Crystal Palace (basketball)

Crystal Palace was a basketball team competing in the National Basketball League (NBL) and then the British Basketball League (BBL), until they merged with the London Towers in 1998. They played in the Crystal Palace Sports Centre and were the most successful team in Britain throughout the seventies and early eighties.[1]

History

In 1966 the Old Suttonians basketball club was founded by several ex pupils of Sutton Grammar School including David Last and Terry Doherty who both performed the role of director of the club in future years.[2] In 1972 the club entered the new National League as Sutton basketball club and finished third of six teams. the following season they relocated to Crystal Palace and became the Sutton & Crystal Palace club. Success arrived quickly with a league and cup double the very next season.

In 1975 the club dropped the Sutton prefix and gained sponsorship from Cinzano which helped propel them into being the best club in Britain. The team would go on to complete three consecutive doubles of National League and National Cup.[3] The team became regarded as the pioneers of UK basketball and their early players included Jim Guymon, Martin Hall, Mark Saiers, Pete Jeremich and Paul Philp. An incredible treble ensued in the 79–80 season and other players to represent the club included players such as Dan Lloyd, Bob Roma, Paul Stimpson, Mick Bett and Alton Byrd, the latter considered the man who revolutionised basketball in Britain.[4] Further success followed and it was not until the advent of Channel 4 TV coverage and big spending football club takeovers that Palace lost their mantle as top club.
In September 1986 Crystal Palace and Brunel Uxbridge & Camden Ducks joined forces with fixtures being split between the Crystal Palace Sports Centre and Brunel University.[5] Immediate glory returned to the club when after finishing fourth in the league they went on to win the 1987 play Off's but after just one season the club ran into financial difficulty and were forced to sell many players and change their name back to just Crystal Palace.[6]
Players from the highly successful junior programme led by Roy Packham and Mark Dunning made up the team along with a number of talented juniors from Kevin Hibb's Kingston Junior programme. Graham Hill, Derek Johnson, Brian Moore, Roger Hosannah, Derek Lewis, Paul Smith, Michael Hosannah and Adrian Cummings were notable juniors that made the transition to the senior team which was led by Daryl Reshaw and Shaughan Ryan.

Following the completion of the 1988 season the club dropped out of the Carlsberg League into the National League before failing to compete for the first time in the 1990/91 season. A return to action came the following season when Crystal Palace lined up in the third division of the revamped Carlsberg League finishing runners up to another former basketball giant the Solent Stars.
The returning Tim Lewis led the home grown talent along with Junior Peters Clinton ford, Brian Moore, Tunde Orelaja, Roger Lloyd and Adrian Jones. This team gain promotion two years running.


The 1993–1994 season saw Budweiser sponsor tier 1 of the league which as a consequence meant the National League was restructured moving Palace into division one where they finished Runner-up to Coventry Crusaders. The following season Alton Byrd returned to the club as player/general manager kick starting a successful season as they won Division One.[7] The league win was repeated the following year because Palace had remained in the National League after their application to join the Budweiser League (tier 1) was rejected.
The team continued the development of British talent. Richard Scantlebury, Neill Rickets, Andy Powlesland, Graham Hill, Adrian Cummings, Ade Orelaja and Time Lewis all becoming permanent fixtures in the team.

In 1996 a return to the top tier in for the first time since 1988 ensued. Transition back to the BBL was difficult, other talented British players such as, Barry Gooch, Jason Crump, Clive Lindo, Jimmy Markham joined the club along with Junior Williams and Wayne Henry. A lack of sponsorship and the retirement of Alton Byrd had a major impact on the club. The Club tried to hang on to its ethos of growing local talent, Graham Hill a former junior and senior player was given the coaches job but after two mediocre seasons and despite the best efforts of club stalwarts Roy Packham and Terry Doherty the club merged with London Towers and the name Crystal Palace (the most successful UK basketball club in history at the time) ceased to exist.

Season-by-season records
Season Division Tier Regular Season Post-Season Trophy Cup
Finish Played Wins Losses Points Win %
Sutton
1972-73 NBL 1 3rd 10 6 4 16 0.600 / / Runners Up
Sutton & Crystal Palace
1973-74 NBL 1 1st 14 13 1 26 / / Winners
1974-75 NBL 1 2nd 18 16 2 34 / / Runners Up
Crystal Palace
1975-76 NBL 1 1st 18 17 1 35 / / Winners
1976-77 NBL 1 1st 18 18 0 26 / / Winners
1977-78 NBL 1 1st 18 18 0 36 / / Winners
1978-79 NBL 1 2nd 20 16 4 32 Winners / Runners Up
1979-80 NBL 1 1st 18 18 0 36 Winners / Winners
1980-81 NBL 1 2nd 18 16 2 32 Runners Up / Winners
1981-82 NBL 1 1st 22 20 2 40 Winners / Quarter-finals
1982-83 NBL 1 1st 24 21 3 42 Runners Up / Semi-finals
1983-84 NBL 1 2nd 36 25 11 50 Semi-finals / Semi-finals
1984-85 NBL 1 10th 26 10 16 20 Did Not Qualify / Quarter-finals
1985-86 NBL 1 5th 28 17 11 33 Semi-finals / First round
Brunel Crystal Palace
1986-87 NBL 1 4th 24 17 7 34 Winners / Quarter-finals
Crystal Palace
1987-88 BBL 1 15th 28 2 26 4 Did Not Qualify Pool Stage Second round
1988-89 BBL 1 11th 20 2 18 4 Did Not Qualify Pool Stage Quarter-finals
1989-90 NBL 2 3rd Semi-finals / Second round
1990-91 Withdrew from league
1991-92 NL D3 3 2nd 22 18 4 36 /
1992-93 NL D2 2 3rd 22 16 6 32 / Third round
1993-94 NL D1 2 2nd 18 12 6 24 0.667 / Second round
1994-95 NL D1 2 1st 22 21 1 42 0.955 / Fourth round
1995-96 NL D1 2 1st 22 22 0 44 1.000 / Semi-finals
1996-97 BBL 1 12th 36 5 31 10 0.138 Did Not Qualify Pool Stage Fourth round
1997-98 BBL 1 11th 36 8 28 16 0.222 Did Not Qualify Pool Stage Fourth round

Notable players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

References
  1. Matthews & Morrison, Peter & Ian (1987). The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records & Results. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. ISBN 0-85112-492-5.
  2. "Nicholas Harling. "Good win in new home."". Times. London, England. 7 October 1986. p. 46 – via find.galegroup.com.
  3. "Men's Senior League Winners". Basketball England.
  4. "Where are they now?". sfgate.com.
  5. "Clubs join forces". Times. London, England. 4 September 1986 – via find.galegroup.com.
  6. "Julian Desborough. "Players sold as Palace battle for survival."". Times. London, England. 9 September 1987 – via find.galegroup.com.
  7. ""Byrd moves to Palace."". Times. London, England. 11 August 1994 – via find.galegroup.com.

See also
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