Bradford Dragons
| Bradford Dragons | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| League | National Basketball League Division 1 | ||
| Established | 2001 | ||
| History |
Bradford Dragons 2001–present | ||
| Arena | Bradford College | ||
| Location | Bradford, Yorkshire | ||
| Team colours | Black / White | ||
| Website | BradfordDragons.co.uk | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
The Bradford Dragons are a basketball club based in Bradford, Yorkshire. The club's elite Men's team currently play in the English Basketball League (EBL) Division 1, with further senior teams competing in the local Leeds league. In addition to this, junior teams compete at Under-12, Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 levels.
The club's importance to the local community was recognised in 2006 by Bradford Council, which awarded the Dragons a special commendation award for their contribution to community cohesion.[1]
Club History
The Bradford Dragons club was established in 2001 as a local Under-16 club, in response to growing demand from local players for an outlet to play competitive basketball. The club quickly attracted more young players, entering an Under-18 team in the Bradford League for the 2002/2003 season and adding an Under-21 team for 2003/2004. 2004/2005 saw further expansion, with Under-14 and Under-16 teams entering the England Basketball League for the first time.[2]
The Dragons added senior men's basketball to their programme in 2005/2006, entering a Men's team in EBL Division Three (North). The senior team made a steady start to life in the national league, finishing in the top six in each of their first four seasons, narrowly missing out on the playoffs on several occasions. In the 2009/2010 season, the team won the first of two successive promotions, finishing the season at the top of Division Three (North) and making the Playoff semi-finals. A similar record in the 2010/2011 season saw the Men's team reach the top tier of English Basketball, where they have remained to date.[3]
A second Men's team was entered in EBL Division Four (North) for the first time in 2011/2012, with a Women's team joining EBL Division Two (North) in the following season and claiming the title at their first attempt with a 13-2 record.[4] Despite this early success, both teams were disbanded after the 2012/2013 season, although the club hopes to relaunch both teams into national competition in the future.
Season-by-season records
| Season[5][6] | Division | Played | Won | Lost | Points | League | Playoffs | National Cup | National Trophy | Patron's Cup | National Shield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford Dragons | |||||||||||
| 2005-06 | EBL Division 3 (North) | 16 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 5th | DNQ | 1st Round | DNE | DNE | 1st Round |
| 2006-07 | EBL Division 3 (North) | 20 | 13 | 7 | 26 | 5th | DNQ | 2nd Round | DNE | DNE | Semi-final |
| 2007-08 | EBL Division 3 (North) | 20 | 14 | 6 | 28 | 3rd | Quarter-final | 3rd Round | DNE | DNE | Semi-final |
| 2008-09 | EBL Division 3 (North) | 22 | 14 | 8 | 28 | 5th | DNQ | 3rd Round | DNE | DNE | Quarter-final |
| 2009-10 | EBL Division 3 (North) | 22 | 21 | 1 | 42 | 1st | Semi-final | 1st Round | DNE | DNE | Runner-up |
| 2010-11 | EBL Division 2 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 34 | 1st | Semi-final | Quarter-final | DNE | Semi-final | DNE |
| 2011-12 | EBL Division 1 | 24 | 15 | 9 | 30 | 6th | Quarter-final | Quarter-final | Quarter-final | DNE | DNE |
| 2012-13 | EBL Division 1 | 26 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 12th | DNQ | 2nd Round | Quarter-final | DNE | DNE |
| 2013-14 | EBL Division 1 | 26 | 17 | 9 | 34 | 4th | Semi-final | 2nd Round | 1st Round | DNE | DNE |
| 2014-15 | EBL Division 1 | 24 | 10 | 14 | 20 | 8th | Quarter-final | Quarter-Final | Semi-final | DNE | DNE |
| 2015-16 | NBL Division 1 | 2nd Round | Semi-final | DNE | DNE | ||||||
References
- ↑ "Bradford Dragons, Club History". Bradford Dragons Website.
- ↑ "Bradford Dragons, Club History". Bradford Dragons Website.
- ↑ "League Table History". Basketball England.
- ↑ "League Table History". Basketball England.
- ↑ "Bradford Dragons History". pawprint75.co.uk. Archived from the original on December 26, 2008.
- ↑ "League Table History". Basketball England.
External links
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