Essex Leopards (1994–2003)
The Essex Leopards, or just Leopards as they were more commonly known, was a British basketball team competing in the British Basketball League. Established in 1994, the Leopards franchise was one of the most successful teams of the 1990s, dominating the domestic scene with local rivals London Towers.
| Essex Leopards | |
|---|---|
| League | BBL |
| Established | 1994 |
| Folded | 2003 |
| History | Leopards 1994-1997 Greater London Leopards 1997-2002 Essex Leopards 2002-2003 |
| Arena | Brentwood Centre |
| Location | Brentwood, Essex |
| Team colours | Teal, Black and White |
Originally playing out of the London Arena as Leopards and later Greater London Leopards, the team was moved to Brentwood in 1999, and in 2002 the name was changed to the Essex Leopards.[1] For financial reasons the team decided to "sit out" the 2003–04 season of the BBL and while every effort was made to find a buyer for the franchise, the Leopards soon folded completely.
Season-by-season records
| Season | Division | Tier | Regular Season | Post-Season | Trophy | Cup | Head coach | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Played | Wins | Losses | Points | Win % | |||||||
| Leopards | ||||||||||||
| 1994-95 | BBL | 1 | 6th | 36 | 23 | 13 | 46 | 0.638 | Quarter-finals | Pool Stage | Semi-finals | Billy Mims |
| 1995-96 | BBL | 1 | 4th | 36 | 23 | 13 | 46 | 0.638 | Quarter-finals | Pool Stage | Quarter-finals | Billy Mims |
| 1996-97 | BBL | 1 | 1st | 36 | 28 | 8 | 56 | 0.777 | Runners Up | Quarter-finals | Winners, beating Sheffield | Billy Mims |
| Greater London Leopards | ||||||||||||
| 1997-98 | BBL | 1 | 1st | 36 | 29 | 7 | 58 | 0.806 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Quarter-finals | Billy Mims |
| 1998-99 | BBL | 1 | 8th | 36 | 19 | 17 | 38 | 0.527 | Quarter-finals | Pool Stage | Runners Up | Billy Mims |
| 1999-00 | BBL S | 1 | 5th | 34 | 11 | 23 | 22 | 0.323 | Did not qualify | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Bob Donewald |
| 2000-01 | BBL S | 1 | 2nd | 34 | 24 | 10 | 48 | 0.705 | Semi-finals | Quarter-finals | Runners Up | Bob Donewald |
| 2001-02 | BBL S | 1 | 4th | 32 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 0.500 | 1st round | Semi-finals | Last 16 | Chris Pullem |
| Essex Leopards | ||||||||||||
| 2002-03 | BBL | 1 | 10th | 40 | 11 | 29 | 22 | 0.275 | Did not qualify | Pool Stage | Quarter-finals | Mike Taylor |
New team
This was not the end though, as in 2004 a merger took place between Ware Rebels and Leopards Alive (an organisation of supporters of the defunct Greater London Leopards), and renamed as the Essex & Herts Leopards. In 2006, the team was renamed again to London Leopards, and currently play in EBL Division 1, the league below the BBL.