Thames Valley Tigers

Thames Valley Tigers
League British Basketball League
Established 1975
Folded 2005
History Southern Pirates
1975
Guildford Pirates
1975–1982
Bracknell Pirates
1982–1987
Bracknell Tigers
1987–1990
Thames Valley Tigers
1990–2005
Location Bracknell, Berkshire
Team colors Orange, Marine Blue. Turquoise blue and white
Ownership John Nike
Uniforms
Home
Away
Alternate

Thames Valley Tigers was a British basketball team competing in the British Basketball League (BBL) until 2005, when funding was ceased and the franchise folded. Based in Bracknell, Berkshire, the team's fans set up a new team to replace the Tigers and a month later the Guildford Heat was born. Playing in the nearby town of Guildford, at the Spectrum complex, the team started the 2005–06 British Basketball League season with many of the former Tigers players.

Franchise History

The franchise originally started out as the Southern Pirates, playing out of the city of Portsmouth, however they were soon moved inland in 1975 to the town of Guildford, following their coach, Brian Naysmith who had been appointed Director of Sport at the University of Surrey. The name Southern Pirates was retained at first before being renamed Guildford Pirates. In the 1978-79 season Guildford Pirates were champions of the Second Division of the National Basketball League and accepted an invitation to join the top tier. Known as Team Talbot Guildford Pirates following a sponsorship deal, the franchise spent three seasons in Guildford. The team struggled in NBL Division 1, although they improved each year. The Junior (U-18) Men were more successful winning the National (U-18) Cup.

In 1982, the Pirates moved again to nearby Bracknell, becoming the Bracknell Pirates and notching the franchise its first winning season and Play-Off appearances. In 1987 the Bracknell Tigers joined the BBL and won the first silverware in 1988/89 before becoming the Thames Valley Tigers. For many years, the Tigers were one of the front runners of the league, even winning the League Championship in 1994, but it was in the new millennium that the successes dried up and for owner John Nike the team was too much of a financial burden. In April 2005, he announced that he would no longer be funding the basketball franchise nor his ice hockey franchise Bracknell Bees.[1]

Immediately a consortium of fans was formed to save the club, headed by local businessman and fan Mike Davies, and they put together a viable package to take over the administration of the team. However, Nike failed to reach agreement in time for them to lease the franchise, and the deadline for entry into the BBL for 2005-2006 was reached.[2] The Tigers' BBL membership thus lapsed, but the fans obtained permission from the League to enter a new team in their place, and successful negotiations with the Spectrum Arena in Guildford, where the Pirates franchise started, led to the birth of the brand new Guildford Heat.

Honours

(All achieved as Thames Valley Tigers unless otherwise stated)

Senior Men

BBL League Champions: 93/94 Runner Up: 91/92, 92/93, 94/95, 99/00 (South)

BBL Play-Offs Runner Up: 91/92, 92/93, 97/98, 98/99

National Cup Winners: 88/89 (as Bracknell Tigers) 97/98 Runner Up: 91/92, 93/94, 94/95

BBL National Trophy Winners: 88/89 (as Bracknell Tigers), 92/93, 93/94, 94/95

English National League Division 2 Champions: 1978/79 (as Guildford Pirates)

Junior (U-18) Men

National Cup Winners: 1981/82 (as Team Talbot Guildford Pirates)

National U-18 League Play-Offs Runner Up: 1981/82 (as Team Talbot Guildford Pirates)

Individual Honours

Mick Bett - BBL Coach of the Year - 92/93 and 93/94

Nigel Lloyd - BBL MVP - 93/94

Season by Season

Season League Played Won Lost % Position Play-offs Cup Trophy
TEAM TALBOT GUILDFORD PIRATES
1979/80 NBL Div1 18 2 16 .111 10th (10) DNQ R1
1980/81 NBL Div1 18 3 15 .167 10th (10) DNQ Q-Final
1981/82 NBL Div1 22 6 16 .273 10th (12) DNQ R2
BRACKNELL PIRATES (aka HAPPY EATER BRACKNELL PIRATES)
1982/83 NBL Div1 24 3 21 .125 12th (13) DNQ R1
1983/84 NBL Div1 36 23 13 .639 4th (13) S-Final R2
1984/85 NBL Div1 26 12 14 .462 8th (14) Q-Final R1
1985/86 NBL Div1 28 11 17 .393 12th (15) DNQ R2
1986/87 NBL Div1 24 11 13 .458 6th (13) Q-Final Q-Final
BRACKNELL TIGERS
1987/88 BBL 28 17 11 .607 6th (15) Q-Final R2 (group)
1988/89 BBL 20 15 5 .750 3rd (11) S-Final Winner Winner
1989/90 BBL 28 20 8 .714 4th (8) S-Final S-Final S-Final
THAMES VALLEY TIGERS
1990/91 BBL 24 14 10 .583 3rd (9) S-Final S-Final S-Final
1991/92 BBL 30 25 5 .833 2nd (11) Finalist Finalist (group)
1992/93 BBL 33 28 5 .848 2nd (11) Finalist S-Final Winner
1993/94 BBL 36 31 5 .861 1st (13) Q-Final Finalist Winner
1994/95 BBL 36 28 8 .777 2nd (15) Q-Final Finalist Winner
1995/96 BBL 36 16 20 .444 8th (13) Q-Final Q-Final Q-Final
1996/97 BBL 36 14 22 .388 10th (13) DNQ Q-Final Q-Final
1997/98 BBL 36 24 12 .667 5th (13) Finalist Winner Q-Final
1998/99 BBL 36 22 14 .611 4th (13) Finalist S-Final (group)
1999/00 BBL South 34 18 16 .529 2nd (6) Q-Final Last 16 S-Final
2000/01 BBL South 34 14 20 .412 5th (6) DNQ S-Final S-Final
2001/02 BBL South 32 14 18 .438 6th (6) DNQ S-Final Q-Final
2002/03 BBL 40 26 14 .650 4th (11) Q-Final S-Final (group)
2003/04 BBL 36 18 18 .500 7th (10) Q-Final S-Final (group)
2004/05 BBL 40 16 22 .400 7th (11) Q-Final Q-Final (group)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ BBC Sport (2005-04-11). "Backer Nike quits Bees and Tigers". BBC. Retrieved 2006-12-02. Check date values in: |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  2. ↑ BBC Sport (2005-07-01). "Tigers fans fail to secure deal". BBC. Retrieved 2006-12-02. Check date values in: |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
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