85-677: The Cheshire Phoenix are a professional basketball team based in Ellesmere Port , United Kingdom. Founded in 1984, they are members of the Super League Basketball and play their home games at the Cheshire Oaks Arena . From 1993 until 2015 the team was based in Chester , where they enjoyed their most success. Under previous ownership, the team was known as Cheshire Jets , but due to financial difficulties
170-544: A 1,400-seat basketball arena and practice venue. The venue opened as the MK Lions Arena at the end of November 2010. 2010–11 season In his first season as head coach, former Lions player Mike New led the team to a disappointing 10th-place finish in the British Basketball League. Despite now boasting a fantastic full-time basketball venue, which featured two permanent courts – allowing
255-556: A 10–10 record. Their second season would be even more successful, with the Lakers finishing second in Division 2 (15–3) and winning promotion to the top-level league Division 1. With entry into the country's top league ensured, the club received a major sponsorship deal from beverage brand Ovaltine , and as part of the deal were known as Ovaltine Hemel Hempstead. The franchise became a formidable force in Division 1, regularly finishing at
340-692: A European competition. On 13 October 2021, the Lions beat Donar Groningen away to register their first-ever European win. In the 2022–23 season the London Lions appeared in the Eurocup for the first time, reaching the playoffs but being knocked out in the first round. In the 2023–24 season the Lions went further, reaching the semi-finals of Europe's second-tier competition, becoming the first British team to do so. The Lions were beaten by heavy tournament favourites Paris Basketball . In June 2024, it
425-506: A deal with the proposed arena's owners would be unlikely before the deadline he was facing of the start of the next season. Second was Liverpool, Macaulay's hometown. Liverpool already had a BBL franchise – the Mersey Tigers , however, they were in financial trouble so Macaulay proposed merging the two teams and a 50/50 ownership. The current owners were interested but wanted Macaulay to send them his CV. Somewhat offended, he knew such
510-473: A first language. According to the 2011 census, the main religion of Ellesmere Port is Christianity with 72.1% of the population. 20% have no religion, 6% are unspecified, 0.4% are Muslim, 0.2% are Buddhist, 0.1% Hindu and 0.2% other. Ellesmere Port is located at the southern end of the Wirral Peninsula , in the county of Cheshire. Its suburbs include Overpool to the north west, Westminster to
595-406: A former player and coach of the franchise, would be appointed head coach for the proceeding season. The signing of Yorick Williams during the pre-season was a massive coup, and for many fans signalled the dawning of a new era for the club. During this exciting time and in preparation for a planned move to a new arena, the club also undertook a rebranding initiative, redesigning the logo and changing
680-525: A loss of competitive advantage caused by steam engine-related economic advances (nationally, regionally and locally) during the first decade of canal construction. During or before the construction of the canal the village of Netherpool changed its name to the Port of Ellesmere, and by the early 19th century, to Ellesmere Port. Settlements had existed in the area since the writing of the Domesday Book in
765-528: A new base for Lions home games, which included public pleas to local businesses for help in finding a new home as offers from cities around the UK poured in to relocate the team. On 17 July, a local newspaper revealed negotiations to secure the Lions' future in Milton Keynes were ongoing, with Macaulay hoping to finalise a deal with sufficient time to begin preparation for the new season, slated to begin away to
850-560: A number of tourist attractions including the National Waterways Museum , the Blue Planet Aquarium and Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet . The town of Ellesmere Port was founded at the outlet of the never-completed Ellesmere Canal . The canal (now renamed) was designed and engineered by William Jessop and Thomas Telford as part of a project to connect the rivers Severn , Mersey and Dee . The canal
935-590: A player must have either: Ellesmere Port Ellesmere Port ( / ˈ ɛ l z m ɪər / ELZ -meer ) is a port town in the Cheshire West and Chester borough in Cheshire , England. Ellesmere Port is on the south eastern edge of the Wirral Peninsula , six miles (ten kilometres) north of Chester , on the bank of the Manchester Ship Canal. The town had a population of 61,090 in
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#17327916406491020-719: A site near the Coliseum shopping park. Ellesmere Port was nearly included into the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral , in Merseyside , when that was formed on 1 April 1974. It was removed from the proposals before the Local Government Act 1972 had its first reading, and instead remained in Cheshire as part of the borough of Ellesmere Port and Neston . Plans were announced which proposed combining
1105-601: A sold-out Prestige Homes Arena, before suffering a 188–186 defeat on aggregate (after OT) in the return leg. Success was however found on a personal level, as Nathan Schall won the BBL dunk competition as part of the BBL Cup Final festivities and Stefan Gill completed the dunking double as he was crowned dunk contest champion at the World Basketball Festival. Departure from Milton Keynes Following
1190-634: A steady mid-table development until, in 1991, they won the divisional title despite suffering five defeats. The same year, the Jets moved up into the BBL joining in with Britain's elite basketball teams. Later however, the arena in Ellesmere Port became unsuitable, and so in 1993 the Jets were forced to move to Chester , and into the Northgate Arena . The move was reflected in another name change to
1275-464: A temporary measure until the new arena:mk was due to be completed, later in the year. The Lions played their last game in front of a packed Bletchley Centre crowd on 18 December, with a dramatic 98–97 victory over Guildford Heat. Robert Youngblood scored the winning point from the free-throw line and thus scored the last basket for Lions at their former home. After Middleton Hall decided upon changes that would no longer make it suitable for basketball,
1360-414: A week whilst furthering their education – several of whom had gone on to sign professional deals with the first team. When faced with the challenge of finding a new home outside of Milton Keynes, Macaulay shortlisted two new locations: First was Cardiff, with Macaulay stating the appeal of every game feeling like Wales versus England being an exciting prospect. However, he ultimately found that agreeing to
1445-477: A working relationship was unlikely to work, so withdrew his proposal. The Mersey Tigers folded the following season. Completely out of options during the summer of 2012, Macaulay noted a lot of talk about the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games and investigated whether there would be any venues that could potentially become home for a basketball team once the games were over. Ultimately he entered discussions with
1530-550: A year away, along with Derek Hall and Rashad Hassan. A 9–1 start to the season in all competitions suggested great promise, but the departure of Hall after only 3 games and a season-ending injury to Jamal Williams disrupted the team's form. Defeat to Newcastle Eagles in the BBL Cup followed shortly afterwards. Reinforcements arrived in the shape of Navid Niktash and Zak Wells but the early season form couldn't be recaptured. 2017–18 season After Lloyd stepped down as head coach at
1615-676: Is also an infrequent service to Warrington . The Manchester Ship Canal joins the Mersey estuary north-west of Ellesmere Port at Eastham , but the town is also the northern terminus of the Shropshire Union Canal (which used to exchange goods with seagoing boats at what is now the National Waterways Museum). Speedway racing operated at the stadium in Thornton Road in the mid to late 1970s and in
1700-507: Is part of the Ellesmere Port and Neston parliamentary constituency. As of 2021 , the current Member of Parliament (MP) is Justin Madders (Labour). The 2011 census records 27,134 households in Ellesmere Port, with 40.9% of the population aged between 30 and 59. It lists the ethnicity of the town as 95.2% White British, 0.8% White Irish, 1.6% White Other, 0.8% mixed ethnicity, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% Black and 0.1% other. 97.8% speak English as
1785-767: Is served by the local newspaper, Chester and District Standard (formerly The Ellesmere Port Standard). Ellesmere Port is located near the interchange of the M56 and the M53 motorways. The A41 road between Birkenhead and Chester , also passes through the area. The M56 carries the European Route E22 in this area. There is a bus station in the town centre with frequent services to Chester, Liverpool , Runcorn , Elton , Helsby , Frodsham , Birkenhead and Neston . There are also services to Mold , North Wales operated by Stagecoach. Occasional National Express coaches serve
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#17327916406491870-542: Is situated on site of the old Stanney High School by Cheshire Oaks, the Coliseum and M&S. The following people are natives of Ellesmere Port, or have lived there for a period of time. [REDACTED] Media related to Ellesmere Port at Wikimedia Commons [REDACTED] Ellesmere Port travel guide from Wikivoyage London Lions (basketball) London Lions are a British professional basketball team based in Stratford , East London , England , and compete in
1955-535: The 1997–1998 season (3–33). Royals' stay in Watford lasted just one season and, in 1998, with the promise of a future purpose-built arena being offered in the town of Milton Keynes , the team packed up, moved and renamed themselves as the Milton Keynes Lions . Lions' on-court performances were an instant improvement and the franchise began a slow but noticeable turnaround, reaching the semi-finals of
2040-598: The 2011 census . Ellesmere Port also forms part of the wider Birkenhead urban area , which had a population of 325,264 in 2011. The town was originally established on the River Mersey at the entrance to the Ellesmere Canal . As well as a service sector economy, it has retained large industries including Stanlow oil refinery , a chemical works and the Vauxhall Motors car factory. There are also
2125-667: The 2012 Summer Paralympics , the venue needed to be converted for basketball use, and the Lions, therefore, began the season playing home games at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre . Owner Vince Macaulay-Razaq revealed the Lions would maintain links in Milton Keynes by keeping the Milton Keynes College Lions Basketball Academy open. 2012–13 season Following the Lions' move to London, head coach Mike New elected to remain in Milton Keynes and continue his work as head coach of
2210-599: The Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park , as well as occasional EuroCup matches at Wembley Arena . The Lions were purchased by 777 Partners in 2020, ending Macaulay's 27-year tenure of ownership. After the threat of bankruptcy following the end of the 2023–24 season, the club was rescued for the 2024–25 season under the ownership of Tesonet, minority shareholders of BC Žalgiris . The club initially started out based in
2295-462: The Milton Keynes College Lions Basketball Academy . Lions owner Vince Macaulay coached the team for the 2012–13 season. London Lions played its home games at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre until the Copper Box Arena had been converted for basketball use following its role as handball arena during the London 2012 Olympic Games. 2013–14 season London Lions was successfully launched as
2380-527: The St Saviour's in 1984. The team was initially named after their sponsors 'Motocraft Centre Ellesmere Port'. However, after the loss of their sponsor, they renamed themselves Ellesmere Port Jets. The Jets were admitted to NBL Division 2 in 1986 and finished last in their first season, with just a single victory. Edging up to seventh in 1987–88, they then changed their name to Cheshire Jets, though still continuing to play in Ellesmere Port . They continued
2465-515: The Super League Basketball (SLB). The team was originally founded in 1977 as the Hemel Hempstead Lakers . Following an ownership take over by Vince Macaulay in 1993, the club subsequently relocated to Watford , and then Milton Keynes , where they were known as Milton Keynes Lions . It was in Milton Keynes that the team won its first silverware in 2008, the BBL Cup. The Lions relocated to London in 2012 and play its home games at
2550-601: The 11th century, which mentions Great Sutton , Little Sutton , Pool (now Overpool ) and Hooton . The settlement of Whitby was a township in the ancient parishes of Eastham and Stoak , within the Wirral Hundred . The township, which included the hamlets of Ellesmere Port and Whitbyheath, became a civil parish in 1866. To enhance the economic growth of the area, the Netherpool, Overpool and Whitby civil parishes were abolished on 1 April 1911 to become parts of
2635-521: The 1980s; since March 2013, the stadium has been back in use for greyhound racing. Ellesmere Port Gunners raced in the lower tier Leagues. The Gunners' best season was their last, 1985, when they won the National League championship. The campaign was marred by a career-ending injury sustained by inspirational captain Joe Owen. Owen was hurt in a track crash at Birmingham. Ellesmere Port Town F.C.
Cheshire Phoenix - Misplaced Pages Continue
2720-616: The 1st round of the Trophy. The disastrous season came to an abrupt end in April, with a 14–19 record and 9th-placed finish meaning the Lions missing out on the end-of-season Playoffs. 2009–10 season With the demolition of the Bletchley Centre looming, the club sought to find an alternative venue for home games and on 31 July 2009 announced that from January 2010, the Lions would be playing out of Middleton Hall at thecentre:mk as
2805-496: The 2020–21 season, the Lions played in a European competition for the first time in club history. They were confirmed to have a spot in the qualifying rounds for the fifth season of the Basketball Champions League (BCL). however they failed to qualify for the tournament proper, losing 77–73 to Neptūnas in the single game qualifying tie. London Lions were acquired by 777 Partners , after they purchased
2890-587: The BBL Cup Final. They were beaten in the BBL Trophy Final by London City Royals, before winning the BBL league championship. Justin Robinson won his second BBL MVP award in a row. 2019–20 season Lions changed their colours from their traditional purple and gold to black, silver and white. The season was curtailed prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic , with no champions being named. In
2975-601: The Championship Finals weekend at the NIA where they defeated league champions Newcastle Eagles (63–72) on the way to the final eventually succumbing to Guildford Heat , 88–100, again live on Setanta Sports. The incredible achievements of the season, earned coach Macaulay-Razaq the accolade of BBL's Coach of the Year. Another highlight of the Lions' most successful season in history was the development of players through
3060-519: The Championship table – one place and four points behind 8th-placed Guildford Heat for the last post-season berth. A heavy 102–67 defeat to Leicester saw elimination at the first hurdle in the BBL Cup, however the team would later go close to making the BBL Trophy final. After topping their group in round robin play, Lions won the home leg of their semi-final against Plymouth Raiders in front of
3145-520: The Chester Jets. The real turning point for the Jets came in 1996, when the application of the Bosman ruling to basketball resulted in the departure of many of the top English players to European clubs, and the BBL changed its eligibility rule to entitle teams to use five non-national players. Trans-Atlantic recruitment by coach and co-owner Mike Burton resulted in a team which finished fifth in
3230-596: The League table in 1997. Subsequent seasons have seen their best-ever performances in 2002 (Northern Conference Champions) and 2003 (3rd in the re-unified League), and a string of successes in the BBL trophy (4-times winners, from 2001 to 2004), culminating in the League Championship in 2005. On 7 April 2007, prior to the Jets' season finale at home to Guildford Heat , an 81–102 defeat, club owner and head coach Mike Burton announced that he would be retiring from
3315-510: The Lions arrived in 1998. It was not then known what effect the team's departure would have on the many school teams and community projects, but Macaulay stated that he wished to remain involved in the development of youth basketball in Milton Keynes in some form. Questions also remained as to the future of the Milton Keynes Lions College Academy which enabled young adults to attend basketball practice five days
3400-559: The Lions were forced yet again to search for another new home venue, for at least the 2010–2011 season. The club secured a three-game lease for an out-of-town venue at Stoke Mandeville in Aylesbury to begin their 2010–2011 campaign, and decided upon renovating a site in the centre of Milton Keynes to host home games for the duration of the season. A three-year deal was agreed upon to use a warehouse in Winterhill and convert it into
3485-599: The National Cup and also the end-of-season Play-offs for the first time in eight seasons in 2000. After a hugely successful run, the franchise reached its first major final in 2002 with an appearance at the SkyDome Arena in the BBL Trophy . The Lions fought valiantly but eventually lost to the all-conquering Chester Jets , losing 90–89 in a close contest. From then on, the Lions remained a competitive force in
Cheshire Phoenix - Misplaced Pages Continue
3570-710: The Queen's cinema adjacent to Ellesmere Port railway station in the 1960s the town's only cinema had been a single screen in the EPIC Leisure Centre. Since 1974 Ellesmere Port has been an unparished area when the civil parish of Ellesmere Port was abolished and all its functions were assumed by the new district of Ellesmere Port and Neston . The district was abolished in 2009, and the town no longer has its own council. In August 2012, Marks & Spencer opened their largest store (apart from Marble Arch in London) on
3655-726: The UK for Sport Relief saw him pass through Little Sutton village centre and Hooton. The footage is only minutes long however. In 2012 Ellesmere Port played host to the Paralympic Flame as part of the Paralympic Torch Relay celebrations. West Cheshire Colleges campus in Ellesmere Port was one of the drop off points for the flame as well as the EPIC leisure centre and the David Lloyd Leisure Centre. Events included sporting demonstrations and
3740-419: The beginning of the 17–18 season, Mariusz Karol was appointed as head coach and lead the team to a 9–3 start before losing 4 out of the next 6. This led to a mutual agreement with team management for him to step down as head coach and club director / owner Vince Macaulay-Razaq to become head coach. 2018–19 season The team won its first silverware since rebranding as London Lions, beating Glasgow Rocks in
3825-467: The borough of Ellesmere Port and Neston with the Chester and Vale Royal districts to form a new "West Cheshire" unitary authority . The new unitary authority came into being on 1 April 2009 as Cheshire West and Chester . The Conservatives won control of this council in shadow elections in May 2008, winning a majority of seats in the Ellesmere Port area for the first time. At national level, Ellesmere Port
3910-545: The bus station. Most services are operated by Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire with one service operated by Helms of Eastham and another by Arrowebrook Coaches. Ellesmere Port railway station is on the Wirral line of the Merseyrail network and has a train service to Chester via Hooton and also Liverpool via Birkenhead. The line was electrified from Hooton to Ellesmere Port by British Rail in 1994. There
3995-567: The club and fulfilling its fixture list as planned. On 28 January 2024, the Phoenix won their sixth BBL Trophy following an upset win over the favored London Lions in the final. Notes: Note: Flags indicate national team , as has been defined under FIBA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non- FIBA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA -sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed. To appear in this section
4080-551: The club and preserve their future, the Jets was renamed as the BiG Storage Cheshire Jets to cover the wider demographic of Cheshire county in line with BiG Storage's market coverage. When BiG Storage terminated the sponsorship, the managing director of the company arranged a successor sponsor; Cheshire West and Chester Council . The club was plunged into chaos in November 2012 when, after only 7 games into
4165-527: The club from Macaulay, ending his 27-year ownership. 777 Partners also purchased 45% of the British Basketball League (BBL) for £7m in December 2021. The balance of BBL is owned by the 10 clubs that compete in the BBL, including London, therefore, effectively 777 controls the BBL. In the 2021–22 season, the Lions made their debut in the FIBA Europe Cup , which meant their debut in the group phase of
4250-446: The club that they were unable to fulfil their fixture this weekend. The BBL is currently exploring a number of options to ensure the continuation of the franchise. It is anticipated there will be a further announcement in the coming days." (Cheshire Chronicle) The club had until the end of November to find £50,000 to preserve its status in top-flight basketball. Local businesses were found to donate money and become sponsors, thus saving
4335-547: The club's owner. The veteran team performed sensationally and by the Christmas break they were well in contention for the league crown, resting in second place behind title-rivals Newcastle Eagles , who coincidentally they beat in their first-ever BBL Cup Final appearance at the National Indoor Arena (NIA), on 13 January 2008. Milton Keynes led for most of the game and sealed the 69–66 victory when New scored
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#17327916406494420-427: The conclusion of the 2011–12 season, the owners of Prestige Homes Arena triggered an opt-out clause in the lease to let the building as a retail outlet. A planning application to change the building from a sporting facility to retail unit was approved by Milton Keynes Council, thus leaving the club without a home venue for the third time in as many seasons. Owner Vince Macaulay searched during the summer of 2012 to secure
4505-410: The court and Daryl Thomas was a prolific scorer. For the 1989–1990 season the franchise opted to leave the top-tier (now known as the Carlsberg League due to sponsorship from the Carlsberg Group ) and return to the second-tier league, which had been renamed as NBL Division 1. After only one season, and a fourth-place finish (14–8), the Royals returned to Carlsberg League. The team finished bottom of
4590-450: The final points of the game to end a Newcastle resurgence, handing the Lions franchise its first piece of silverware. After finishing 4th in the league (19–14), Lions qualified for the post-season Play-offs with a seeded home-court Quarter-final tie against Scottish Rocks . The home team eased past the Rocks, 105–93, with the game filmed live in front of Setanta Sports cameras. For the first time in its history, Milton Keynes progressed to
4675-448: The franchise at the end of the 2006–07 season . Burton's announcement, after 19 years at the helm, raised serious doubts of the clubs' future, with mounting debts and lack of financial backing. Shortly after the announcement, fans formed a committee to help save the club and received the backing of players including former Jet James Hamilton . Following a sponsorship deal agreed during the summer of 2007 with local firm BiG Storage to save
4760-404: The franchise to look at relocating and the team found a suitable, yet temporary solution in the neighbouring town of Watford . In preparation for the move, the franchise was rebranded as Hemel & Watford Royals in 1996 and they made the move from the Dacorum Centre to Watford Leisure Centre in 1997. The move had little effect on the team's playing performance and they finished 13th out of 13 in
4845-418: The franchise was withdrawn from the League in November 2012 and reformed as the Phoenix. The team's head coach is Ben Thomas. The Phoenix have won two BBL championships, one BBL playoffs, two BBL Cups, and six BBL Trophies. Home games of the Phoenix are played in the Cheshire Oaks Arena , which holds capacity for a maximum of 1,400 people. The team was first formed from the ruins of the Ellesmere Port team,
4930-462: The homes of the Rocks and Newcastle. Unfortunately, the completion of the arena was delayed due to the deferral of proposed commercial developments around the site (which would have funded the project). With the demolition of Lions' current home, Bletchley Centre, scheduled for November 2009, the lack of an alternative venue raised question marks as to the future of the franchise remaining in Milton Keynes. On court, there were big expectations following
5015-428: The kit colours from the traditional purple and gold, to a more dynamic black, gold and white, as well as the establishment of a new academy in partnership with Milton Keynes College . The Milton Keynes College Lions Basketball Academy is headed by Lions' player Mike New . With Macaulay back controlling the club on court as well as off it, the team's standing in the league was immediately matched to his own ambition as
5100-471: The league in the 1992–1993 season with a 4–29 record, and were subsequently relegated back to Division 1, however they were later reinstated and returned to the rebranded BBL for the following season. A dismal spell ensued and over the next decade the team wouldn't finish outside of the bottom three, but with the removal of the promotion/relegation system between the BBL and Division 1, this had little consequence. The lack of fortune and an aging venue prompted
5185-419: The league, often qualifying for the post-season Play-offs (though having little impact on the outcome), and an appearance in the BBL Cup Semi-final in 2005 was considered to be a major landmark. 2007–08 season It was announced on 8 May 2007 that coach Tom Hancock would not coach the Lions for the 2007–08 season , after just one term at the helm. On 17 May, the club declared owner Vince Macaulay-Razaq ,
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#17327916406495270-456: The mid-1980s, the Port Arcades, a covered shopping mall was built in the town centre. By the 1990s, it was the retail sector rather than the industrial that was attracting workers and their families to the town. This was boosted with the building of the Cheshire Oaks outlet village and the Coliseum shopping park, which also included a multiplex cinema; prior to this since the closure of the cinema in Station Road, Little Sutton (King's cinema) and
5355-409: The new academy with 18-year-old Greg Harvey progressing onto the roster in the latter stages of the season. 2008–09 season As of 2008, Lions expected to be playing at the brand-new 4,500-seat capacity arena:mk adjacent to the new stadium:mk (home to Milton Keynes Dons football team). The move to their new home would have seen the Lions play in one of the BBL's biggest, modern venues, rivalling
5440-408: The new civil parish of Ellesmere Port. The first houses in Ellesmere Port itself, however, grew up around the docks and the first main street was Dock Street, which now houses the National Waterways Museum. Station Road, which connected the docks with the village of Whitby, also gradually developed and as more shops were needed, some of the houses became retail premises. The main employer at this time
5525-445: The new owners of the Copper Box Arena, and the Milton Keynes Lions, soon to be the London Lions, had a new home. On 8 August 2012, an article in the Milton Keynes Citizen newspaper revealed the Lions would be moving to London for the 2012–13 season , taking residence at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park . As the Copper Box was being used for handball during the 2012 Summer Olympics and goalball during
5610-600: The north, Rossmore to the north east, with Whitby and Wolverham to the south. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North West and ITV Granada . Television signals are received from the Winter Hill TV transmitter. With its close proximity with North Wales , BBC Wales and ITV Cymru Wales can also be received from the Moel-y-Parc TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Merseyside on 95.8 FM, Capital North West & Wales on 97.1 FM, Heart North West on 105.4 FM, Smooth Radio North West on 100.4 FM, and Dee Radio on 106.3 FM. The town
5695-417: The only professional basketball club in London. The team finished 6th in the regular season before losing to Worcester Wolves in the playoffs quarter-finals. 2014–15 season The two previous seasons' BBL MVPs, Drew Sullivan and Zaire Taylor, were recruited for the 2014–15 season. The Lions reached the semi-finals of the BBL Trophy, losing to Leicester Riders . They finished 6th in the regular season. In
5780-452: The opening of the Vauxhall Motors car plant in 1962. Opened as a components supplier to the Luton plant, passenger car production began in 1964 with the Vauxhall Viva . The plant is now Vauxhall's only car factory in Britain, since the end of passenger car production at the Luton plant in 2004 (where commercial vehicles are still made). Ellesmere Port currently produces the Vauxhall Astra model on two shifts, employing 2,500 people. In
5865-445: The parade of the Paralympic flame. Construction began in January 2014 for the new multimillion-pound Sports Village in Stanney Grange which initially was to incorporate an Olympic sized swimming venue (now smaller), tennis courts, football pitches and other sport halls, and will be the new home of Cheshire Phoenix , the local professional British Basketball League team from the start of the 2015/16 BBL Championship season. The village
5950-532: The play-off final, was made captain. Olumide Oyedeji would later rejoin in October following a serious injury to Demond Watt. Alex Owumi signed in December following further roster changes. The season ended with defeat to Sheffield Sharks in the play-off quarter-finals, on their way to winning the trophy. 2016–17 season A more stable summer saw Nigel Lloyd remain in charge, bringing back Alex Owumi, Andre Lockhart, Jamal Williams, Joseph "Jei" Blessing Ikhinmwin and Kai Williams. Zaire Taylor also returned after
6035-423: The playoffs, the Lions defeated Worcester Wolves in the quarter-finals and Cheshire Phoenix in the semi-finals. The final, played in front of 14,700 at The O2 Arena , was won by Newcastle Eagles, who completed the clean sweep of British basketball titles. 2015–16 season Nigel Lloyd took over as head coach for the 2015–16 season. Joe Ikhinmwin, the only senior player retained from the previous season's run to
6120-513: The re-formed Manchester Giants on 21 September. On 30 July, with the country's interest in basketball heightened by Great Britain's participation in the London 2012 Olympic basketball tournament, Macaulay revealed his search to find a home venue had been unsuccessful and the club would be forced to leave Milton Keynes. In addition to the loss of professional basketball games, the move was a big blow to Milton Keynes residents who had enjoyed extensive community and schools' basketball programmes since
6205-417: The season, the British Basketball League withdrew the club's franchise from owner Haydn Cook after he notified them that he was going to cancel the players contracts and cancelled all future fixtures. A statement from the BBL said: "The BBL have withdrawn the Cheshire franchise from its operating company with immediate effect. "The decision follows an urgent review of the franchise following notification from
6290-537: The successful campaign previously, but the 2008–09 season didn't start off too well for the Lions, with defeat to Guildford in the Cup Winners' Cup . After losing 91–89 in the first leg at Guildford, the Heat rolled over the Lions to a 68–60 victory at the Bletchley Centre, and a 159–149 series win. Further woe was added with a BBL Cup Quarter-final exit at the hands of visiting Everton Tigers , coupled with an exit at
6375-592: The surrounding areas to work in the factory, settling in a specially built worker's village named “Wolverham”. As the expanding industrial areas growing up around the canal and its docks attracted more workers to the area, the town itself continued to expand. By the mid-20th century, thanks to the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894 and the Stanlow Oil Refinery in the 1920s, Ellesmere Port had expanded so that it now incorporated
6460-427: The teams throughout the Lions banner to train more than ever before, the club missed out on qualifying for the play-offs. One of the few highlights of the season was the play of American guard Demarius Bolds, who was among the league leaders in several statistics as he was named Lions' Player of the Year. 2011–12 season 2011–12 saw the Lions miss the play-offs for a second successive season, as they finished 9th in
6545-592: The top-end of the table and making many appearances in the Play-off semi-finals at Wembley Arena , finishing third in 1981. Following the end of the Ovaltine sponsorship and a one-year deal with retailers Poundstretcher, the franchise was rebranded as the Hemel Royals in 1985. Meanwhile, on court, the team failed to reproduce the performances of the past few seasons and often settled for mid-table positions. This
6630-607: The town of Hemel Hempstead , 24 miles northwest of London , and were known as the Hemel Hempstead Lakers . The team was named after one of the National Basketball Association 's (NBA) most famous teams, Los Angeles Lakers , and even adopted the their colours of purple and gold. In 1977, the Lakers entered the National Basketball League 's Division 2, and enjoyed a rather successful first season, finishing fifth (from 11 teams) with
6715-559: The villages of Great and Little Sutton, Hooton, Whitby, Overpool and Rivacre as suburbs. The town centre itself had moved from the Station Road/Dock Street area, to an area that had once been home to a stud farm (indeed, the former Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council officially referred to the town centre as Stud Farm for housing allocation purposes) around the crossroads of Sutton Way/Stanney Lane and Whitby Road. The foundation stone for Ellesmere Port Civic Hall
6800-583: Was Burnell's Iron Works which had been set up at the end of the nineteenth century. This was followed by the setting up of the Mersey Ironworks factory by the Wolverhampton Corrugated Iron Company In 1905 who settled on Ellesmere Port as a way of exploiting the company's international trade through the nearby ports of Birkenhead and Liverpool. Initially 300 workers and their families came from Wolverhampton and
6885-581: Was a golden period in British Basketball and Hemel regularly brought top American talent from the States. Dick Miller is the greatest defensive player in the franchise's history and probably the game as a whole in the UK. The enigmatic Harvey Knuckles is considered one of the greatest players ever to play in Britain. Steve Hale was a fourth round draft pick, Sam Smith scored big points from all round
6970-669: Was confirmed that Lions would be omitted from the 2024-25 EuroCup season due to the club's uncertain financial stability, while later it was revealed that the club was at risk of bankruptcy. In August 2024, it was announced that Lithuanian tech company Tesonet, shareholder of BC Žalgiris as well, acquired the club from 777 Partners. The Žalgiris Group would provide a three-month loan to cover "essential costs". Note: Between 1998 and 2002, some home games were played at Planet Ice Milton Keynes for TV broadcasting purposes. Between 2017 and 2020, some home games were played at University of East London SportsDock and Brixton Recreation Centre. In
7055-584: Was intended to be completed in sections. In 1795 the section between the River Mersey at Netherpool and the River Dee at Chester was opened. However the canal was not finished as first intended; it never reached the River Severn. Upon reevaluation it was decided that the costs to complete the project were not projected to be repaid because of a decrease in expected commercial traffic. There had been
7140-691: Was laid by the Chairman of Ellesmere Port Borough Council, Horace Black, on 2 May 1953. It was designed in the modernist style and completed in 1955. The Ellesmere Port Council Offices were constructed just to the southwest of the civic hall and completed in 1969. In the 20th century, a number of new housing estates were developed, many of them on the sites of former farms such as Hope Farm and Grange Farm. Many estates consisted of both council housing and privately owned houses and flats. Ellesmere Port, in more recent times has had an influx of immigrants from Liverpool . Thus demand for housing increased with
7225-616: Was once of town's main football team before the founding of Vauxhall Motors F.C. in 1963. Ellesmere Port Town F.C. was founded in 1948 and folded in 1973. The club's main achievements were playing in the Northern Premier League (The 7th tier in the English Football Pyramid) and reaching the F.A. Cup First Round in the 1971–1972 season, losing 3–0 to Boston United. Vauxhall Motors F.C. are the local football team. In 2009 Eddie Izzard and his run around
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