South London Pirates
| Croydon Pirates/South London Pirates | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| League | National League, AA south |
| Location | Waddon, Croydon |
| Ballpark | Roundshaw Fields Dave Ward diamond |
| Year founded | 1981 |
| Nickname(s) | SLP, Pirates |
| Colors |
Black, gold and grey |
| Manager | David Ward |
The South London Pirates, known until 2012 as the Croydon Pirates, is a British baseball club based in South London. They have two diamonds based in Roundshaw playing fields in South Croydon, the main one being "Dave Ward 1". The Pirates are hosts to the London Tournament every year and on occasions The National Finals.
The first team known as P1 competes in the NBL League, which is the top flight of British baseball. The second team known as P3 competes in the AA South Division which is two leagues under NBL.
In 2004 and 2005 Croydon Pirates I were National Champions and were runners up in 2006.
In 2005 Croydon Pirates II were Premier Division Champions, extraordinarily winning 9 of their last 10 games to win the title.
In 2007 Croydon Pirates I again won the National League, earning the right to compete in the Final 4 tournament on the weekend of 1–2 September 2007, along with The London Mets, Menwith Hill Patriots and Liverpool Trojans. Croydon and the Mets won their semi-finals to advanced to the final, where the Pirates were defeated 2–0 in a best of 3 series.
In 2008, Croydon Pirates III won the British Baseball A-Division, finishing the season with a record of 10 wins and 2 losses. They were subsequently promoted to the AA-Division in 2009. In 2011, Pirates I were defeated at the Play-off stage.
In 2012 the club changed its name to the South London Pirates, and dropped from 3 teams down to 2. South London Pirates I (P1) play in the British NBL League; while South London Pirates III (P3) play in the AA South Division. They continue to host the London tournament on their home diamond, Dave Ward Field. They have a second diamond, Dave Ward 2, as well as setting up other temporary diamonds around Roundshaw playing fields. The tournament is normally held around mid July.