Everton Tigers

BBL team
color1 = #FFFFFF
color2 = #000099
name = Everton Tigers

imagesize = 200px
sponsor = Bibby Maritime Ltd
league = British Basketball League
established = 2007
history = Everton Tigers
2007-present
arena = Greenbank Sports Academy
(Capacity: 600)
location = Liverpool, Merseyside
coach = flagicon|UK Tony Garbelotto
ownership = flagicon|UK Bill Kenwright
colours = Blue, White and Yellow
website = [http://www.evertonfc.com/tigers/ EvertonFC.com/Tigers]
h_body = 000099
h_pattern_b = _thinwhitesides
h_shorts = 000099
h_pattern_s = _whitesides
a_body = FFFFFF
a_pattern_b = _thinbluesides
a_shorts = 000099
a_pattern_s = _blanksides

The Everton Tigers are a professional basketball team based in the city of Liverpool, in England. Established in 2007 as a start-up franchise of the British Basketball League, the country's elite competition, the Tigers have began competition at the start of the 2007-08 season.

The club is part of the Everton Football Club organisation and is an amalgam of the Toxteth Tigers community youth programme, [cite web| author = UKTVSlam | title = Liverpool courts BBL | url = http://www.uktvslam.tv/page/SlamLogin/BBLNews/0,,10023~1054720,00.html | accessdate = 2007-06-27 | publisher = UKTVSlam.tv | year = 2007 ] which started in 1968. The team's head coach is Tony Garbelotto, a former assistant coach to the England national team. [cite web| author = BBC Sport | title = Everton Tigers to join BBL ranks | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/basketball/6222960.stm | accessdate = 2007-06-27 | publisher = BBC | year = 2007 ]

Franchise history

The Everton Tigers was officially presented as the 13th member of the British Basketball League on June 19, 2007, after a professional basketball franchise was awarded to the city of Liverpool by the league following fears that the North-west region's only representative, Chester Jets, would fold due to financial burdens.

The club is part Bill Kenwright's Everton FC organisation, who became the fifth football club in the history of British basketball to field a basketball team, following in the footsteps of Manchester United, Glasgow Rangers, Portsmouth and Newcastle United (Now Newcastle Eagles). [cite web| author = Rob Dugdale | title = Everton Tigers ready to roar as newcomers to league | url = http://sport.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2107901,00.html | accessdate = 2007-06-25 | publisher = The Guardian | year = 2007 ]

Based around the community work of Everton and existing community basketball club Toxteth Tigers, the new club have specifically targeted youth development as one of the main goal's, while the BBL senior team will be headed by Great Britain Assistant Coach Tony Garbelotto.

On August 17, it was announced that Tigers would be using the Greenbank Sports Academy in Sefton Park as their home venue which holds a capacity for 600 spectators. However, according to various articles in the media it is believed that the long-term ambition of the club is to occupy the 10,600-seat capacity Liverpool Echo Arena, which was completed in early 2008. [cite web| author = James Pearce | title = Everton backing has helped to fire new drive | url = http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/other-sports/2007/11/16/basketball-everton-backing-has-helped-to-fire-new-drive-100252-20116438/ | accessdate = 2007-11-19 | publisher = Liverpool Echo | year = 2007 ]

After months of speculation in the rumour mill prior to the season opening, Everton boasted several high-profile signings including that of Chris Haslam, Calvin Davis and BBL veteran Delme Herriman. The players were officially presented in front of 40,000 fans at Goodison Park on September 20, during the half-time of the football team's UEFA Cup home game against FC Metalist Kharkiv. The assembled squad played their first ever game on September 29, 2007, an exhibition match away to neighbouring Manchester Magic. Despite trailing for most of the match, with Magic leading 71-62 in the final two minutes, Tigers salvaged the match and pulled together a 14-0 run, storming to a 71-76 victory.

Tigers' inaugural league campaign tipped-off with an away defeat to Plymouth Raiders on October 6. Despite early domination from the Tigers, they consistently lost the lead throughout the game and lost 82-73, with Chris Haslam and Tony Robertson both posting 21 points each. The Tigers' first home game, on October 12, also ended in defeat, with visiting fellow rookies London Capital running out 58-69 winners at Greenbank. The clubs' first main sponsor for the 2007/08 season was announced the following week, the press release stating that locally-based Bibby Maritime Ltd, the world's leading provider of floating accommodation, had agreed a deal to partner the first team and their development teams with sponsorship. [cite web| author = Everton Tigers | title = New sponsor for Tigers | url = http://www.evertonfc.com/news/new-sponsor-for-tigers.html | accessdate = 2007-10-19 | publisher = Everton Tigers official website | year = 2007 ]

An impressive start to the season for the rookie franchise was buoyed in December, when former Coach Mooney pulled off a major coup with the signing of Great Britain international Richard Midgley from Newcastle Eagles. Liverpool's interest in its new local basketball team developed significantly as the season progressed, and with this in mind, the club moved the local derby home game against Cheshire Jets from their usual Greenbank home to the brand-new Echo Arena, selling out the entire 7,500-seat capacity venue within days of tickets going on sale. [cite web| author = James Pearce | title = Arena crowd can roar Tigers on | url = http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/other-sports/2008/03/18/basketball-arena-crowd-can-roar-tigers-on-100252-20639437/ | accessdate = 2008-03-18 | publisher = Liverpool Echo | year = 2008 ] The match would also be the first time the Tigers would feature in a live televised broadcast, through the league's recent partnership with Setanta Sports.

Home arenas

:Greenbank Sports Academy (2007-present):Echo Arena (2008)

Players

Current roster

"The numbers are established according to the official website of Britain's top professional league, the BBL ( [http://www.bbl.org.uk www.bbl.org.uk] )."

"As of February 27 2008"

ee also

*British Basketball League
*Everton F.C.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.everton-tigers.com Official Everton Tigers website]
* [http://www.toxtethtigers.com Official Toxteth Tigers website]