Mersey Tigers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mersey Tigers
League	British Basketball League
Established	2007
Folded	2013
History	Everton Tigers 2007–2010 Mersey Tigers 2010–2013
Arena	Knowsley Park
Capacity	500
Location	Liverpool, England

The Mersey Tigers were a professional basketball team from Liverpool, England. They started in 2007 as the Everton Tigers. The team joined the British Basketball League (BBL), which is the top basketball league in the UK.

The Tigers quickly became successful. They won the BBL Cup in their second season. They also finished second in the league that year. In 2013, the team had to leave the BBL. This was because of money problems. In their final season, they did not win any games. This was the first time a BBL team finished a season without a single win.

Before becoming the Mersey Tigers, the club was called the Everton Tigers. They were linked with the Everton Football Club. The team also grew from a youth program called Toxteth Tigers, which began in 1968. The club had a special basketball academy too. It worked with Childwall Academy from 2009. However, Everton Football Club stopped their funding in 2010. This led to the team changing its name to Mersey Tigers.

The Team's Journey: Mersey Tigers History

Starting the Team: Everton Tigers Begin

The Everton Tigers officially joined the British Basketball League on June 19, 2007. Liverpool was chosen for a new team because of its strong business plan. The team also focused on helping the community. Their link with a Premier League football club was also important.

The club was part of Bill Kenwright's Everton F.C. organization. This made them the fifth football club to have a basketball team in British history. Other teams included Manchester United and Newcastle Eagles.

The new club wanted to help young players grow. This was based on the community work of Everton Football Club. Gary Townsend led this effort. The existing Toxteth Tigers youth club also played a big part. Henry Mooney, who ran the Toxteth program, led the main team.

The Tigers played their home games at the Greenbank Sports Academy. This venue could hold 800 fans. The club hoped to play at the larger Echo Arena in the future. This arena, finished in 2008, could hold over 7,500 people.

First Season: 2007–08 Highlights

The Everton Tigers signed several well-known players for their first season. These included Chris Haslam, Calvin Davis, and Delme Herriman. The players were shown to 40,000 fans at Goodison Park. This happened during a football game on September 20.

The team played its first game on September 29, 2007. It was an exhibition match against Manchester Magic. The Tigers won 76–71 after a great comeback. Their first league game was a loss to Plymouth Raiders on October 6. Their first home game on October 12 also ended in a loss.

In December, the team signed Richard Midgley. He was a player for the Great Britain national basketball team. As the season went on, more people in Liverpool became interested in the team. The club moved a big game against Cheshire Jets to the new Echo Arena. All 7,513 tickets sold out quickly. This game was also shown live on TV. The Tigers lost 80–103 on March 19, 2008.

The team finished its first season with 16 wins and 17 losses. They came in 7th place. This was a great achievement for a new team. They made it to the end-of-season play-offs. However, they lost in the quarter-finals to Guildford Heat.

Winning the BBL Cup: 2008–09 Season

After a good first season, the club hired Tony Garbelotto as their new coach. He was also an assistant coach for Great Britain. Henry Mooney, the previous coach, became Head of Basketball Development.

The Tigers signed new players like Tony Dorsey and James Jones. They also added Andre Smith and Marcus Bailey. A big signing was Josh Gross from the NBA D-League.

The Tigers started their league season well. They beat Sheffield Sharks 80–61. Andre Smith scored 29 points in that game. A week later, they won against London Capital 107–69.

The Tigers did very well in the BBL Cup. They reached the semi-finals against Newcastle Eagles. Newcastle won the first game. But Everton won the second game, reaching the Final for the first time. They faced the Plymouth Raiders in the Final on January 18, 2009. The Tigers won the Cup with a huge 103–49 victory. This was the biggest winning margin in BBL history!

The Tigers finished second in the regular season. They had 24 wins and 9 losses. They made it to the play-offs. They beat Scottish Rocks and Leicester Riders to reach the Play-off Final. They played against the Newcastle Eagles again. It was a very close game. Newcastle won 87–84. Richard Midgley scored a record 36 points for the Tigers.

Becoming Champions: 2009–10 Season

Olu Babalola was the first player to re-sign for the 2009–10 season. The club also started a new basketball academy with Childwall Sports College. Gary Townsend, the chairman, stepped down. Martyn Best took over. The team lost star player Richard Midgley due to injury.

The Tigers faced many challenges this season. They had injuries to key players. But they still fought for a top 5 spot. Trey Moore joined the team later in the season. The Tigers gained momentum as the play-offs neared.

The Tigers made it to the Play-off Final again. They played against the Glasgow Rocks. The Tigers won by 8 points in a very exciting game. Kevin Bell was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP). This was a big win for the team!

After this season, Gary Townsend returned and took over the team. The Everton Tigers then became the Mersey Tigers. This started a new chapter for the club. Coach Tony Garbelotto stayed on. They signed Andrew Sullivan, the Great Britain captain.

Where the Tigers Played (Home Arenas)

• Greenbank Sports Academy (2007–2010)
• Echo Arena (2008–2011)
• Knowsley Leisure & Culture Park (2011–2013)

Tigers' Trophies

League Championships

• BBL Championship Winners: 2010/11
• BBL Championship Runners Up: 2008/09

Playoff Wins

• BBL Championship Play Off Winners: 2009/10, 2010/11
• BBL Championship Play Off Runners Up: 2008/09

Cup Competitions

• BBL Cup Winners: 2008/09
• BBL Cup Runners Up: 2010/11

Trophy Competitions

• BBL Trophy Winners: 2010/11

Season Records

Team Players

Final Roster

Note: Flags indicate national team, as has been defined under FIBA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIBA nationality.

No. Position Player  England PG Jack Hudson  England SF Osemweggie Semi Ebogbe  England PG Josh McGinn  Belgium G Gael Hulsen  Spain F Martin Calvo  England F Chris Bigley  England F Daniel Pilkington  England F Ryan Gallagher  England F Nathan Schall  Spain SF Daniel Brito  England C Philip Wait  Germany C Joshua Lockett  England G Matthew Allerston

Well-Known Former Players

See Also

In Spanish: Mersey Tigers para niños

• British Basketball League
• Everton F.C.