Guess the answer: Leicestershire version

[arbboy]

I never watched on Sky but wasn't UK basketball on channel 4 before Sky?  Pretty sure I watched it there, but might be getting it wrong.

Yes think that was in the 1980's when Kingston (now Guildford) were dominating the game.  The main player in that era was a little yank guy called Alton Byrd.   Remember him?  Alan Cunningham and Colin Irish also played for them and i played against them a couple of times when they were playiing down the leagues in their 40s and they were still different class.

Manchester United had a big team in that era who were linked to the football club amazingly.

Yeah I remember Alton Byrd, but don't remember much else.   When things moved to Sky I tended to lose interest.  Just found some videos on youtube from the time.  Of course Kabbadi was the nut sporting program at the time.  Used to love the Tour De France with Robert Millar (as was) and the Kraftwerk theme too.   

was mental for sport in that era.  They had Italian football which was easily the best league iin the world then.  Imagine c4 being able to afford the EPL nowadays?

[bergeroo]

I used to love going to watch the Birmingham bullets when I was growing up at the NIA - massive arena every week. I remember the team still now and I hope I got the details right. Tony Dorsey (scoring machine at forward), Nigel Lloyd (smooth shooting guard), Steadroy Baker (diminutive point guard whose bro also played in the league), Trevor Gordon (big angry centre who joined for the a year or two but left in acrimony when he allegedly smashed the league trophy), Fabulous Flouneroy (spelling?) - great name. Nick Nurse coaching.

Was a great atmosphere to take kids to sport. Very positive family entertainment, unlike over at St Andrews!

Final score of this game was 123-122.  I found the scorecard and press cutting for the game in the local rag inside the score card.   Was 16 3's not 18!

The 1990's was the pinnacle of UK basketball albeit on a world scale it was still a terrible standard.  The British league (the BBL) was live on sky sports every week presented by Suzanne Dando if anyone remembers her?  Was married amazingly to the infamous Andy Gray of Sky sports football in that era.  The relative TV money meant much better quality imports were attracted to the league for 5-10 year period riding off the dream team/Jordan's global explosion selling trainers etc.  The british style of play in that era was very Kevin Keegan (we will outscore you rather than worry about defending like the major Euro leagues were).

The coaches in that era looking back were different class we just didn't realise at the time how many talented young coaches we had in the English game.  They played a high octane shooting 3's style of plaay which was 20 years ahead of the curve in terms of the modern game.  The current NBA champions head coach Nick Nurse plied his trade through the 1990's in England.  Coaching Birmingham, Manchester and London Towers who he took into the Euro League (champions league equiv for basketball football wise) which was unheard of any English team even being able to compete at that level financially.  Other coaches in England from that era included Chris Finch for Sheffield who went on to coach in the NBA as well.   Leicester also had a couple of crazy American coaches who went onto much bigger things in the Chinese league whiich is huge money wise.

One of the rolls royce players of the English league in the 1990's is the father of a current footballer who captains a team in the EPL.   Any guesses who the captain is?  His brother plays in the English basketball league now as well.

The boom ended and sent a lot of the teams busto in the early 2000's and the league has never recovered.  Sky tv money ended and ITV digital (remember them?) took on the tv deaal but went bust and left clubs with multi year player contracts that they couldn't afford to pay.

[arbboy]

I used to love going to watch the Birmingham bullets when I was growing up at the NIA - massive arena every week. I remember the team still now and I hope I got the details right. Tony Dorsey (scoring machine at forward), Nigel Lloyd (smooth shooting guard), Steadroy Baker (diminutive point guard whose bro also played in the league), Trevor Gordon (big angry centre who joined for the a year or two but left in acrimony when he allegedly smashed the league trophy), Fabulous Flouneroy (spelling?) - great name. Nick Nurse coaching.

Was a great atmosphere to take kids to sport. Very positive family entertainment, unlike over at St Andrews!

Final score of this game was 123-122.  I found the scorecard and press cutting for the game in the local rag inside the score card.   Was 16 3's not 18!

The 1990's was the pinnacle of UK basketball albeit on a world scale it was still a terrible standard.  The British league (the BBL) was live on sky sports every week presented by Suzanne Dando if anyone remembers her?  Was married amazingly to the infamous Andy Gray of Sky sports football in that era.  The relative TV money meant much better quality imports were attracted to the league for 5-10 year period riding off the dream team/Jordan's global explosion selling trainers etc.  The british style of play in that era was very Kevin Keegan (we will outscore you rather than worry about defending like the major Euro leagues were).

The coaches in that era looking back were different class we just didn't realise at the time how many talented young coaches we had in the English game.  They played a high octane shooting 3's style of plaay which was 20 years ahead of the curve in terms of the modern game.  The current NBA champions head coach Nick Nurse plied his trade through the 1990's in England.  Coaching Birmingham, Manchester and London Towers who he took into the Euro League (champions league equiv for basketball football wise) which was unheard of any English team even being able to compete at that level financially.  Other coaches in England from that era included Chris Finch for Sheffield who went on to coach in the NBA as well.   Leicester also had a couple of crazy American coaches who went onto much bigger things in the Chinese league whiich is huge money wise.

One of the rolls royce players of the English league in the 1990's is the father of a current footballer who captains a team in the EPL.   Any guesses who the captain is?  His brother plays in the English basketball league now as well.

The boom ended and sent a lot of the teams busto in the early 2000's and the league has never recovered.  Sky tv money ended and ITV digital (remember them?) took on the tv deaal but went bust and left clubs with multi year player contracts that they couldn't afford to pay.

Fantastic memory from that long ago.   That was probably the greatest era of Bullets history those couple of years.  Nurse recruited Dorsey from much higher standard Euro league on a huge salary and he was the best player in the league for five years straight.  He followed Nurse to Manchester i think when they were putting 15,000 bums on seats in the MEN arena every week.  He stole Lloyd from the thames valley tigers and that pretty much killed them off as a top team.  The bakers twins were great undersized point guards who couldn't shoot.   5'7'' and can't shoot but were rapid.  Don't think they would fit the modern game like they did back then.  The first national league game i went to watch as a kid was Corby Flyers v Brixton Topcats in 1987 and the baker twins were teenagers playing their debut season in the lower leagues for their home town local club.   Ronnie played over a hundred times for England.  Some rise to fame for a little guy who couldn't shoot.

Trevor Gordon i forgot all about him he was an angry guy and typical of the big strong physical big men iin the game in that era.  Fab kept playing until very recently well into his 40's as player coach of the newcastle eagles in ENgland.  Won everything loads of times.  Pretty sure he is now an assistant for nurse in the nba.

Did you ever watch the bullets at Aston Villa leisure centre?  Before they went big time at the NIA?  If you didn't you probably never saw their greatest ever player.  Home produced local kid called Steve Hansell.  He was the same age as me and went through the junior system and was starting for the bullets as a 16 year old at point guard.   He used to play 40 minutes for the bullet juniors in the warm up game then have a quick shower and start for the senior men's team.  He was a special talent and played all around Europe for a decade in the Euroleague.  Far too talented to stay in England.

[Rubbish2407]

One sport I never followed.

Can't believe the coach took you out of the game five short of a century?

[bergeroo]

I don't remember Hansell. I think I started going when they moved to play at the NIA and I remember a few games at the NEC? But then on the way down I remember them moving back to Villa Leisure Centre when the crowds went down a bit and the money dried up.

I used to love going to watch the Birmingham bullets when I was growing up at the NIA - massive arena every week. I remember the team still now and I hope I got the details right. Tony Dorsey (scoring machine at forward), Nigel Lloyd (smooth shooting guard), Steadroy Baker (diminutive point guard whose bro also played in the league), Trevor Gordon (big angry centre who joined for the a year or two but left in acrimony when he allegedly smashed the league trophy), Fabulous Flouneroy (spelling?) - great name. Nick Nurse coaching.

Was a great atmosphere to take kids to sport. Very positive family entertainment, unlike over at St Andrews!

Final score of this game was 123-122.  I found the scorecard and press cutting for the game in the local rag inside the score card.   Was 16 3's not 18!

The 1990's was the pinnacle of UK basketball albeit on a world scale it was still a terrible standard.  The British league (the BBL) was live on sky sports every week presented by Suzanne Dando if anyone remembers her?  Was married amazingly to the infamous Andy Gray of Sky sports football in that era.  The relative TV money meant much better quality imports were attracted to the league for 5-10 year period riding off the dream team/Jordan's global explosion selling trainers etc.  The british style of play in that era was very Kevin Keegan (we will outscore you rather than worry about defending like the major Euro leagues were).

The coaches in that era looking back were different class we just didn't realise at the time how many talented young coaches we had in the English game.  They played a high octane shooting 3's style of plaay which was 20 years ahead of the curve in terms of the modern game.  The current NBA champions head coach Nick Nurse plied his trade through the 1990's in England.  Coaching Birmingham, Manchester and London Towers who he took into the Euro League (champions league equiv for basketball football wise) which was unheard of any English team even being able to compete at that level financially.  Other coaches in England from that era included Chris Finch for Sheffield who went on to coach in the NBA as well.   Leicester also had a couple of crazy American coaches who went onto much bigger things in the Chinese league whiich is huge money wise.

One of the rolls royce players of the English league in the 1990's is the father of a current footballer who captains a team in the EPL.   Any guesses who the captain is?  His brother plays in the English basketball league now as well.

The boom ended and sent a lot of the teams busto in the early 2000's and the league has never recovered.  Sky tv money ended and ITV digital (remember them?) took on the tv deaal but went bust and left clubs with multi year player contracts that they couldn't afford to pay.

Fantastic memory from that long ago.   That was probably the greatest era of Bullets history those couple of years.  Nurse recruited Dorsey from much higher standard Euro league on a huge salary and he was the best player in the league for five years straight.  He followed Nurse to Manchester i think when they were putting 15,000 bums on seats in the MEN arena every week.  He stole Lloyd from the thames valley tigers and that pretty much killed them off as a top team.  The bakers twins were great undersized point guards who couldn't shoot.   5'7'' and can't shoot but were rapid.  Don't think they would fit the modern game like they did back then.  The first national league game i went to watch as a kid was Corby Flyers v Brixton Topcats in 1987 and the baker twins were teenagers playing their debut season in the lower leagues for their home town local club.   Ronnie played over a hundred times for England.  Some rise to fame for a little guy who couldn't shoot.

Trevor Gordon i forgot all about him he was an angry guy and typical of the big strong physical big men iin the game in that era.  Fab kept playing until very recently well into his 40's as player coach of the newcastle eagles in ENgland.  Won everything loads of times.  Pretty sure he is now an assistant for nurse in the nba.

Did you ever watch the bullets at Aston Villa leisure centre?  Before they went big time at the NIA?  If you didn't you probably never saw their greatest ever player.  Home produced local kid called Steve Hansell.  He was the same age as me and went through the junior system and was starting for the bullets as a 16 year old at point guard.   He used to play 40 minutes for the bullet juniors in the warm up game then have a quick shower and start for the senior men's team.  He was a special talent and played all around Europe for a decade in the Euroleague.  Far too talented to stay in England.

[arbboy]

One sport I never followed.

Can't believe the coach took you out of the game five short of a century?

No one knew i was that close to a ton.  The game went to overtime.  If i had known i would have missed one of the free throws that i made to win the game to send it to a second overtime to get the ton.  I felt like i had about 75 or 80 points never considered during the game that i was that close until the stat sheets were added up after.  Wasn't electronic back then!

[arbboy]

I don't remember Hansell. I think I started going when they moved to play at the NIA and I remember a few games at the NEC? But then on the way down I remember them moving back to Villa Leisure Centre when the crowds went down a bit and the money dried up.

I used to love going to watch the Birmingham bullets when I was growing up at the NIA - massive arena every week. I remember the team still now and I hope I got the details right. Tony Dorsey (scoring machine at forward), Nigel Lloyd (smooth shooting guard), Steadroy Baker (diminutive point guard whose bro also played in the league), Trevor Gordon (big angry centre who joined for the a year or two but left in acrimony when he allegedly smashed the league trophy), Fabulous Flouneroy (spelling?) - great name. Nick Nurse coaching.

Was a great atmosphere to take kids to sport. Very positive family entertainment, unlike over at St Andrews!

Final score of this game was 123-122.  I found the scorecard and press cutting for the game in the local rag inside the score card.   Was 16 3's not 18!

The 1990's was the pinnacle of UK basketball albeit on a world scale it was still a terrible standard.  The British league (the BBL) was live on sky sports every week presented by Suzanne Dando if anyone remembers her?  Was married amazingly to the infamous Andy Gray of Sky sports football in that era.  The relative TV money meant much better quality imports were attracted to the league for 5-10 year period riding off the dream team/Jordan's global explosion selling trainers etc.  The british style of play in that era was very Kevin Keegan (we will outscore you rather than worry about defending like the major Euro leagues were).

The coaches in that era looking back were different class we just didn't realise at the time how many talented young coaches we had in the English game.  They played a high octane shooting 3's style of plaay which was 20 years ahead of the curve in terms of the modern game.  The current NBA champions head coach Nick Nurse plied his trade through the 1990's in England.  Coaching Birmingham, Manchester and London Towers who he took into the Euro League (champions league equiv for basketball football wise) which was unheard of any English team even being able to compete at that level financially.  Other coaches in England from that era included Chris Finch for Sheffield who went on to coach in the NBA as well.   Leicester also had a couple of crazy American coaches who went onto much bigger things in the Chinese league whiich is huge money wise.

One of the rolls royce players of the English league in the 1990's is the father of a current footballer who captains a team in the EPL.   Any guesses who the captain is?  His brother plays in the English basketball league now as well.

The boom ended and sent a lot of the teams busto in the early 2000's and the league has never recovered.  Sky tv money ended and ITV digital (remember them?) took on the tv deaal but went bust and left clubs with multi year player contracts that they couldn't afford to pay.

Fantastic memory from that long ago.   That was probably the greatest era of Bullets history those couple of years.  Nurse recruited Dorsey from much higher standard Euro league on a huge salary and he was the best player in the league for five years straight.  He followed Nurse to Manchester i think when they were putting 15,000 bums on seats in the MEN arena every week.  He stole Lloyd from the thames valley tigers and that pretty much killed them off as a top team.  The bakers twins were great undersized point guards who couldn't shoot.   5'7'' and can't shoot but were rapid.  Don't think they would fit the modern game like they did back then.  The first national league game i went to watch as a kid was Corby Flyers v Brixton Topcats in 1987 and the baker twins were teenagers playing their debut season in the lower leagues for their home town local club.   Ronnie played over a hundred times for England.  Some rise to fame for a little guy who couldn't shoot.

Trevor Gordon i forgot all about him he was an angry guy and typical of the big strong physical big men iin the game in that era.  Fab kept playing until very recently well into his 40's as player coach of the newcastle eagles in ENgland.  Won everything loads of times.  Pretty sure he is now an assistant for nurse in the nba.

Did you ever watch the bullets at Aston Villa leisure centre?  Before they went big time at the NIA?  If you didn't you probably never saw their greatest ever player.  Home produced local kid called Steve Hansell.  He was the same age as me and went through the junior system and was starting for the bullets as a 16 year old at point guard.   He used to play 40 minutes for the bullet juniors in the warm up game then have a quick shower and start for the senior men's team.  He was a special talent and played all around Europe for a decade in the Euroleague.  Far too talented to stay in England.

AV leisure centre was my fav all time place to play it was so noisy in there with the wooden seats and the crowds were always mental.   Think its been knocked down now and doesn't exist.

[Longines]

Great memories, basketball was my gsme at school, used to go and watch the Bracknell Pirates (forerunners of the TV Tigers) every week from 82 to 85. Remember Byrd, always thought our Dan Callandrillo was the better guard. The Scantlebury brothers is about the only other name I can remember from those days

[arbboy]

Great memories, basketball was my gsme at school, used to go and watch the Bracknell Pirates (forerunners of the TV Tigers) every week from 82 to 85. Remember Byrd, always thought our Dan Callandrillo was the better guard. The Scantlebury brothers is about the only other name I can remember from those days

The scant brothers i forgot about them.  Didn't realise they went back that far with a different name.   Their arena was another great place to play.  The crowd was right on top of you and really noisy and compact.

[nirvana]

I played a lot at school but never became a fan. One guy I grew up with played in the national leagues back then. His family was in the RAF like ours and we followed each other to different camps and our families were friends. Paul Gervais, played with Warrington I think (Google helped) and probably for Manchester when they merged. Not sure if he ever became a big player but you guys might know.

[arbboy]

I played a lot at school but never became a fan. One guy I grew up with played in the national leagues back then. His family was in the RAF like ours and we followed each other to different camps and our families were friends. Paul Gervais, played with Warrington I think (Google helped) and probably for Manchester when they merged. Not sure if he ever became a big player but you guys might know.

Not a name i am aware of in uk basketball circles.   Probably a bit before my time as Warrington never had a team when i played.

[scotty2hatty]

Arb, get a quiz up, I'm bored.

[arbboy]

Arb, get a quiz up, I'm bored.

haaha sure no one wants to go through the pain of my manual reveal again!

[Karabiner]

Arb, get a quiz up, I'm bored.

haaha sure no one wants to go through the pain of my manual reveal again!

In.

[Ironside]

Arb, get a quiz up, I'm bored.

haaha sure no one wants to go through the pain of my manual reveal again!

In.

in