Plymouth Raiders have a new owner & staying at the Pavilions

New coming though of  Plymouth Raiders have a new owner in Carl Heslop and WILL compete in the BBL in the 2021/22 season

Plymouth will compete in the upcoming 2021/22 season, it has been confirmed today.

The club had requested to withdraw for the forthcoming season but now local Plymouth businessman, and a sponsor of the Club, Carl Heslop, has stepped forward and reached agreement with BBL to take on the franchise,

“I am delighted that, working with the BBL, we have found a way forward to keep the club in the top-flight of British basketball,” Heslop said.

“The club has a storied history, and is at the heart of the community, and it is right that we found a way to continue its great work.”

“I have been very pleased with the support we have had from the City Council, Marjon University and the BBL.”

“But, most importantly, the supporters and wider business community, have really stepped forward, and it gives us confidence we can work towards a sustainable future.”

The Leader of Plymouth City Council, Councillor Nick Kelly, was delighted with the news,

“Plymouth basketball club are a very important part of the fabric of the city and their community engagement and talent development, and close alignment with the education sector, means we want to continue to work closely with the club’s new owners, and the BBL, to help them deliver their plans.”

“We look forward to working with Carl and his team, and the BBL, to make that happen.”

Sir Rodney Walker, Chairman of the BBL, was pleased the BBL could provide its support,

“The impact of Covid-19 on all sport in the UK in the last eighteen months has been immense, but we are determined that basketball comes out of the pandemic stronger and united.”

“Plymouth has always been a well-supported club and basketball is a sport that is popular in the most challenged communities in our society, and we want to ensure that basketball continues to support those communities in Plymouth.”

In the Covid-19 hit 2020/21 season, the club achieved its highest BBL finish, finishing in third place in the BBL Championship, and the Raiders reached the BBL Trophy Final, where they lost to London Lions.

On local tv news a temporary arrangement with the owner of the Pavilions to stay there for one season.

So Raiders dont have a multi millionaire owner anymore!!!!

cheers brent for running off that investment in the club and indeed the city with your greed.

its strange that both the Raiders and the herald havent reported on this! yu would have thought they would have done but not a mention anywhere.

I do reckon there is more than the rent rises that caused the raiders to pull out of the BBL reading between the lines and the fact a new owner has taken over like he has.

the thread title needs to change to

Basketball is returning to Plymouth and playing at the pavilions in the BBL

as the new owner doesnt own the raiders trademarks or property just their franchise tag!!!! so the raiders may fold in place of a new team.

I'd love to know what the hell went on behind closed doors as i have a strong feeling the alleged rich owners werent as rich as we were lead to believe and the club was in financial trouble meaning they couldn't afford any type of rent rise no matter what it was leading to them quietly folding till the new owner bought the tag.

id also love to know why the herald still havent investigated/reported this.

Deffo something happened.

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/plymouth-raiders-replaced-bbl-new-5763248

Plymouth City Patriots,,hmmm

green_genie wrote:

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/plymouth-raiders-replaced-bbl-new-5763248

Plymouth City Patriots,,hmmm

jesus wept LMAO reading that article the name alone is going to upset the woke warriors as patriot is a trigger word.

so RIP Plymouth Raiders thanks to idiots in suits big shame.

Plymouth joins Los Angeles in being a city with TWO BASKETBALL TEAMS now as the raiders are reborn and will start to operate from september in the lower leagues.

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/plymouth-raiders-basketball-club-foxy-8372771

will be interesting to see how the public takes to the return of the raiders alongside the patriots even though i think it will be more a parkway argyle esq relationship.