English Basketball League
 EBL logo featuring the England Basketball logo |
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| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| No. of teams | 100+ senior, 300+ junior |
| Country(ies) | England |
| Most recent champion(s) | London Leopards (Men's), City of Sheffield Hatters (Women's) |
| Official website |
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The English Basketball League (EBL) is a professional basketball, semi-professional, and amateur basketball league in England. It forms the second-tier of competition below the professional British Basketball League.
The EBL was established in 2003 by England Basketball to replace the former National Basketball League, and currently operates several men's and women's leagues in the British basketball pyramid, which is headed by Division 1. This is effectively seen as the second tier of men's basketball in the United Kingdom, along with the less celebrated Scottish Basketball League.
There are numerous leagues underneath the Division 1 men's and women's leagues, with the lower leagues operating on a regionalised basis.
Beneath the men's and women's national leagues is a junior structure for both male and female with leagues for under 18s, 16s, 15s, 14s, 13s. The England Basketball website contains all the relevant information
There is no promotion and relegation between the EBL and the British Basketball League, which operates a franchise system. Despite this, many teams have in recent years made the step from EBL to the BBL looking for greater competition and more exposure.
Contents |
Senior Competitions [edit]
English Basketball League - The men's competition is currently divided into four divisions, with Division 3 having two regional sections and Division 4 further divided into four regions. The women's competition is divided into two divisions, with Division 2 split into three regions.
The Playoffs - The top eight teams in each division compete for the season's final showdown and silverware. The top four teams have home advantage against the lower placed sides in the quarter-final (1st v 8th, 2nd v 7th, 3rd v 6th & 4th v 5th). In men's and women's Division 1, the semi-finals and final are held at a neutral venue in a Final Fours weekend. The lower divisions have only the final at a neutral venue.
National Cup - Open to all EBL teams and played on a straight knockout format at club venues with the final being held at a neutral venue. The 2011-2012 finals were staged at Ponds Forge, Sheffield and saw the London Leopards take the trophy 64-63 against the Bristol Academy Flyers.
National Trophy - Also known as the EBL Trophy, this is played for by all men's Division 1 teams. The teams play a round-robin competition followed by knock-out rounds. The Derby Trailblazers won the 2011-2012 tournament 87-60 against the Bristol Academy Flyers, playing at the Braunstone Leisure Centre, Leicester.
Patrons Cup - The Patrons' Cup is played for by all men's Division 2 teams on a similar basis to the EBL Trophy. Hemel Storm took the 2011-2012 Cup, narrowly beating Killamarsh Derbyshire Arrows 70-73 at the Braunstone Leisure Centre, Leicester.
National Shield - Open to all Men's teams in EBL Divisions 3 & 4 and run on a straight knock-out format with the final held at a neutral venue. The 2011-2012 final took place at the Amaechi Basketball Centre in Manchester, and saw the Newham (NASSA) Neptunes top Loughborough Students' Riders 73-69.
National Founders Cup - A round-robin competition organised on a national basis specifically for non-EBL clubs, i.e. amateur clubs who have not entered the national leagues.
Teams [edit]
Men's Division 1 [edit]
Men's Division 1 team line-up for the 2012-2013 season.[1]
| Team | Home Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bradford Dragons | Bradford College | |
| Bristol Academy Flyers | SGS College | |
| Brixton Topcats | Brixton Recreation Centre | |
| Derby Trailblazers | Moorways Centre | 2011-2012 National Trophy Winners |
| Essex Leopards | Basildon Sporting Village / Brentwood Centre | 2011-2012 National Cup, EBL1 Championship & Playoff Winners (as London Leopards) |
| Hemel Storm | Sportspace | Promoted from Division Two, 2011-2012 Patrons Cup Winners |
| Leeds Carnegie | Leeds Metropolitan University | |
| Leicester Warriors | Braunstone Leisure Centre | |
| Medway Park Crusaders | Medway Park | |
| Reading Rockets | Rivermead Leisure Complex | |
| Team Northumbria | Sport Central | Promoted from Division Two, 2011-2012 EBL2 Championship & Playoff Winners |
| Tees Valley Mohawks | Olympia Building, University of Teesside | |
| Westminster Warriors | Moberly Sports & Education Centre | |
| Worthing Thunder | Worthing Leisure Centre |
Men's Division 2 [edit]
Men's Division 2 team line-up for the 2012-2013 season.[2]
| Team | Home Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Mets | Birmingham Metropolitan College | |
| Eastside Eagles London | Rush Croft School and Sports College | |
| RCT Gladiators | Rhondda Fach Sports Centre | |
| Derbyshire Arrows | Killamarsh Sports Centre | |
| London Capital | Capital City Academy | Relegated from Division One |
| London United | Harefield Academy | |
| London Westside | Kensington Leisure Centre | |
| Loughborough Students' Riders | Loughborough University | |
| Manchester Magic | Amaechi Basketball Centre | Promoted from Division Three, 2011-2012 EBL3 (North) Championship Winners |
| Mansfield Giants | Oak Tree Leisure Centre | |
| Newham (NASSA) Neptunes | Newham All Star Sports Academy | Promoted from Division Three, 2011-2012 National Shield, EBL3 (South) Championship & Playoff Winners |
| Team Solent | Southampton Solent University |
Men's Division 3 [edit]
Men's Division 3 team line-up for the 2012-2013 season.[3]
Men's Division 4 [edit]
Men's Division 4 team line-up for the 2012-2013 season.[4]
Women's Division 1 [edit]
Women's Division 1 team line-up for the 2012-2013 season.[5]
| Team | Home Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Barking Abbey | Barking Abbey Academy | |
| Cardiff Archers | University of Wales in Cardiff | 2011-2012 EBL1 Championship Winners (as UWIC Archers) |
| City of Sheffield Hatters | Naigara Sports Club | 2011-2012 National Cup & EBL1 Playoff Winners |
| Manchester Mystics | Amaechi Basketball Centre | Promoted from Division Two, 2011-2012 National Trophy & EBL2 (North) Championship Winners |
| Newham (NASSA) Stars | Newham All Star Sports Academy | Promoted from Division Two, EBL2 (Midlands South East) Championship Winners |
| Nottingham Wildcats | Nottingham Wildcats Arena | |
| Sevenoaks Suns | ||
| Team Northumbria | Sport Central |
Women's Division 2 [edit]
Women's Division 2 team line-up for the 2012-2013 season.[6]
Former Teams [edit]
Clubs which were formerly part of the English Basketball League, but do not currently compete in any Division.
| Team | Men's/Women's | Reason for Leaving EBL |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry Crusaders | Men's | Withdrew from 2011/2012 season due to lack of funding. |
| Guernsey | Men's | Resigned in 2011 due to the high cost of competing on the mainland. |
| Kingston Wildcats | Men's | Withdrew prior to the 2006/07 season due to financial problems. |
| London Towers | Men's | Declined to enter a team from the 2009/2010 season onwards. |
| Solent Stars | Men's | Announced their withdrawal from national competition 31st August 2007, due to a dispute with their home venue. |
| Southampton Trailblazers | Men's | Pulled out of the league after the 2008/2009 season. |
| Taunton Tigers | Men's | Declined to enter a team for the 2012/2013 season. |
| West Hertfordshire Warriors | Men's | Withdrew from the league in October 2007 due to financial problems, following the loss of a major sponsor. |
VCARS.co.uk Partnership [edit]
On October 5th VCARS and the EBL announced a naming rights partnership for the 2012-13 season. The new division names will be known as:
- VCARS.co.uk Division One Men
- VCARS.co.uk Division Two Men
- VCARS.co.uk Division Three Men
- VCARS.co.uk Division Four Men
- VCARS.co.uk Division Four Men
- VCARS.co.uk Division One Women
- VCARS.co.uk Division Two Women
Other club's websites [edit]
- Bristol Academy Flyers
- Bristol Storm Basketball Club
- Derby Trailblazers
- Kent Crusaders
- Kingston Wildcats
- Leicester Warriors
- Sheffield Saints
- Team Northumbria
- Taunton Tigers
- Tees Valley Mohawks
- Bradford Dragons
See also [edit]
External links [edit]
- Official site of England Basketball, including the English Basketball League
- Official partner of the England Basketball League
References [edit]
- ^ "English Basketball League Structure 2012-2013". England Basketball. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "English Basketball League Structure 2012-2013". England Basketball. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "English Basketball League Structure 2012-2013". England Basketball. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "English Basketball League Structure 2012-2013". England Basketball. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "English Basketball League Structure 2012-2013". England Basketball. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "English Basketball League Structure 2012-2013". England Basketball. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
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