Worcester Wolves
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| Worcester Wolves | |
 |
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| League | British Basketball League |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Team History | Worcester Wolves 2000-present |
| Arena | University of Worcester |
| City | Worcester, Worcestershire |
| Team Colours | Navy Blue, Yellow, White |
| Ownership | Roger Clarke and Mick Donovan |
| Head Coach |  Josh Cooprider |
The Worcester Wolves is a basketball team which plays in the British Basketball League.
The team is one of the newest additions to the 10-team league, stepping up from the EBL Division 1 for the 2006-07 season alongside London United. The Wolves play at the University of Worcester in the Sports Hall which has a capacity of around 600 people.
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[edit] Franchise history
[edit] New arena, new franchise
The historic city of Worcester has, until recent years, not had much of a basketball history. Worcester City Chiefs were an active lower league club during the mid 1990s before moving to Solihull in 1996, leaving the city without a major basketball team until Roger Clarke and Mick Donovan stepped in, in May 2000, when the Wolves franchise was founded to play at the University of Worcester's brand new £2.5 million 'state of the art' Sports Hall.
[edit] Starting low, aiming high
In their first season of action (2000-01) in National Basketball League Division 3 (Now known as the Worcester Wolves) finished an incredible second out of the 12 team league, with a 18-3 record. Local rivals Bristol Bombers pipped them to the title, however luck would soon swing their way the following season.
Initially placed in the regionalised NBL Division 2 in the "clean sheet reorganisation" of 2001, the Wolves actually played the first game of the season in that division before being elevated (ahead of Bristol) into NBL Division 1 when Doncaster withdrew at the start of the season.
[edit] Rapid rise
The excellent facilities and organisation which earned them the promotion continue to stand them in good stead, and over the years they became firmly established in what has now been renamed EBL Division 2, and won promotion to EBL Division 1 following an excellent campaign in 2003-04. Despite finishing in second place, behind the London Capitals, they managed to straighten the record by beating them in the Playoff final at the National Indoor Arena, winning 95-87. The victory capped off an excellent season that saw the Wolves also lift the Patron's Cup, following a 111-100 win against Hackney White Heat in the final, which was also played on their home court at the University of Worcester.
Worcester had a reasonably successful debut season (2004-05) in EBL Division 1, finishing above fellow promotion winners London Capitals in 5th place with 13-9 record, which earned them a place in the post season playoffs. They built on their successes for the second season and finished 2005-06 in 4th place with a 17-9 record in the expanded Division 1. That season also saw the Wolves claim their biggest success to date, winning the National Trophy at the SkyDome Arena in Coventry, beating holders Sheffield Arrows 97-82 in the final.
[edit] Mixing with the elite
At the end of the 2005-06 season, the British Basketball League, the country's eilte league was, not for the first time, suffering a membership crisis with three franchises, Birmingham Bullets, Brighton Bears and London Towers, withdrawing from the league set-up. Although the Wolves management have claimed it was always their intention to move into the BBL, the possibility of it happening so quickly seemed near impossible. However with the lack of a West Midlands based franchise in the league, the BBL approached the Wolves and accepted them into the elite league [1].
[edit] Early days in the BBL
With an influx of new players, including former Plymouth Raider Solomon Sheard, Caja Rioja's Sergio Rodriguez and James Noel of the Masters College all signing up for the new-look team, expectations of upsetting the big boys was high, but the fairy tale beginning never materialized. The Wolves opened the season with a 77-82 loss at home to the Plymouth Raiders on September 30, 2006, and followed that with 21-point loss away to Milton Keynes Lions (74-96). It was a case of third time lucky as, on October 7, 2006, infront of a packed crowd at the "Wolves' Lair", Worcester edged past the Chester Jets with an 82-79 victory and Andy Harper posting 28 points for the home side.
[edit] Home arenas
- University of Worcester (2000-present)
[edit] Season-by-season records
| Season | Div. | Pos. | Pld. | W | L | Pts. | Play Offs | Trophy | Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-2001 | NBL 3 | 2nd | 22 | 18 | 3 | 36 | Semi-final | - | - |
| 2001-2002 | NBL 1 | 9th | 22 | 7 | 15 | 14 | DNQ | - | - |
| 2002-2003 | NBL 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2003-2004 | EBL 2 | 2nd | - | - | - | - | Winners | - | Winners |
| 2004-2005 | EBL 1 | 5th | 22 | 13 | 9 | 26 | - | - | - |
| 2005-2006 | EBL 1 | 4th | 26 | 17 | 9 | 34 | 1st Round | Winners | Quarter-final |
[edit] Trophies
[edit] League
- NBL Division Three Runners Up: 2000/01 1
- EBL Division Two Runners Up: 2003/04 1
[edit] Playoffs
- NBL Division Two Play Off Winners: 2003/04 1
[edit] Trophy
- National Trophy Winners: 2005/06 1
[edit] Cup
- Patron's Cup Winners: 2003/04 1
[edit] Current roster
The numbers are established according to the official websites of the team (www.worcesterwolves.com) and Britain's top professional league, the BBL (www.bbl.org.uk).
As of November 8, 2006
| 4 |  |
Andy Harper | Guard |
| 5 |  |
Valdas Urbonavicius | Forward |
| 6 | |
Matt Collins | Guard |
| 7 | |
Tom Perkes | Forward |
| 8 | |
Michael Gayle | Guard |
| 10 |  |
Sergio Rodriguez | Forward |
| 11 | |
Darren Hume-Francis | Guard |
| 12 | |
Rob Clarke | Centre |
| 13 | |
Ben Potts | Guard/Forward |
| 14 | |
James Noel | Forward |
| 15 | |
Solomon Sheard | Forward |
[edit] Squad changes during 2006/07 season
In:
- Tom Perkes - Signed From Alberston
- Michael Gayle - Signed From Tees Valley Mohawks
- Cameron Wright - Signed From Leicester Riders
- Sergio Rodriguez - Signed From Caja Rioja
- Darren Hume-Francis - Signed From Wallace State
- James Noel - Signed From Masters College
- Solomon Sheard - Signed From Kings Lynn Fury
Out:
- Ty Shaw - Transferred To TV Langen
- Colin Chiverton - Transferred To Retired
- Sean Nelson - Transferred To Released
- Cameron Wright - Transferred To Released
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Tom Guest (2006). Wolves win place in British League. Worcester News. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.
[edit] External links
| British Basketball League 2006-07 | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Chester Jets | Guildford Heat | Leicester Riders | London United | Milton Keynes Lions | Newcastle Eagles | Plymouth Raiders | Scottish Rocks | Sheffield Sharks | Worcester Wolves |
