Newcastle Eagles
2012/13: 2nd place
The Newcastle Eagles are a professional basketball team based in Newcastle upon Tyne in England. The Eagles were originally founded in 1976 in Washington ( Tyne and Wear ) at Sunderland and remained until 1995 in Sunderland, where they played for a long time as Sunderland Saints. Having already competed in their last two years in Sunderland as Scorpions, they moved in 1995 based in neighboring Newcastle, where she first competed as Comets and then as Eagles in the closed professional league British Basketball League (BBL ), who since their founding in 1987 belong.
History
Basketball in Sunderland (1976 to 1995)
In 1976, in Washington, a town in the Metropolitan Borough City of Sunderland, a basketball team ePAB. A short time later they moved to the central town Sunderland, first played as ePAB Sunblest further and was able to 1978 qualify / 79 for the European club competition Korać Cup, where in the first round despite a 113:102 home win in the return match against the Spanish representative CB Areslux Granollers retired. The next competition Korać Cup 1979/80 they came directly into the first main round in which it was clearly this time the Spanish club Cotonificio Badalona inferior. In the following season 1980/81 they reached the final of the play-offs in the top domestic league championship " National Basketball League " ( NBL ), in which one was able to defeat defending champion Crystal Palace with four points difference 96:92 and the first title success for the team reached.
In the following season 1981/82 they managed in the European Champions Cup in the group stage with two wins against the Luxembourg representative BBC Amicale Steinsel, but lost the remaining four group matches and was eliminated after the first round. In the national championship one as third for the first time a place among the top three teams at the end of the season, but lost the final revenge against the main round First Crystal Palace clear with 86:111. In the championship 1982/83 they reached behind defending champion Crystal Palace and in the second place play- off final, it came for the third time in a row clash between the two rivals, which once again the Sunderland Saints could just decide for themselves 75:74. The following national champion Cup first round began again in the knockout system, in which one could defeat the Swedish champions Alvik BK scarce. Then we played in the second round against the renowned Yugoslav team KK Bosna Sarajevo, who won this competition after all, 1979. Although they lost both games, but only just, so that the points difference was limited to a total of six points. Thus, the early successes of the Saints were first completed.
Although they had achieved in the following years front places in the national championship more, it was in 1987 76ers as Sunderland founding member of the closed professional league British Basketball League (BBL ). In the 15-team league, however strong they reached at the end of the season only to eleventh place and missed the play-offs. In the following season, the league had already been reduced by four teams and one reached now as sixth in the main round for the first time the play-offs of the BBL, where you but the same was eliminated against the Tigers Bracknell. In the 1989/90 season you now reached a fourth place, with Clyde Vaughan was named " Most Valuable Player " (MVP) of the main draws in the reduced to eight teams league. As in the cup competition National Cup they reached the final of the play-offs against the Kingston Kings, however, could unite in that game time all the national titles up. In the following season 1990/91 we remained the only serious challenger to the Kings and was able to defeat them in the Cup semi-finals and win against the Leicester Riders in the final of the National Cup with the from the NBA returned to England for the first time Steve Bucknall. In the championship, but replacing the final of the play-offs, losing to the main round First and defending champion back significantly with over 20 points difference. The following season 1991/92 was marred completely and was reached after only three wins this season, just the second to last place in the table. After another second to last place in the table is 1993 changed its name to Sunderland Scorpions. This meant that in the 1993/94 season only a slight improvement in tenth place in the table, because in the following season 1994/95 was followed by only four wins this season, the crash on the 13th and last place. The history of the Saints / Scorpions in Sunderland had come to an end.
Newcastle Eagles (since 1995)
For the 1995/96 season, the move came in the greater Newcastle upon Tyne, where you first ran as Newcastle Comets. Shortly after moving rose also the chairman of the football club Newcastle United, Sir John Hall, at the Comets as the owner of a. After a rather shaky start in Newcastle, as they finished the 1995/96 season in eleventh place in the table, named one around again, but " united " owner Hall, the football and basketball teams not under the name United, as previously with FC Portsmouth, Manchester United and Glasgow Rangers had happened. As you Eagles finished the regular season in 1996/97 as seventh first time since 1991 with a positive record this season and managed to qualify for the play- offs, in which one but was eliminated in the first round to eventual winners London Towers. In the following season they reached the third place after the regular season, but retired in the play- offs against defending London Towers again in the first round. 1999 handed it back only to seventh place, which in the first play-off round again punished the Towers with the departure of the Eagles.
In the season 1999/2000 BBL conducted two regional " Conferences" one. However, the Eagles had a weak season and finished the regular season in sixth and last place of the Conference North, which meant missing the play-offs. With the new coach Tony Garbelotto handed it a year later to a third place in the Conference, but in the play- offs you did not come again beyond the first round. But one fought his way to the final of the League Cup competition BBL Trophy 2001, however, in which they lost the Chester Jets. In the season 2001/ 02 they survived the first pre -play -off round, but in the quarterfinals would retire after extra time with a point of difference against the Brighton Bears. This beat the Eagles in the semifinals of the playoffs a year later. After another Erstrundenaus in the play- offs 2003/ 04 began in the 2004/05 season for the time being most successful period of the Eagles in the BBL, which were soon taken up by the new owner Paul Blake, of the Eagles since 2004, together with the player-coach Fab Flournoy functioning should lead to the most successful franchise in the BBL the next decade.
In the BBL Trophy 2005, the Eagles remained unbeaten and defeated in the finals significantly with the 85:60 Brighton Bears, who had won the cup competition BBL Cup. However, the first title win in the BBL was only the first of a successful season. As second in the main round for the first time since 1991 they moved back into the play-off finals, in which one could defeat the main round First Chester Jets with three points and also won this title for the first time. The play-offs were in the following two years, the domain of the Eagles, who could defend that title twice. In the season 2005/ 06 they also defended not only the BBL Trophy, but was also the first winner of the regular season with MVP Drew Sullivan and won the cup competition BBL Cup. Drew Sullivan then moved to Spain in the ACB league and veteran Tony Dorsey, even twice MVP of BBL, this could not completely replace than you 2007 lost the final of the BBL Trophy against the Plymouth Raiders and was eliminated in the BBL Cup already in the semifinals. As a third in the regular season but they managed to move into play-off finals and was in a rematch of the final game of the preseason again the Scottish Rocks defeat and at least defend that title. Shawan Robinson then moved up after just one season in the German Basketball Bundesliga.
In the 2007 /08 season, they seemed to be able to continue the success story of the Eagles. Although they lost the final two games in the cup competitions, but in the championship was assured by MVP Lynard Stewart first the title after the regular season. In the play-offs but tore the successful series of the Eagles and they lost in the semifinals of their first playoff game in four years against the Milton Keynes Lions, which one was inferior already in the finals of the BBL Cup. In the following season 2008/ 09 was found with MVP Trey Moore to old dominance back. Although it bowed out of the BBL Cup in two games against the eventual winners Everton Tigers from, but after the final victory in the BBL Trophy could defeat as main round first the Tigers in the final of the play-offs. In the season 2009/10 could defend the title in the BBL Trophy. The regular season is finished for the third time in a row first, but in the semifinals of the playoffs, they lost twice with 16 points difference against the eventual winners Everton Tigers. This also dominated as Mersey Tigers the following season in which they won all titles in the BBL to the BBL Cup. The best result of the Eagles this season 2010/11 was the second place after the regular season.
After the financial near- collapse of the Mersey Tigers the Eagles in the 2011/12 season were unstoppable. With Joe Chapman they found not only the MVP, but won all titles in the BBL. In addition to the Plymouth Raiders, the Leicester Riders were the only serious challenger in the final of the play-offs. They took with captain Drew Sullivan, 2006 still with the Eagles MVP of BBL, the command in the 2012/13 season. Although the Riders lost the final of the BBL Cup against Sheffield Sharks, but she not only won the final of the BBL Trophy against the Eagles, but also the final game in the play- offs as First prize the main round against the Second Newcastle Eagles.