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, joining the British Basketball League (BBL). This is the top basketball league in the country.

In their second season, they won the BBL Cup and almost won the league. In 2013, the team had to stop playing in the BBL. This was because they had money problems. They even became the first BBL team to finish a whole season without winning a single game.

Before becoming the Mersey Tigers, the club was called the Everton Tigers. They were partners with the famous Everton Football Club. The team also grew from a youth program called Toxteth Tigers, which began in 1968. They even had a special basketball academy for young players. However, in 2010, Everton Football Club stopped their funding. That's when the team changed its name to Mersey Tigers.

Team History

How the Team Started

The Everton Tigers officially joined the British Basketball League on June 19, 2007. The city of Liverpool was chosen for a new basketball team because they had a good plan. This plan focused on helping the community and working with a big football club.

The team was part of the Everton F.C. organisation. This made them one of only a few football clubs in British history to also have a basketball team. Other teams like Manchester United and Newcastle Eagles had done this before.

The new club wanted to help young players grow. They worked with the community programs of Everton Football Club and the existing Toxteth Tigers basketball club. Their main goal was to develop young talent.

At first, the Tigers played their home games at the Greenbank Sports Academy. This venue could hold 800 fans. But the team hoped to play in the much larger Echo Arena one day. This arena, finished in 2008, could hold over 7,500 people.

First Season: 2007–08

The Everton Tigers signed some well-known players for their first season. These included Chris Haslam, Calvin Davis, and Delme Herriman. The players were introduced to 40,000 fans at Goodison Park. This happened during a football game in September 2007.

Their first game was an exhibition match against Manchester Magic. Even though they were losing for most of the game, the Tigers made an amazing comeback. They scored 14 points in a row to win 76–71.

The Tigers' first league game was an away defeat to Plymouth Raiders. Their first home game also ended in a loss. But soon, they found a main sponsor, Bibby Maritime Ltd.

In December, the team signed Great Britain player Richard Midgley. As the season went on, more people in Liverpool became interested in the team. Because of this, the Tigers 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. Even though the Tigers lost 80–103, it was a huge event.

The team finished their first season with 16 wins and 17 losses. They came in 7th place, which was great for a new team. This meant they qualified for the play-offs. However, their amazing first season ended when they lost to Guildford Heat in the quarter-finals.

Second Season: 2008–09

To build on their success, the club hired Tony Garbelotto as their new head coach. He was also an assistant coach for the Great Britain team. The previous coach, Henry Mooney, became the Head of Basketball Development.

Garbelotto signed several strong players, including Tony Dorsey and Josh Gross. Even with these new players, the Tigers lost their first exhibition game. They also had mixed results in pre-season games in Belgium.

The Tigers started their league season strongly. They beat Sheffield Sharks and London Capital by large margins. Their first loss came at home to Worcester Wolves. During this time, Andre Smith was a standout player, winning Player of the Month.

In the BBL Cup, the Tigers reached the semi-finals. They faced Newcastle Eagles, who had been runners-up the year before. Newcastle won the first game, but Everton fought back. They won the second game, reaching the BBL Cup Final for the first time!

The Final was played on January 18, 2009, against the Plymouth Raiders. The Tigers played incredibly well, winning 103–49. This was their first major trophy and the biggest winning difference in BBL history!

Later, the Tigers finished second in the regular season. They had 24 wins and 9 losses. This meant they qualified for the play-offs as the second-best team. They easily won their quarter-final game against Scottish Rocks.

In the semi-final, they beat Leicester Riders. This sent them to their first-ever Play-off Final, where they again faced the Newcastle Eagles. The Final was a very exciting game. The Tigers were far behind at one point, but Richard Midgley played amazingly, scoring 36 points. Everton almost caught up, but Newcastle held on to win 87–84.

Third Season: 2009–10

Olu Babalola was the first player to re-sign with the Tigers for the new season. The club also started a new basketball academy with Childwall Sports College. This was to help find and train future players.

Just before the season started, the team's chairman, Gary Townsend, left. Martyn Best took over. The team also lost star player Richard Midgley, who retired due to injury. Despite these challenges, the club kept the support of Everton Football Club.

The Tigers started the season with a loss to Leicester. Their first home game was a win against Guildford. However, their defense of the BBL Cup ended early when they lost to Sheffield in the quarter-finals.

Despite injuries and players leaving, the Tigers kept fighting. They gained momentum as the play-offs approached. With Kevin Bell back from injury, the Tigers reached the play-off final. They even had big wins against Newcastle Eagles.

The play-off final against the Glasgow Rocks was a tough game. The Tigers showed great spirit and won by 8 points. Kevin Bell was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP).

After this season, Gary Townsend returned and took ownership of the team. The Everton Tigers then became the Mersey Tigers. This marked a new chapter for the club. Coach Tony Garbelotto continued as head coach and signed Drew Sullivan, a captain for Great Britain.

Home Courts

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

Team Achievements

League Titles

• 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 Wins

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

Trophy Wins

• BBL Trophy Winners: 2010/11

Season-by-season records

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.