Newcastle Falcons (basketball)

For the English rugby union club, see Newcastle Falcons.

Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons logo
Leagues	NBL
Founded	1979
Dissolved	1999
History	Newcastle Falcons 1979–1999
Arena	Broadmeadow Basketball Stadium (1979–1991) Newcastle Entertainment Centre (1992–1999)
Capacity	BBS - 2,000 NEC - 4,658
Location	Newcastle, New South Wales
Team colors	Red, Blue and White
Championships	0
Home Away

The Newcastle Falcons are a defunct basketball team that competed in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL). Based in Newcastle, New South Wales, the team played in the NBL's inaugural season in 1979 but left the league in the late 1990s after new owners based in Albury couldn't resolve the club's ongoing financial problems.

History

The Falcons hold a special place in the history of the NBL with the club largely responsible for the formation of the league which also saw them organise the first season in 1979. The other clubs had to pay a fee of around AU$300 to the Falcons to participate in that first season and the city of Newcastle is regarded as the birthplace of the NBL.

The club's original colours were green and white, being the city's colours, but the club soon changed to black and red, and to red and blue, after the Newcastle Knights' admission to the New South Wales Rugby League in 1988. All the national league clubs in Newcastle took on red and blue as their colours at some stage in their existence.

The club's downfall began in the mid-1990s when problems with sponsor, clothing and sports equipment company Topper befell them and the National Soccer League's Newcastle Breakers. Even with the support of new sponsor EnergyAustralia and new owners, the club couldn't get itself out of trouble, and left the league following the 1998–99 NBL season.

Home Arenas

The Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Home of the Falcons from 1992–1999

After spending its first 13 seasons playing out of the 2,200 capacity Broadmeadow Basketball Stadium, the Falcons made the move to the new, 4,658 seat Newcastle Entertainment Centre located on the other side of the Newcastle Showgrounds in 1992 where they would remain until the club folded in 1999. Although the Falcons never appeared in an NBL Grand Final, the Broadmeadow Stadium hosted the 1982 NBL Grand Final between the West Adelaide Bearcats and the Geelong Supercats. West Adelaide won the Grand Final 80–74 in front of a capacity crowd.

Post 1999

The city of Newcastle had no NBL team until the new owners of the Canberra Cannons moved to Newcastle and established the Hunter Pirates in 2003. The Pirates in turn withdrew from the NBL is 2005, and there has been no further attempt to establish the league in Newcastle since then.

Honour roll

NBL Championships:	None
NBL Finals Appearances:	3 (1983, 1984, 1985)
NBL Grand Final Appearances:	None
NBL Most Valuable Players:	None
NBL Grand Final MVPs:	None
NBL Coach of the Year:	Bob Turner (1981), Tom Wisman (1995)
NBL Rookie of the Year:	Scott McGregor (1996)
NBL Most Improved Player:	Tonny Jensen (1995), Ben Pepper (1997), Ben Melmeth (1998)
NBL Best Defensive Player:	Terry Dozier (1992, 1993)
NBL Best Sixth Man:	Ben Pepper (1997)