Liverpool Basketball Club

Liverpool B.C. are a basketball club from the city of Liverpool, England.

Liverpool B.C.
LeagueNBL Division 3
Established1969 (1969)
HistoryAtac
1969–1973
Riversdale Atac
1973–1991
Liverpool Atac
1991–2000
Liverpool
2000-present
ArenaArchbishop Beck College
Capacity200
LocationLiverpool, England
Team colours     
Head coachEngland Tony Walsh
WebsiteOfficial website

The Men's first team compete in the English Basketball League Division 3 North West league, and the club have youth teams competing in the U18, U16 and U14 Regional Divisions. They play their home games at the Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College.

History

The club was founded by Jimmy Rogers and Tim Martyn-Jones as a Junior section to the local YMCA basketball team, playing under the name 'Atac' to reflect the flowing, attacking style of basketball they aimed for the team to play. The team became independent in 1973 and moved to play their home games at the local Riversdale College, changing their name to Riversdale Atac to reflect their new home base. The club then competed in the local Merseyside League and the North West Counties League for many years before turning their eyes towards national level competition.[1]

In the late 1980s, the club sought to expand their reach in the community as a precursor to entering the National League, moving their home games to the more suitable Everton Park Sports Centre and renaming themselves Liverpool Atac to attract players from a wider area. As part of their preparations, the club also started to compete in the National Founders Cup, and came up just short of carving their name onto the non-league trophy in 1991 and 1992, finishing as runners-up in both seasons. The club then entered NBL Division 3 for the 1992/1993 season, earning promotion to Division 2 in their first season. Three years later, a third-place finish was enough to secure a place in NBL Division 1 for the 1996/1997 season, but the retirement of a number of senior players meant that their stay in the top English division was brief, lasting only a single season.[2]

After several more years in EBL Division 2, the club moved to the newly constructed Greenbank Sports Academy in the early 2000s, which coincided with a re-organisation of the English league. This saw the club awarded a place in the new NBL Division 1 (now forming the tier below the NBL Conference), but once again the club struggled to maintain their position in the league, finishing bottom in consecutive seasons. The club were reprieved after the 2000/2001 season due to the league's expansion, but they were relegated to NBL Division 2 (North) following their last-place finish in 2001/2002. The club then went the 2002/2003 season unbeaten on their way to a league and playoff double to earn promotion to the second English tier again, just in time for a second league restructure in five years to see the division rebranded as EBL Division 2.[3]

Arguably the club's highest honour to date was to follow in 2005/2006, as they lifted the Patrons Cup following a thrilling 85–83 overtime win over the West Hertfordshire Warriors at the Amaechi Basketball Centre.[4] However, another exodus of experienced players to the newly formed Mersey Tigers saw the club finish bottom in EBL Division 2 in 2006/2007, and then finish bottom again in EBL Division 3 in 2007/2008 to suffer back-to-back relegations and end in the bottom tier of national competition. The club's strong development base enabled them to survive without dropping back to the regional leagues, but they struggled badly for several years, generally finishing in the lower reaches of EBL Division 4 (North).

A move to the Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College and a new coach in the 2013/2014 season saw the club's fortunes finally turn for the better, winning promotion with an unbeaten campaign that took in the league and playoff titles. A second success was to follow immediately after, as they won another league and playoff double in their first season back in EBL Division 3, returning to EBL Division 2 for the 2015/2016 season.[5] They struggled in their first season in Division 2, finishing in 7th place, but had a very successful playoff campaign, becoming Division 2 playoff champions in 2016 by defeating Solent Kestrels in the playoff final at the new Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester.[6]

Honours

NBL Division 2 (North) League Champions

  • 2003

NBL Division 2 Playoff Champions

  • 2003

Patrons Cup

  • 2006

EBL Division 4 (North) League Champions

  • 2014

EBL Division 4 Playoff Champions

  • 2014

EBL Division 3 (North) League Champions

  • 2015

EBL Division 3 Playoff Champions

  • 2015

EBL Division 2 Playoff Champions

  • 2016

EBL Division 2 League Champions

2019

EBL Division 2 Playoff Champions

2019


Season-by-season records
Season[7] Division Tier Pos Played Won Lost Points Win % Playoffs Nat. Cup Nat. Trophy Patrons Cup Nat. Shield
Liverpool Atac
1992-93D344th20137260.650Semi-Final1st Round2nd Round--
1993-94D235th20128240.600Qtr-Final1st Round1st Round--
1994-95D234th20128240.600Qtr-Final1st Round1st Round--
1995-96D233rd24177340.708Qtr-Final1st Round1st Round--
1996-97D1213th26620120.231DNQ--
1997-98D2311th24915180.375DNQ1st Round--
1998-99D235th24168320.667Semi-Final2nd Round--
1999-00D232nd24186360.750Semi-Final3rd Round--
Liverpool
2000-01D137th1821640.111Qtr-Final1st Round-DNE
2001-02D1312th2231960.136DNQ1st Round-DNE
2002-03D2 Nor41st18180361.000WinnersDNE-Semi-Final
2003-04D233rd20137260.650Qtr-FinalQtr-FinalDNE1st RoundDNE
2004-05D235th20911180.450Semi-Final1st RoundDNE1st RoundDNE
2005-06D235th221111220.500Qtr-Final3rd RoundDNEWinnersDNE
2006-07D2312th2231960.136DNQ1st RoundDNE1st RoundDNE
2007-08D3 Nor411th2002000.000DNQ1st RoundDNEDNE2nd Round
2008-09D4 Nor510th1921740.105DNQDNEDNE1st Round
2009-10D4 Nor510th1821640.111DNQDNEDNE
2010-11D4 Nor513th2312220.043DNQDNEDNE
2011-12D4 Nor58th221012200.455DNQDNEDNE
2012-13D4 Nor58th1211120.083DNQDNEDNE
2013-14D4 Nor51st14140281.000WinnersDNEDNE
2014-15D3 Nor41st22202220.909Winners2nd RoundDNEDNERunner-Up
2015-16D237th221210240.545Winners2nd RoundDNESemi-FinalDNE
2016-17D2310th22715140.318DNQ3rd RoundDNE1st RoundDNE
2017-18D233rd22157300.682Semi-Final4th RoundDNE1st RoundDNE
2018-19D231st20200401.000Winners4th RoundDNESemi FinalsDNE
2019-20D1214th2432160.125DNQ4th RoundN/AN/AN/A
2021-22D3 NW43rd20146280.700Last 162nd RoundN/AN/AN/A
2023-23D3 NW43rd20155300.750Last 161st RoundN/AN/AN/A

References
  1. "Liverpool BC History (Archived)". pawprint75.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 December 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "Club History (Archived)". Liverpool Basketball Club. Archived from the original on 4 September 2004.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. "Club History". Liverpool Basketball Club.
  4. "Late rally against Derby not enough to save season". Liverpool Echo.
  5. "Liverpool Victorious in D3 Playoff Final". Hoopsfix.com.
  6. "Basketball: LBC Division Two side grab play-off final win". Liverpool Echo.
  7. "NBL Standings". Basketball England.
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