Lancashire Spinners

Lancashire Spinners
League Men's: EBL Division 1
Women's: English Women's Basketball League
Established 1962
History Old Rossendalians
1962-1989
Rossendale Basketball Club
1989-2010
Rossendale Raptors
2010-2014
Lancashire Spinners
2014-present
Arena Castle Leisure Centre
(Capacity: 500)
Location Bury, Greater Manchester
Team colours Red, Black and White
Head coach Neal Hopkins
Website LancashireSpinners.co.uk
Uniforms
Home
Away

The Lancashire Spinners are a semi-professional British basketball club based in Bury, Greater Manchester, which currently operates two Men's senior teams in the English Basketball League, competing in Division One and the National Development League, and a Women's senior team in the English Women's Basketball League. The club have held England Basketball Clubmark accreditation since 2011, and also enter Women's and Junior teams in local competition.[1]

Club History

Originally formed as an amateur outfit, the club started life as the Old Rossendalians, competing in local competition for several years before being invited to join the Manchester & District League in 1968. Despite the step up to regional competition, the club remained a small, locally-focussed organisation for many years, until a drive to attract players from outside the valley saw the club rebranded as the Rossendale Basketball Club in 1989. The award of a Lottery grant in 2001 paved the way for the club to expand their offering by developing a junior program, leading to a merger with the local Rossendale Aliens junior team.[2]

The growth of the club re-energized the organization, which led to greater investment from sponsors and in turn saw the club renamed as the Rossendale Raptors in 2010, followed swiftly by successfully applying for England Basketball Clubmark accreditation at the start of 2011 and making their debut in the national Division Four (North) league for the 2011/2012 season.[3] The newly named club's inaugural season at national level saw the Raptors claim the Division Four (North) title with a 20-2 record, setting up a run through to the final of the end-of-season playoffs where they defeated the Worcester Wolves' second team 91-87.

Stepping up to Division Three for the following year, the Raptors took sixth place in their first season and followed that up in their second by winning 17 of their 20 games on the way to the Division Three (North) title. While the Hackney White Heat prevented them from repeating the playoff victory, a second promotion in three years was achieved regardless.[4] With the goal of establishing themselves at national level complete, the club relocated to the Castle Leisure Centre in Bury and rebranded themselves as the Lancashire Spinners in 2014 to attract a wider audience and to prepare for a future push towards the professional leagues.

The following year saw the club battling at the top of the Division Two table against London Lituanica in an incredibly close campaign between two strong teams in the midst of a rapid rise through the league structure. While the Spinners narrowly finished as runners-up to their new rivals in a close league campaign and playoff final, the club did not end the 2014/2015 season empty-handed, claiming the Patrons Cup with a 118-86 win in the final against Lituanica. A post-season merger with the local Bury Blue Devils team also added a Women's team to the Spinners organisation, while massively strengthening the junior ranks to give local talent more opportunities to develop on their way to the senior teams.[5]

Club Honours

Patrons Cup Winners

EBL Division 3 League Champions

EBL Division 4 League Champions

EBL Division 4 Playoff Champions

Season-by-season records

Season[6] Division Played Won Lost Points League Playoffs National Cup National Trophy Patron's Cup National Shield
Rossendale Raptors
2011-12EBL Division 4 (North)22202401stWinners1st RoundDNEDNE1st Round
2012-13EBL Division 3 (North)22148286thDNQ2nd RoundDNEDNE3rd Round
2013-14EBL Division 3 (North)20173341stQuarter-Final2nd RoundDNEDNESemi-Final
Lancashire Spinners
2014-15EBL Division 222193382ndRunner-Up3rd RoundDNEWinnersDNE

References

  1. ↑ "Rossendale Basketball Club achieve Clubmark". Basketball England.
  2. ↑ "Lottery grants helps kick start a youth revolution". Rossendale Free Press.
  3. ↑ "Raptors are on the rise". Lancashire Telegraph.
  4. ↑ "League Table History". Basketball England.
  5. ↑ "Spinners and Blue Devils Combine". Lancashire Spinners.
  6. ↑ "League Table History". Basketball England.

External links

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