Established 1974 Ownership Craig Bown Folded 2006 | Team colours Red, White and Black Date founded 1974 | |
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League British Basketball League History Coventry
1974-1980
Team Fiat
1980-1982
Birmingham Bullets
1982-2006 Location Birmingham, West Midlands | ||
The Birmingham Bullets were a basketball team from Birmingham, who competed in the British Basketball League (BBL). The club resigned from the BBL league in the summer of 2006 and soon after went into liquidation, ceasing to exist as a basketball franchise.
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The future of Birmingham basketball
Birmingham Bullets came to an end in 2006. Team Birmingham did not successfully claim to be the successor side. Worcester Wolves replaced the Birmingham franchise in the BBL in 2006. On 23 March 2007 the BBL announced that a new franchise had been awarded to Birmingham, for the 2007-08 season, called Birmingham Panthers. The Panthers only lasted for one season before folding due to a lack of success. Five years later, for the 2013-14 season the BBL once again announced a new franchise being awarded to Birmingham, the new entity this time being the Birmingham Knights; however, once again the team was plighted by a lack of success and, having lost every single game during their first season, folded prior to their second season commencing.
The new Academy
Team Birmingham have opened a regional headquarters at Northwood Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent. Northwood Stadium is the only athletics centre in the area which is certified by the International Amateur Athletics Federation and is the home of Stoke Athletics Club. The centre also has a large sports hall with, 6 badminton courts, four full sized basketball courts, three 5-a-side football pitches, three squash courts and the facility for many other sports. Also based at Northwood is the full-time training program for gap year students and full-time players.
Housed within the new, £60 million campus at Knutton Lane the Academy offers facilities, including a 4-court Sports Hall, Dance Studio and Fitness Suite for all its players. Other features include a 250-seat auditorium, a large learning resources centre, a skills and technology centre and a suite of conference and seminar facilities. Players attending the Academy will enrol on a full-time, non-sports related course, train for sixteen hours on court, six hours in the Fitness Suite on strength and conditioning per week. The players will also be available to play in the BCS and ESSBA competitions during the week and Senior Men's National League at weekends.