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1984–85 National Basketball League season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1984–85 National Basketball League season
LeagueNational Basketball League
SportBasketball
Number of teams14
Roll of Honour
National League championsKingston Kings
  National League runners-upManchester United
Play Off's championsManchester United
  Play Off's runners-upKingston Kings
National Cup championsKingston Kings
  National Cup runners-upManchester United
National Basketball League seasons

The 1984–85 Carlsberg National Basketball League season was the thirteenth season of the National Basketball League formed in 1972.[1] The league was sponsored by Carlsberg and the Kingston Kings completed a League & Cup double but Manchester United won the newly extended Play Off's.[2]

Team changes

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The EBBA increased the first division to fourteen teams which resulted in a 26-match schedule which was warmly welcomed after the 36-match schedule of the previous season. Of the 13 existing teams, Brighton switched to Worthing and with new sponsors would be known as the Nissan Worthing Bears and Hemel Hempstead merged with the second division outfit Watford Royals to form Hemel & Watford Royals. The new fourteenth team was Telford Turbos who secured a new sponsor called Screen Stars.[3]

It was evident that as the season progressed many clubs had been spending beyond their means in recent years and were duly struggling to balance the books. The Solent Stars applied for voluntary liquidation in December 1984 despite leading the league and terminated the contract of their coach Jim Kelly and leading players to save money.
An extraordinary season continued in January 1985 when just a few days before the National Cup final Manchester United F.C. bought the FSO Cars Liverpool & Warrington club, renaming them for the final and relocating to Stretford.[4] The drama continued as Portsmouth F.C. attempted to takeover Solent Stars before a former Stars player TJ Robinson headed a consortium to save the club. Portsmouth F.C. then bought Telford Turbos (also in liquidation) and moved the team to Portsmouth.

Carlsberg League standings

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First Division

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Pos Team P W L F A Pts
1 Kingcraft Kingston Kings 26 24 2 2930 2640 48
2 Manchester United + 26 19 7 2330 2077 36
3 Cottrills Manchester Giants 26 18 8 2377 2235 36
4 Solent Stars 26 17 9 2464 2307 34
5 Nissan Worthing Bears 26 17 9 2456 2328 34
6 Walkers Crisps Leicester 26 15 11 2542 2454 30
7 Poundstretcher Hemel Watford Royals 26 15 11 2390 2261 30
8 Bracknell Pirates 26 15 11 2366 2450 24
9 Sunderland Maestros 26 12 14 2410 2405 24
10 Blue Nun Crystal Palace Supersonics 26 12 14 2378 2433 24
11 John Carr Doncaster Panthers 26 10 16 2352 2449 20
12 Davenports Birmingham 26 6 20 2245 2451 12
13 Portsmouth + 26 1 25 2166 2556 2
14 Home Spare Bolton Bees 26 1 25 2422 2782 2

Team changed name mid-season +[5]

Second Division

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Pos Team P W L F A Pts
1 McEwan Tyneside 22 18 4 1954 1666 36
2 Uxbridge Ducks 22 18 4 1804 1519 36
3 Calderdale Explorers 22 17 5 1955 1726 34
4 John Eld Derby Turbos 22 16 6 1907 1730 32
5 CAD Tower Hamlets 22 14 8 1786 1712 28
6 ANC Liverpool 22 12 10 1780 1746 24
7 Swindon Rakers 22 10 12 1768 1821 20
8 Glucodin Plymouth Raiders 22 9 13 1905 1896 18
9 Team Telecom Colchester 22 7 15 1786 1911 14
10 Camden & Hampstead 22 5 17 1757 1969 10
11 Team Wakefields Nottingham 22 3 19 1729 2012 6
12 Sandwell Mail 22 3 19 1620 2043 6

Carlsberg playoffs

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Quarter-finals

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Team 1 Team 2 Score
Kingston Kings Bracknell Pirates 2-0
Manchester United Hemel Watford Royals 2-0
Manchester Giants Leicester 1-2
Solent Stars Worthing Bears 1-2

Semi-finals

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venue & date Team 1 Team 2 Score
March 30, Wembley Arena Manchester United Worthing Bears 90-84
March 30, Wembley Arena Kingston Kings Leicester 118-112

Third Place

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venue & date Team 1 Team 2 Score
March 31, Wembley Arena Worthing Bears Leicester 99-89

Final

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31 March 1985[6]
Manchester United 10997 Kingston Kings
Pts: Colin Irish 47, Ed Bona 24, Will Brown 14 Pts: Steve Bontrager 28, Johnson 25, Clark 14, Doug Lloyd 12, Davis 10
Wembley Arena
Attendance: 9,000
Manchester Coach Joe Whelton
Kingston Coach Steve Bontrager

Kellogg's National Cup

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Second round

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Team 1 Team 2 Score
Swindon Rakers Sperrings Solent Stars 86-117
Cottrills Manchester Giants Sandwell Mail 127-81
John Carr Doncaster Panthers Telford Turbos 84-81
Crystal Palace Supersonics Camden 93-77
LSO Cars Warrington & Liverpool McEwan Tyneside 84-70
Glucodin Plymouth Raiders Nissan Worthing Bears 89-108
Home Spare Bolton Bees Walkers Crisps Leicester 105-116
Kingcraft Kingston Kings Hemel Hempstead & Watford Royals 85-84

Quarter-finals

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Team 1 Team 2 Score
LSO Cars Warrington & Liverpool Sperrings Solent Stars
Nissan Worthing Bears John Carr Doncaster Panthers 78-80
Crystal Palace Supersonics Kingcraft Kingston Kings 84-93
Cottrills Manchester Giants Walkers Crisps Leicester 105-98

Semi-finals

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Leg Team 1 Team 2 Score
First Leg LSO Cars Warrington & Liverpool John Carr Doncaster Panthers 82-80
Second Leg John Carr Doncaster Panthers LSO Cars Warrington & Liverpool 78-95
First Leg Cottrills Manchester Giants Kingcraft Kingston Kings 97-98
Second Leg Kingcraft Kingston Kings Cottrills Manchester Giants 107-93

Final

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Live on Channel 4
6 January 1985[7]
Kingston Kings 10398 aet Manchester United
Pts: Steve Bontrager 37, Martin Clark 26, Danny Davis 16, Doug Lloyd 12, Andy Innell Pts: Colin Irish 28, Ed Bona 28, Will Brown 17, David Lloyd 14, Kevin Penny
Royal Albert Hall, London
Attendance: ?
Kingston Coach Steve Bontrager
Manchester Coach Joe Whelton

References

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  1. ^ Matthews & Morrison, Peter & Ian (1987). The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records & Results. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. ISBN 0-85112-492-5.
  2. ^ "Men's Senior League Winners". Basketball England.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Nicholas Harling (6 November 1984). "Basketball". The Times. London.
  4. ^ Nicholas Harling (4 January 1985). "Basketball". The Times. London.
  5. ^ Carlsberg National Championship Finals 1985 programme, P.44
  6. ^ Nicholas Harling (1 April 1985). "Basketball". The Times. London.
  7. ^ Nicholas Harling (8 January 1985). "Basketball". The Times. London.

See also

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