Leicester Riders

2012/13: 1st place

The Leicester Riders ( officially: Jelson Homes De Montfort University Leicester Riders ) are a professional basketball team from Leicester in England, who were among the founding members of the closed professional league British Basketball League (BBL ) 1987. Previously, the team was founded in Loughborough Loughborough as All-Stars 1967 in 1972 was a founding member of the then English top " National Basketball League " ( NBL ). Except for two seasons between 1980 and 1982 it was one of each always in the top division and has demonstrated over other franchises of the BBL extraordinary high level of continuity also with regard to the location in Leicestershire. Last one was in 2013 master of the BBL.

History

All-Stars ( 1967-1986 )

In 1967, the team at Loughborough, 20 km north of Leicester was founded as All-Stars. 1972 was set up with the " National Basketball League " ( NBL ), a national league, in which the All-Stars were admitted. The best result was achieved with fourth place at the very beginning. Then it was not enough to front places and also in the National Cup, in which the actual championship was played, you could never make it to the finals. In 1980, the team has been deregistered from the game, but with the support from Leicester a new home was in the main town of Leicestershire found and the team competed in the 1981/82 season in the second division as Leicester All-Stars again. After the first place in 1982 in the second division they returned right back in the top flight. As a result, it was enough in the championship season, despite positive balances not to front places. After you've been in 1982 and 1983, twice host the finals in the National Cup, which was only now even cup competition, was reached in 1984, the final of the National Cup, which was, however, this time held at the Royal Albert Hall, and lost it against the Solent Stars.

City Riders (1986 to 1997)

In 1986 you get a new name, which was inspired by the sponsor, the local public transport company Leicester City bus on the name Leicester ( City ) Riders ( from English "bus ride", German bus ride ). Under this name it was a founding member of the British Basketball League (BBL ), which summarizes the best English and Scottish teams in a closed league. In the first season 1987/88 they finished ninth among 15 teams and narrowly missed a place in the play-offs. In the second season already four teams competed less and it took a fourth place after the regular season. The play-off finals contested the two Scottish Teams Glasgow Rangers BC and Murray B.C. Livingston, so the Riders along with the other semi-finalists and third-placed Bracknell Tigers was one of the best English teams. In the following season they finished in the shrunken been on eight teams League sixth place, after winning only a quarter of the season games. The play-offs were limited to four teams.

In the 1990/91 season things were looking up again and you had a positive record this season in fourth place after the regular season. In the play-off semi-final they lost against the dominant defending champions Kingston Kings. But again succeeded in the finals in the National Cup, where they lost to Sunderland Saints. In the following season they moved into the League Cup final BBL Trophy, which was lost against the Thames Valley Tigers. As a result, it was enough indeed continue to move into the play-offs, there are different however from getting into the first round. In the 1994/95 season then a preliminary low point was reached when they finished in eleventh place the third- last place with only eight wins in 36 games after the regular season and missed the play-offs. Three more wins this season ranged in 1996 for the ninth place in the table and a season later they reached in 1997 as a table of eight at least a place in the play-offs, the early off in the final round followed.

Riders ( since 1997)

In the season 1997/98 we emphasized the "City" from the association name to emphasize the cohesion with the surrounding area. This was done with great foresight, because the previous venue Granby Halls was closed three years later, so you returned to Loughborough on the campus of Loughborough University. However, this had stimulating effect on the sporting success of the franchise. Although it had in 1998 again reached the final of the National Cup, which in turn went to the Thames Valley Tigers lost, but otherwise you 'd not be able to qualify for the play-offs. In the 2000 /01 season they won two points difference against the London Leopards in the National Cup his first national title. This boosted the Riders in the play-offs, which had reached as fourth in the Northern Conference with a negative record this season, where they were not able to stop and in the final against the Sheffield Sharks won the play-offs in 2001. However, the first two title wins now followed heavy sporting and economic times.

In the season 2001/ 02 they failed fifth of the northern group as the defending champion is already on its way into the play-offs. Even after termination of the regional groups, it ranged in the following season, not a play-off position in the regular season, instead it was after only three wins this season, knocked off eleventh and Table. The 2003/04 season saw little recovery since the sporting situation had five wins this season before the even poorer Birmingham Bullets hardly better. Then they returned after four years returned to Leicester in the newly built John Sandford Centre at De Montfort University. 2005 had eleven victories won slightly more than a quarter of the game at the end and zoom fought tenth back to the play-off places. Put on a better young talent with new leadership and support of the sponsor Jelson Homes, the value, and the professional team was again successful, and in 2006 reached the finals again in the BBL Trophy, which can not compete in this season all titles winning Newcastle Eagles to the " Most Valuable Player " ( MVP ) of the BBL Andrew " Drew " Sullivan was highly lost. Two play-off appearances in 2006 and 2007 was followed by a missed play-off participation in 2008. Riders, however, had regained ground under their feet and the most successful periods should come now.

In the 2008 /09 season had the Riders at the end of the season for the first time since the 1993/94 season again a positive balance with 21 wins in 33 games, which was enough for third place in the final table. In the following two seasons they had continued positive balances season, even if this was not enough for the front seats. In the season 2011/12 could be Drew Sullivan from the master Mersey Tigers " loseisen " and this should be included for the Riders to a guarantor for sporting success. At the end of the season 2011/12 they finished behind his former club Newcastle Eagles to second place in the championship and also lost the play-off final against the Eagles. In the season 2012/13 after all, you won all the titles to the two-point difference against the Sheffield Sharks lost finals in the BBL Trophy. In the final match of the play-offs and the BBL Cup is returning the favor for the previous year suffered play-off final defeat against the Eagles. As the first player of the Riders was Drew Sullivan MVP of BBL, an award he won in 2006 in the jersey of the Eagles.

Young and collaborations

The youth teams of riders have their own team names and are referred to in age- ascending order as Blaze, Dynamite, Flame and Sparks. Furthermore, it works together with the basketball teams at Loughborough University, whose men's team plays in the second division of the " English Basketball League " ( EBL).