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Birmingham Elite B.C.

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Birmingham Athletics
LeagueEnglish Basketball League Division 3 North
Established2004
HistoryAston Athletics
2004-2006
Birmingham Athletics
2006-present
ArenaBirmingham Sports Centre
LocationBirmingham
Head coachNigel Hanson

Birmingham Athletics, formerly called and often still referred to as Aston Athletics, is a basketball team based in Birmingham, England. They currently play in English Basketball League Division 3 North.

The club was founded in 2004, as Aston Athletics, to play at the Aston Events Centre, which had just been vacated by Birmingham Bullets. Starting out in English Basketball League Division 3 North, they enjoyed excellent rookie season which saw them lift the Men's Shield and finish second in the league, but only on countback in games against winners Plymouth Raiders II. They also reached the semi-finals of the EBL3 Play-offs. and promotion to EBL Division 2 followed.

The team relocated, from Aston Events Centre to Birmingham Sports Centre in 2006, and, following the dissolution of Birmingham Bullets, the club changed its name to Birmingham Athletics to reflect its status as the only National League team representing the city at the time of the Bullets' demise. They subsequently stated their desire to turn professional by becoming the second EBL team (after Coventry Crusaders) to apply for membership of the proposed British Basketball Association; a league devised to compete with the incumbent British Basketball League as the premier Basketball competition in the country, in its' inaugural season in 2007–08. However, the British Basketball Association never materialized; and this, combined with the BBL and members of the defunct Birmingham Bullets team creating new Birmingham franchise Birmingham Panthers (partially due to the threat of Athletics becoming a successful Birmingham franchise in the BBA) ultimately prevented Athletics from realizing their professional ambitions. Despite the Panthers' lack of success and subsequent dissolution after a single season; and the same fate befalling the Panthers' replacement franchise Birmingham Knights, the Athletics have still not gained access to the BBL, and have since been relegated back into Division 3 North.

See also

References

Template:EBL Men's Division 2 clubs

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