1980–81 National Basketball League season

The 1980–81 Rotary Watches National Basketball League season was the ninth season of the National Basketball League.[1]

1980–81 National Basketball League season
LeagueNational Basketball League
SportBasketball
Number of teams10
Roll of Honour
National League championsBirmingham Team Fiat
  National League runners-upCrystal Palace
Play Off's championsSunderland Saints
  Play Off's runners-upCrystal Palace
National Cup championsCrystal Palace
  National Cup runners-upJohn Carr Doncaster

The league was sponsored by Rotary Watches for the third consecutive year and Birmingham Team Fiat broke the Crystal Palace monopoly by taking the league title. Sunderland provided a major shock when securing the Play Offs title. Palace, who were expected to make a clean sweep of silverware, gained some consolation by winning the National Cup.[2]

Team changes

Coventry Team Fiat were rebranded Birmingham and moved to a larger venue at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre which served as a catalyst for their success. Manchester took on the name Trafford for the season but apart from this the teams remained the same. A team called Solent Stars backed by a millionaire businessman called Harry Smith [3] easily won the second division and competed successfully against first division teams in tournaments.[4]

National League

First Division
Pos Team P W L F A Pts
1Birmingham Team Fiat181711748153034
2Crystal Palace181621787146732
3Hemel Hempstead Ovaltine181351725149826
4Sunderland Saints181171633149022
5John Carr Doncaster18991549144120
6Stockport Belgrade187111510163814
7Trafford Giants186121418156312
8Kelly Girls International Kingston185131546168010
9Team Talbot, Guildford Pirates18414147017308
10Blackpool Pacemakers18216138617356

Second Division
Pos Team P W L F A Pts
1Solent Stars161511824122130
2Brighton Bears161331654142626
3Liverpool161151731124122
4National Breakdown Leeds161151448130322
5Camden & Hampstead16881457146816
6Nottingham165111266143010
7Brunel Uxbridge165111258148110
8Colchester Moels16214120115924
9Hemeling Wolverhampton16214127217794

Rotary Watches playoffs

Semi-finals
venue & date Team 1 Team 2 Score
March 13, Wembley ArenaBirmingham Team FiatSunderland Saints73-80
March 13, Wembley ArenaCrystal PalaceHemel Hempstead Ovaltine88-86

Final
14 March[5]
Sunderland Saints 96–92 Crystal Palace
Pts: David Lloyd ??, Gregg Bunch ??, James McCauley ?? Pts: Dan Lloyd ??, Bob Roma ??, Clive Hartley ??, Alton Byrd ??

Asda National Cup

First round
Team 1 Team 2 Score
Hemel Hempstead OvaltineCrystal Palace83-97
Stockport BelgradeNational Breakdown Leeds78-80
Sunderland SaintsLiverpool103-78
John Carr DoncasterTrafford Giants88-87 aet
Brighton BearsSolent Stars105-129
NottinghamBirmingham Team Fiat69-105
Brunel UxbridgeKGI Kingston74-118
Colchester MolesTeam Talbot Guildford77-104

Quarter-finals
Team 1 Team 2 Score
KGI KingstonCrystal Palace70-81
National Breakdown LeedsSunderland Saints71-82
Team Talbot GuildfordJohn Carr Doncaster71-83
Solent StarsBirmingham Team Fiat98-101

Semi-finals
venue & date Team 1 Team 2 Score
Dec 05, BradfordJohn Carr DoncasterSunderland Saints73-68
Dec 12, BletchleyCrystal PalaceBirmingham Team Fiat94-73

Final
23 January 1981[6]
Crystal Palace 91–74 John Carr Doncaster
Pts: Bob Roma 24, Clive Hartley 19, Alton Byrd 16, Dan Lloyd 10, Paul Stimpson 8, Richard Rudd 6, Pete Jeremich 6, Kolton Lee 2 Pts: Cliff Bell 20, Danny Randall 17, Paul Richards 16, Steve O'Shea 11, Ian Day 6, Chris Bycroft 4
Coventry Sports Centre

References
  1. Matthews & Morrison, Peter & Ian (1987). The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records & Results. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. ISBN 0-85112-492-5.
  2. "Men's Senior League Winners". Basketball England.
  3. "Nicholas Harling. "Basketball." The Times [London] 2 Dec. 1980". The Times Digital Archive.
  4. "Solent Stars Basketball Club – The Complete History". Solent Stars.
  5. "Nicholas Harling. "Basketball." The Times [London] 16 Mar. 1981". The Times Digital Archive.
  6. "Nicholas Harling. "Basketball." The Times [London] 24 Jan. 1981". The Times Digital Archive.

See also
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