Liverpool Basketball Club

Liverpool BC
League EBL Division 2
Established 1969
History Atac
1969–1973
Riversdale Atac
1973–1991
Liverpool Atac
1991–2000
Liverpool Basketball Club
2000-present
Arena Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College
(Capacity: 225)
Location Liverpool, England
Team colours Red and Black
Website liverpoolbasketball.com
Uniforms

Liverpool Basketball Club is an English basketball club from Liverpool, with a first team competing in the English Basketball League Division 2 and youth teams competing in the U18, U16 and U14 Regional Divisions. They play their home games at the Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College.

Club History

The club was founded by Jimmy Rogers and Tim Martyn-Jones as a Junior section to the local YMCA basketball team, playing under the name 'Atac' to reflect the flowing, attacking style of basketball they aimed for the team to play. The team became independent in 1973 and moved to play their home games at the local Riversdale College, changing their name to Riversdale Atac to reflect their new home base. The club then competed in the local Merseyside League and the North West Counties League for many years before turning their eyes towards national level competition.[1]

In the late 1980s, the club sought to expand their reach in the community as a precursor to entering the National League, moving their home games to the more suitable Everton Park Sports Centre and renaming themselves Liverpool Atac to attract players from a wider area. As part of their preparations, the club also started to compete in the National Founders Cup, and came up just short of carving their name onto the non-league trophy in 1991 and 1992, finishing as runners-up in both seasons. The club then entered NBL Division 3 for the 1992/1993 season, earning promotion to Division 2 in their first season. Three years later, a third-place finish was enough to secure a place in NBL Division 1 for the 1996/1997 season, but the retirement of a number of senior players meant that their stay in the top English division was brief, lasting only a single season.[2]

After several more years in EBL Division 2, the club moved to the newly constructed Greenbank Sports Academy in the early 2000s, which coincided with a re-organisation of the English league. This saw the club awarded a place in the new NBL Division 1 (now forming the tier below the NBL Conference), but once again the club struggled to maintain their position in the league, finishing bottom in consecutive seasons. The club were reprieved after the 2000/2001 season due to the league's expansion, but they were relegated to NBL Division 2 (North) following their last-place finish in 2001/2002. The club then went the 2002/2003 season unbeaten on their way to a league and playoff double to earn promotion to the second English tier again, just in time for a second league restructure in five years to see the division rebranded as EBL Division 2.[3]

Arguably the club's highest honour to date was to follow in 2005/2006, as they lifted the Patrons Cup following a thrilling 85–83 overtime win over the West Hertfordshire Warriors at the Amaechi Basketball Centre.[4] However, another exodus of experienced players to the newly formed Mersey Tigers saw the club finish bottom in EBL Division 2 in 2006/2007, and then finish bottom again in EBL Division 3 in 2007/2008 to suffer back-to-back relegations and end in the bottom tier of national competition. The club's strong development base enabled them to survive without dropping back to the regional leagues, but they struggled badly for several years, generally finishing in the lower reaches of EBL Division 4 (North).

A move to the Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College and a new coach in the 2013/2014 season saw the club's fortunes finally turn for the better, winning promotion with an unbeaten campaign that took in the league and playoff titles. A second success was to follow immediately after, as they won another league and playoff double in their first season back in EBL Division 3, returning to EBL Division 2 for the 2015/2016 season.[5] They struggled in their first season in Division 2, finishing in 7th place, but had a very successful playoff campaign, becoming Division 2 playoff champions in 2016 by defeating Solent Kestrels in the playoff final at the new Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester.[6]

Club Honours

NBL Division 2 (North) League Champions

  • 2003

NBL Division 2 Playoff Champions

  • 2003

Patrons Cup

  • 2006

EBL Division 4 (North) League Champions

  • 2014

EBL Division 4 Playoff Champions

  • 2014

EBL Division 3 (North) League Champions

  • 2015

EBL Division 3 Playoff Champions

  • 2015

EBL Division 2 Playoff Champions

  • 2016

Season-by-season records

Season[7] Division Tier Played Won Lost Points Win % League Playoffs Nat. Cup Nat. Trophy Patrons Cup Nat. Shield
Liverpool Atac
1992/93NBL Division 3IV20137260.6504thSemi-Final1st Round2nd Round--
1993/94NBL Division 2III20128240.6005thQtr-Final1st Round1st Round--
1994/95NBL Division 2III20128240.6004thQtr-Final1st Round1st Round--
1995/96NBL Division 2III24177340.7083rdQtr-Final1st Round1st Round--
1996/97NBL Division 1II26620120.23113thDNQ--
1997/98NBL Division 2III24915180.37511thDNQ1st Round--
1998/99NBL Division 2III24168320.6675thSemi-Final2nd Round--
1999/00NBL Division 2III24186360.7502ndSemi-Final3rd Round--
Liverpool
2000/01NBL Division 1III1821640.1117thQtr-Final1st Round-DNE
2001/02NBL Division 1III2231960.13612thDNQ1st Round-DNE
2002/03NBL Division 2 (North)IV18180361.0001stWinnersDNE-Semi-Final
2003/04EBL Division 2III20137260.6503rdQtr-FinalQtr-FinalDNE1st RoundDNE
2004/05EBL Division 2III20911180.4505thSemi-Final1st RoundDNE1st RoundDNE
2005/06EBL Division 2III221111220.5005thQtr-Final3rd RoundDNEWinnersDNE
2006/07EBL Division 2III2231960.13612thDNQ1st RoundDNE1st RoundDNE
2007/08EBL Division 3 (North)IV2002000.00011thDNQ1st RoundDNEDNE2nd Round
2008/09EBL Division 4 (North)V1921740.10510thDNQDNEDNE1st Round
2009/10EBL Division 4 (North)V1821640.11110thDNQDNEDNE
2010/11EBL Division 4 (North)V2312220.04313thDNQDNEDNE
2011/12EBL Division 4 (North)V221012200.4558thDNQDNEDNE
2012/13EBL Division 4 (North)V1211120.0838thDNQDNEDNE
2013/14EBL Division 4 (North)V14140281.0001stWinnersDNEDNE
2014/15EBL Division 3 (North)IV22202220.9091stWinners2nd RoundDNEDNERunner-Up
2015/16NBL Division 2III221210240.5457thWinners2nd RoundDNESemi-FinalDNE
2016/17NBL Division 2III22715140.31810thDNQ3rd RoundDNE1st RoundDNE
2017/18NBL Division 2III22157300.6823rdSemi-Final4th RoundDNE1st RoundDNE

References

  1. ↑ "Liverpool BC History (Archived)". pawprint75.co.uk. Archived from the original on December 26, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Club History (Archived)". Liverpool Basketball Club. Archived from the original on September 4, 2004.
  3. ↑ "Club History". Liverpool Basketball Club.
  4. ↑ "Late rally against Derby not enough to save season". Liverpool Echo.
  5. ↑ "Liverpool Victorious in D3 Playoff Final". Hoopsfix.com.
  6. ↑ "Basketball: LBC Division Two side grab play-off final win". Liverpool Echo.
  7. ↑ "NBL Standings". Basketball England.
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