 36 | 15 | 21 | 30 | DNQ | 1st Round | 4th Round |
| 1998–1999 | 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.... |
|11th | 36 | 10 | 26 | 20 | DNQ | Quarter-final | Quarter-final |
| 1999–2000 | BBL N 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.... |
|4th | 36 | 17 | 19 | 34 | Quarter-final | Quarter-final | 1st Round |
| 2000–2001 | BBL N 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.... |
2nd | 36 | 25 | 11 | 50 | |Quarter-final | Winners | 1st Round |
| 2001–2002 | BBL N 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.... |
1st | 32 | 24 | 8 | 48 | Winners | Winners | Winners |
| 2002–2003 | 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.... |
|3rd | 40 | 28 | 12 | 56 | Quarter-final | Winners | Runner-up |
| 2003–2004 | 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.... |
|5th | 36 | 22 | 14 | 44 | Runner-up | Winners | 1st Round |
| 2004–2005 | 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.... |
1st | 40 | 32 | 8 | 64 | Runner-up | Semi-final | Semi-final |
| 2005–2006 | 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.... |
|7th | 40 | 17 | 32 | 34 | Quarter-final | 1st Round | Semi-final |
| 2006–2007 | 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.... |
|9th | 36 | 10 | 26 | 20 | DNQ | Quarter-final | 1st Round |
| Cheshire Jets | |||||||||
| 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.... |
|11th | 33 | 9 | 24 | 18 | DNQ | Semi-final | Quarter-final |
| 2008–2009 | 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.... |
|8th | 33 | 15 | 18 | 30 | Quarter-final | 1st Round | Quarter-final |
| 2009–2010 | 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.... |
|4th | 36 | 22 | 14 | 44 | Quarter-final | Runner-up | Runner-up |
| 2010–2011 | 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.... |
|4th | 33 | 20 | 13 | 40 | Semi-final | 1st Round | Semi-final |
| 2011–2012 | 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.... |
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Notes:
- From 1999-2002 the BBL operated a Conference system. Chester competed in the Northern Conference.
- DNQ denotes Did Not Qualify.
League
- NBL Division One Winners: 1990/91 1
- BBL Championship Winners: 2001/02, & 2004/05 2
- BBL Championship Runners Up: 2000/01 1
Playoffs
- BBL Championship Play Off Winners: 2001/02 1
- BBL Championship Play Off Runners Up: 2003/04, & 2004/05 2
Trophy
- BBL Trophy Winners: 2000/01, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04 4
- BBL Trophy Runners Up: 1996/97, 2009/2010 2
Cup
- National Cup Winners: 2001/02 1
- National Cup Runners Up: 2000/01, 2009/2010 2
Notable former players
Pero CameronPero Cameron
Sean Pero MacPherson Cameron MNZM, known as "Pero", is a former New Zealand professional basketball player. Cameron captained the NZ National Team from 2000 - 2010...
Todd Cauthorn
Todd Cauthorn
Todd Cauthorn is a retired American professional basketball player.After attending the College of William & Mary, Cauthorn moved to Europe in 1993, signing for Austrian club ABC Graz...
Correy Childs Greg Francis
Greg Francis
Greg Francis is the Head Coach of the University of Alberta Golden Bears men's basketball team, where he replaced the legend Don Horwood, who manned the Bears bench for 26 seasons...
Dave Gardner
Dave Gardner (basketball)
Dave Gardner is a former professional basketball player, most famous for his stints at Chester Jets and Manchester Giants of the British Basketball League. Gardner also played 59 games for England...
Kenny Gregory
Kenny Gregory
William Kendrick Gregory is an American professional basketball player. He plays the shooting guard and small forward positions. He is 6 ft 5 ¾ in in height. He currently plays for KK Union Olimpija in Slovenia.-Amateur career:Gregory played high-school basketball at Independence High...
Delme Herriman
Delme Herriman
Delme Herriman is a British former professional basketball player.Herriman, who grew up in Widnes, England, played college basketball in the United States for Wright State University...
John McCord Louis McCullough
Louis McCullough
Louis McCullough is an American professional basketball player.McCullough currently plays for Syracuse Raging Bullz, for whom he signed for in July 2007, after a successful spell at Chester Jets in the British Basketball League...
Greg Meldrum Loren Meyer
Loren Meyer
Loren Henry Meyer is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1st round of the 1995 NBA Draft...
Tony Rampton
Tony Rampton
Tony Rampton is a former New Zealand professional basketball player.Rampton played an integral part in the Tall Blacks qualifying for the 2002 FIBA World Championship, however an ankle injury ruled him out of the competition...
John Simpson
John Simpson (basketball)
John Simpson is a professional basketball player who played in the British Basketball League.Guard Simpson joined the Liverpool based Everton Tigers from local-rivals Cheshire Jets during the summer of 2007, ending a three year spell at the club. In March 2010 he tested positive for marijuana and...
Billy Singleton
Billy Singleton
Billy Singleton is a former professional basketball player, most notable for his career in the British Basketball League...
Alto Virgil
Alto Virgil
Alto Virgil is a British-American professional basketball player, currently plying his trade with British Basketball League team Sheffield Sharks, with whom he signed for in 2007....
TJ Walker
Tirame Jerome Walker
Tiran Jerome Walker is an American professional basketball player, most recently playing for the Cheshire Jets in the British Basketball League, where he also occupied the role of head coach....
Retired numbers
- 11 Dave GardnerDave Gardner (basketball)Dave Gardner is a former professional basketball player, most famous for his stints at Chester Jets and Manchester Giants of the British Basketball League. Gardner also played 59 games for England...
, C, 1990–1995, 1997-1998 & 1999-2003
External links
- Official Cheshire Jets website
- Cheshire Jets on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Cheshire Jets on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- Wheelchair Jets website
- Cheshire Jets news from the Chester ChronicleChester ChronicleThe Chester Chronicle is a UK local weekly newspaper for the Chester and Cheshire area, first established in the 18th century. It is one of the UK's best-selling newspapers, published every Thursday.-Structure:It has a number of different editions:...