Sheffield Sharks

2012/13: 7th place

The Sheffield Sharks (formally One Health Sharks Sheffield ) are a professional basketball team from Sheffield in England. The team was founded in 1991 as Sheffield Forgers and replaced three years later after winning the National Trophy Guildford Kings in the closed professional league British Basketball League (BBL ). Here, the club was also very successful and has never missed since her admission to the highest British League play-offs of the top eight teams at the end of the season.

History

Sheffield Forgers ( 1991-1994 )

1991 was announced under the name " Forgers " ( German blacksmith ) to a team for game operation in the competitions of the " National Basketball League " ( NBL ). The naming followed up on the tradition of Sheffield as a steel processing center in England. In the second division they reached the championship in 1993 and the rise in the NBL Division One in the second year. In the season after promotion they reached the final of the National Trophy, in which one the Plymouth Raiders defeated with two points difference 62:60 and reached the first title for the club.

Sharks in the time of Chris Finch ( 1994-2004 )

1994 Chrysalis Group, which has otherwise made ​​a name especially in the music industry, was the owner of the Sharks. After a quick sporting success and the financial backing by the new owner could take over in 1994 the license of the Guildford Kings in the closed professional league BBL, which was in the early years of BBL since 1987, the most successful athletic team. In their first season in the BBL, the Sharks are fought out their home games at the Sheffield Arena, winning the title in the National Cup and immediately reached the first place after the regular season with only seven defeats in 36 games. With Roger Huggins they also presented the "Most Valuable Player " ( MVP ) of the BBL. The final of the League Cup BBL Trophy they lost against the Thames Valley Tigers, against which it had won in the finals of the National Cup. In the semifinals of the playoffs but they lost against the defending Worthing Bears.

In the following season 1995/ 96, the Sharks took part in the FIBA Europe League first the regular season. After a successful qualification campaign against the Luxembourg champion would retire in first round against the renowned Spanish team Real Madrid before reaching the group stage. In the National League you could still win a game more than the previous season, but took second place in the final table behind the London Towers, against which they lost as the defending champion and the final game in the National Cup. After you had defeated the defending champions Worthing Bears in the first round of the play -offs, would retire again in the semifinals, this time against the eventual winners Birmingham Bullets. To the next season of American-born Chris Finch was player-coach of the Sharks, who has already played for the Sharks since 1992. The final game in the National Cup was lost against the London Towers and the semi-finals of the play-offs went for the third-placed Sharks also lost against this enemy, who then won the title in the finals. The Towers were the opponents in the final match of the BBL Trophy 1998 in the following season, in which the Sharks brought to the 82:79 - final win their first title under Chris Finch as a trainer and with John Amaechi the then most prominent British players in their ranks had. In the play-offs, however, the fourth-placed Sharks eliminated in the first round against the Thames Valley Tigers. Chris Finch was active in the following for the Sharks only as a trainer and ended his playing career.

In the National Cup in 1999, the Sharks won the final game with 67:65 against the Greater London Leopards and covered with MVP Terrell Myers also the first place after the regular season of BBL. In the semifinals of the playoffs, they lost again against the London Towers, in the finals were able to secure another title itself. In the following season, the Sharks were able to defend their title in the National Cup after winning the final against Manchester Giants. However, these beat the Sharks not only in the BBL Trophy, but also occupied the first place in the newly established "Northern Conference " BBL before the Sharks. In the first round of the play -offs then they lost against Birmingham Bullets and ended the season early. In the 2000 /01 season the Sharks reached, among others, Fabulous Flournoy, the then Newcastle Eagles made ​​it the leading " franchise " of the BBL, the first place in the Northern Conference with the second best record this season all the teams in the BBL. Then they reached the play-off final match that went but lost to the Leicester Riders, who had previously turned off the Südersten London Towers. However, the Chrysalis Group sold the franchise and the Sharks seemed the money to go out before them. Montgomery of the Leisure Services Ltd were taken. In the 2001 /02 season they finished in second place in the Northern Conference behind the Chester Jets, which is happening in the BBL dominated this season and won at the end of all titles. So lost the Sharks in their second play-off final match Participation in succession against the Jets with 82:93.

In the 2002/03 season, the Sharks eliminated in the cup competitions BBL early from, but in the united BBL, which waived the Conferences again, finished it the first place after the regular season. In the semifinals of the playoffs, they lost just two points difference against the eventual champions Scottish Rocks. Then left Chris Finch the club, which he had heard as a player and coach since 1992, eleven years and went for a short time as a coach in the German Basketball Bundesliga for the casting 46ers before numerous as a club coach and later coach of the British team in Belgium British National players gathered around. In the following season 2003/ 04 they had initially continued sporting success than you in the BBL Cup, which was the National Cup replaced and now was purely a League Cup, the Scottish Rocks defeated in the finals and reached the first title in this newly named competition. In the league they finished in second place after the regular season and reached the final, which they won for the first time by a 86:74 on the Chester Jets in the club's history. Subsequently, however, was followed by a six-year title -less time in the BBL.

Losing streak and new successes in cup and the Trophy (since 2004)

After the Sharks were eliminated early in the cup competitions in the 2004/05 season, they reached the fourth- placed team the play-offs of the BBL. After a convincing quarter-final success, they lost the semi-final against Newcastle Eagles, which subsequently won their first play-off titles and ascended to the new power in the BBL. Nate Reinking then left after six years, the Sharks and followed Chris Finch to Belgium, which also brought Roger Huggins to Euphony Bree. As a third place of the 2005/06 season they lost the play-off semi-final against the Scottish Rocks. In the season 2006/ 07 they moved to the English Institute of Sport as the new home ground and improved to second place in the final table. With Jeff Bonds are presented also the co- MVP of BBL, who left after the season to Spain. The play-off semi-final they lost this time against defending champions Newcastle Eagles and was able to celebrate a conciliatory end of the season for third place in the duel between the two best teams in the regular season with a win against the Guildford Heat in the small final.

In the 2007 /08 season, the previously accustomed to success Sharks eliminated as sixth- place finisher from the first play-off round. The following season, they had the bottom line the same result, the Sharks had a negative record this season for the first time in their history. However, the Sharks were able to answer after winning the BBL Cup and their first title in six years this " low point ". In the championship they had just six defeats in 36 games, the second- best record of all teams in the BBL behind defending champions Newcastle Eagles and presented with Mike Cook the MVP of the league, but in the semi-finals of the play-offs you was eliminated by the Glasgow Rocks. Defended the title in 2011 to BBL Cup, as one the Mersey Tigers clearly defeated in the final 93:66, otherwise the remainder of this BBL won, including the final of the two best teams in the regular season in the play- offs, where the Tigers were able to defeat the Sharks in a final revenge for the defeat in the BBL Cup.

In the 2011/12 season of the now almost 38 -year-old Nate Reinking returned to the Sharks in order to prepare in the last season of his playing career at the 2012 Olympic Games with the British National Team. As a seventh -placed but you pointed end of the season for the second time on a negative record this season with more defeats than won games. Logically, then you dropped out in the first play-off round. In the 2012/13 season they won the BBL Trophy in the final two points difference against the Leicester Riders who would otherwise have won all titles in the BBL. In the final table of the Championship is once again taking seventh place, but with a positive record this season. However, this protected the Sharks not before one dropped out in the first play-off round against defending champions Newcastle Eagles.