Leicester Riders secure first-ever title

[davieG]

After a 46-year wait, Leicester Riders fans were celebrating this weekend when their team secured the British Basketball League title.

The players' 93-70 victory at home over Durham Wildcats saw them win the league for the first time in the club's history.

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  hoops dreams: Barry Lamble kisses the cup after Leicester Riders secured the British Basketball League title. Right, celebrations
  

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While the team still have three games to play this season, the win ensured they cannot be toppled from top spot, with nearest challengers Newcastle Eagles eight points behind.

Fan Alan Johnson, 65, from Narborough, who has followed the team for almost 30 years, watched the Riders clinch the title on Saturday at De Montfort University's John Sandford sport centre.

"It was well worth the wait," he said.

"We expected to win last night to be honest, but you just never know.

"The atmosphere was absolutely brilliant.

"Everyone was very, very happy and stopped and waited for the trophy presentation.

"Fantastic.

"It was definitely the highlight of the season."

The team, led by coach Rob Paternostro, ended a 12-year wait for silverware in January when they won the British Basketball League Cup Final by beating Newcastle Eagles.

But they had never won the league title – until Saturday.

Fan of more than three decades Chris Stone, 52, of Stoneygate, Leicester, paid tribute to the team spirit of the Riders.

"They are a team who have played team basketball and we've got no selfish players that just want to do it for themselves," he said.

"The points are shared around and this success is really a team effort."

He said fans never thought they would win the league – but are now looking forward to the next success. "What a great achievement this is and after all this time I don't think many of us thought we would win the league," he said.

"Bring on the play-offs."

Club chairman Mark Ellis, a supporter since 1991, said: "This has been 46 years in the making, and those few minutes from the end of the game to the start of the trophy presentations said all you need to know about this club – there were families hugging each other and their neighbours. A long wait was over and our time had come. It felt very good.

"This club is much more than just the team; it is about families and it is about the community."

The club has had a turbulent past.

Founded in 1967 as the Loughborough All Stars, the Riders moved to Leicester in 1981, but had to leave the city for Loughborough with the closure of Granby Halls in 2000.

In 2004, they returned to the city thanks to a sponsorship deal with De Montfort University and they now play at the university's John Sandford Sports Centre.

Fans helped stave off liquidation in 2007 by forming a consortium to raise funds and, when financial crisis loomed again the following year, county builder Jelson Homes stepped in to save the club.

There were tears and cheers, champagne and celebrations as the Leicester Riders became British basketball's top dogs on Saturday night.

This was the night when the club that began five years before a league in this country was formed, who were founder members of the league, stood tallest.

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  Leicester Riders
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  and fans celebrate league success
  

This was the night when the oldest club in British basketball could finally lay claim to being the best.

After toiling away at top-flight basketball for 38 years, mainly as make-weights or even worse, the Jelson Homes DMU-backed Leicester stood at the top of the basketball tree and no-one can catch them.

Little wonder then that the normally unflappable Kevin Routledge, the club's director, whose connection with the club goes back almost 40 years, was wiping away the tears as he embraced coach Rob Paternostro moments after the final buzzer.

He has seen more than most, but even he could probably never had dared to dream a night like this.

Nor too the sell-out crowd, who to a person stood and saluted their team for the final minute of the game.

This was the night that Vaughn Thomas, Peter Shaw and the founding fathers had dreamed of on April 26, 1967, when the club was born with a vision of being the best in Britain.

It may have taken 46 years, but for those who witnessed it, it was well worth the wait.

Those who squeezed themselves into John Sandford, and it was a squeeze as the old place struggled to contain the support of champions, had come for a party, in their minds Durham were merely the supporting cast.

But the visitors were coming to save their season, only a victory would keep alive their slim hopes of the play-offs.

The scores were level at 15-all seven minutes in, but Drew Sullivan and Yorick Williams led Riders' charge in an 11-2 finish to the first quarter.

Jorge Calvo and Zaire Taylor hit three-pointers that had Leicester into a double-figure lead and they were essentially cruising at that point.

Riders hit the first eight points of the second half to lead by 20 and they could have almost brought the medals out.

Not that anyone had told that to Paternostro, who, even when his side's lead had reached 88-57 with six minutes to play, didn't look comfortable.

One can only imagine what he said in the time-out three minutes later when 11 consecutive points by Durham had narrowed the gap. But he needn't have worried, the game was never in doubt, the title has not been in doubt. In truth, outside of Leicester, many had Paternostro's team inked in as league winners for a month or more.

So Jorge Calvo calmed his nerves with a three-pointer and not long after he was leading the cheers 'campeón' as the first Spaniard to win the British league.

And as they collected their medals after the game, this current squad of Riders' players inked themselves into the folklore of the BBL's oldest club.

There has been no superstar carrying the side all year, just a dedicate group of players who take turns at being the key player.

Riders 93: Rowe 15, Couisnard 13, Sullivan 13, Taylor 12, Losonsky 12, Williams 11, Calvo 9, Anderson 6, Washington 2, Haggith, Lamble, Maynard.

Wildcats 70: Keister 16, Bucci 15, Baldarelli 12, Page 10, Guinane 8, Johnson 6, Elderkin 2, Reynolds 1.

Read more: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Basketball-Tears-cheers-Leicester-Riders-secure/story-18577820-detail/story.html#ixzz2PCf8Fj3O

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[Webbo]

No fan of basketball but it's always good to see a Leicester team do well.

[jonthefox]

I'm not a fan either , but well done riders.

[purpleronnie]

Can't stand the sport, but its a great achievement.

[Guest]

Fantastic.

Now let's hope they don't go the way of the Leicester Panthers who deserved glory for years and within a few months after winning the national title for the first time ceased to exist.

[FoxesAreBlue]

Went to see them earlier in the season (work sponsor the captain doncha know!). It's actually very entertaining and a very skilful sport. It was very good.

[Out Foxed]

well done lads

[woddyuk]

Been several times and Went myself on Saturday and an entertaining evening as usual.. Not to mention a winning one.. Great for the kids and you can mix with the players after .. Like to see all Leicester teams do well and this one has won TWO trophies this season so even if basketball ain't your thing, they deserve some congratulations.. Off to the ladies hockey this sat afto to see if they can win their league too.. Five quid to see team gb olympic medal winners and the best hockey team in England on our own doorstep.. No brainer.. Esp as city dont have a Saturday home game ;-)

[silebyboy]

Blimey, is it really 13 years since Granby Halls closed? I really miss that place.