The Newcastle Eagles basketball team look to tip-off the new season on Friday September 24th 2010 with a refreshed and revived team. The most successful basketball team in British history will now host games at the new £30 million Northumbria University Sport Central venue – a sports complex unmatched anywhere else in the UK.
The side sees the return of treble winning Trey Moore, who spent a short period at rivals Everton Tigers, prior to penning a new one year contract. The club also welcome newcomers 6’8” forward Kadiri Richard from Worthing Thunder and Barbados national team point guard Andre Lockhart.
All three players will be bolstering the roster of returning Eagles including Charles Smith, Andrew Bridge, Joe Chapman, Darius Defoe, Jamie Glen, Aaron Nielsen and, 2010 BBL Coach of the Year, Fabulous Flournoy.
The Club will also be announcing the introduction of a new main sponsor and two partner sponsors who will be working closely with the professional team and the Eagles Community Foundation.
Main sponsor Esh Group together with partner sponsors Northumbrian Water and Northumbria University are working closely with the Club to support continued growth in its wide ranging North East based community programmes.
Eagles managing director Paul Blake stated;
“We are delighted that the Eagles has the support of three such prominent North East organisations. Our number one aim as a Club is to grow opportunities for youth in the region; this is a goal we share with our sponsors. We have nearly 2,000 juniors now playing at participation Club venues and with the continued support of our partners this is sure to grow.”
“We are really looking forward to working with Esh Group, Northumbrian Water and our hosts Northumbria University in building sporting opportunities for the North East Community and bringing more silverware back to the region.
Brian Manning, Chief Executive of Esh Group added;
”The Eagles is much more than a successful basketball team; as an organisation it is deeply embedded in the North East community. The work they carry out with young people, disadvantaged groups and the wheelchair basketball team is far reaching and we believe is an excellent fit with our ethos at Esh Group. We are like-minded, very much looking forward to supporting them and to what we can achieve together.”
John Mowbray, Northumbrian Water’s corporate affairs director, said:
“Northumbrian Water is immersed in community and sporting life throughout the region and has had a long-standing partnership with the Newcastle Eagles by supporting their Hoops for Health initiative with schools. We have extended that support as we know the Eagles succeed on the court and in the community and we have witnessed the big impact they can have on childrens’ health and wellbeing..
Ian Elvin, Director of Sport at Northumbria University commented;
“Northumbria University looks forward to a unique opportunity, to work with GB’s outstanding basketball club not only in the pursuit of trophies but in growing the game in the north east of England. Sport Central provides an ideal environment to build on the remarkable success of the Newcastle Eagles in recent years. Northumbria University also has one of the best academic, research and sport development programmes in the country, so it is appropriate that we should want to work with and deliver excellence”.
The Eagles now move into their first game of the season away to Glasgow Rocks on the 19th September before returning to Sport Central on the 24th September to play their inaugural game in the new venue against old rival Sheffield Sharks on Friday 24th September.
Tickets are available by calling Sport Central on 0191 2274700 or buying online at ww.newcastle-eagles.com
