www.ridersballonline.com

14/11/08

6'3 Lithuanian shooting guard Bradd Wierzbicki has inked a contract with Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders. Wierzbicki graduated from Queens College New York where he proved to be a big time scorer averaging 23.6pts per outing in 2006. He has also collected a Street & Smith Magazine ll American Honourable Mention plus he has been voted East Coast Conference League MVP too. Wierzbicki goes straight into the Riders squad for the tough trip to Newcastle tonight, he will make his home debut against Guildford Heat tomorrow evening.

Bradd is pictured above making his debut at Newcastle [pic courtesy of Dave Moore aka Gridiron]

12/11/08

Mindaugas "MD" Janiska has been released from his Leicester Riders contract as Coach Rob Paternostro no longer felt that was the "right fit" for the team. The 26 year old Lithuanian had been at the club for 14 months and had been the cornerstone of a lot of the club's community coaching plus he had taken on the Head Coach position at local side Coalville Cougars.

www.ridersballonline.com would like to thank MD for his efforts in Riders colours, no doubt he will re-appear on the scene very soon!

21/11/08

Well done again to Matt Martin who has made his second appearance in the BBL Team of the Week rankings. His 28pts in Riders big win on the road in Scotland last weekend ensured his selection in the team alongside Rob Yanders [Rocks], Janis Ivanovskis [Thunder] and the Sharks pair of Chris Sanders and Matt Gorman.

22/10/08

Congratulations go to Matt Martin and Tony Windless who have been selected to the BBL Team of the Week after their standout performances in last weekend's victories over Worthing and Milton Keynes Lions. Matt hit 47 pts over the two games with some stunning long range shooting plus dishing out plenty of assists while only turning the ball over twice while Tony hit 38pts off the bench including exploding for 27 against his former team, Milton Keynes on Sunday

Well done fellas, roll on Plymouth on Sunday, lets make it into the semi finals if we can!

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders have added 6'2 Irish international guard Isaac Westbrooks to their roster ahead of the 2008/09 BBL season. Westbrooks has previous experience in the Irish Superleague where he started at the Point Guard position for top outfit Dart Killester.

BBL All-Star forward Tony Windless has inked a deal today with Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders. The veteran 6'5 swingman joins from MK Lions and will bring a huge amount of experience and smarts to the club. Tony will make his debut tomorrow night [Sat] against the USA Select at the JSSC [7.30pm start]

In a decorated career, Windless has appeared for the following teams: London Towers where he won everything there was to win in UK ball, Derby Storm, Newcastle Eagles, Scottish Rocks, Milton Keynes Lions and on the continent for Montpellier, Le Mans, Gravellines and Besancon.

Welcome to Riders, Tony and we look forward to some highlight moments from you over the season to come!

pic: Birmingham Mail

Former Birmingham and London United ace LaTaryl Williams has signed for Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders. The 6'6 guard/small forward has also taken on the role of Coach of the new Riders Academy which will be based at Burleigh College. Williams will bring athleticism and an inside-outside threat to the team, he will also no doubt be looking forward to a more settled atmosphere off the court after the shambles of the Panthers franchise last season.

Welcome to the Riders, LaTaryl.

6'9 ex St Johns forward Phil Missere is said to be the latest signing for Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders. Missere was on the verge of signing last season after an abortive short spell across the Midlands at Birmingham Panthers but pulled out at the last moment as his wife fell pregnant with their first child.

Missere will bring good size and a hard nosed attitude on the boards which can only bode well for the club after last season's difficulties in the rebounding department.

6'10 former Baylor Bear Tommy Swanson is the second import signing for the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders for the 08/09 season.

Here are some more stats and information on the new man, also check out the Riders Vision preview video on the official Riders site www.ridersbasketball.com for a mouthwatering dunk fest!!

Info courtesy of www.baylorbears.cstv

Fourth-year senior most experienced player on team and only holdover from previous coaching staff... Returning starter at center has started last 55 games he dressed for... Veteran player still maturing in the game... Slender big man has ability to step outside and shoot the 3... Should benefit from additional talent on roster, not expected to see double-and-triple-teaming under boards like last season... Only second Baylor player in last six years to enter senior season with more than 60 career games played as a Bear (73; joins former teammate Matt Sayman).

2004-2005 (Junior): Started 26 games at center, missed two games due to eye injury in 2004-2005... Put together most productive season of career as junior, averaging 11.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.8 blocks and 29.9 minutes per game... Posted four double-doubles on the season and scored in double-digits in 18 of 26 games played... Finished 11th in Big 12 in blocks per game with 0.81... Ranked 15th in conference in rebounds (5.8 rpg) and 12th in steals (1.42 spg)... Totaled a team-high 89 fouls on the season, with five disqualifications... Led team with 150 rebounds and 21 blocks... Recorded first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff (12-1-04)... Had a career-high 19 points in game five at SMU (12-16-04), a total he would match two other times... Had career-highs of 19 points and four steals in following game, a win over Southern (12-18-04)... Enjoyed best statistical game of career in win over Chicago State (1-3-05), recording career-bests of 19 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks... His six blocks vs. CSU tied for the fifth-highest single-game total in school history... Posted 13-point, 10-rebound double-double in career-tying 37 minutes in win over Colorado (1-19-05)... Scored in double-digits in 14 straight games from UAPB to KU... Followed that streak with four-game stretch with 23 points and 18 fouls... Missed games at Kansas State (2-23-05) and at Oklahoma (2-26-05) after suffering eye injury in previous game vs. Texas (2-19-05)... The injury snapped a 52-game starting streak dating back to start of sophomore season in 2003-2004... Had 17-point, 10-rebound double-double and made career-high three 3-pointers in regular-season finale vs. Texas A&M (3-5-05).  

6 ft American guard Matt Martin is the first name on the roster for new coach Rob Paternostro. Martin joins from Montana Uni in the States where enjoyed a productive 4 year stay helping the team to the NCAA Championships.

All you need to know about the new addition to the team is here, courtesy of www.montanagrizzlies.com

2006-07 (Junior):
Was the team's fifth leading scorer (6.7 ppg) and one of four players who played in all 32 games ... scored a career-high 28 points in a 90-86 overtime win at home against Weber State, making 7-of-10 three pointers ... started in 13 of 16 Big Sky games of the season...scored in double figures in eight games ... shot 44.9% (31-of-69) from three-point range in league games and averaged 7.9 points a contest ... was ranked 12th in the Big Sky in three-point percentage (37.4%) and three-pointers made a game (1.53).

2005-06 (Sophomore):
Saw action in 31 games, starting in 14 ... averaged 6.7 points, 1.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.7 steals per game ... his 44 made and 121 attempted three-pointers ranked second on the team ... was third on the team in assists (72) ... his 22 steals placed him fourth on the squad ... his .733 free throw percentage ranked fifth ... ranked sixth on the team with 19.0 minutes per game (589) ... his .364 three-point shooting percentage ranked sixth ... also ranked sixth on the team in scoring with 208 points ... had eight double-digit scoring performances ... played in all 14 Big Sky Conference games ... scored a career-high 19 points in the regular-season opener, a 90-69 loss at Boise State (11/18) ... had 12 points, seven assists and a career-best four steals in a 81-75 road win over Loyola Marymount (11/21) ... tallied 11 points in 18 minutes in a 69-56 second-round NCAA tournament loss to Boston College.

2004-05 (Freshman):
Played in 30 games, staring in 26 as a true freshman ... played and started in all 14 Big Sky games ... led the team with 104 assists (3.47) and 56 three-pointers made (1.87) ... also ranked first on the team with an .804 free throw percentage (45-of-56) ... his 26 starts ranked second on the squad ... his 9.4 points per game (283) was third on the team ... his 26 steals (0.9) also ranked third .... had 15 double-digit scoring efforts ... tallied a season-best 18 points in a 90-80 road win over Cal State Northridge (11/30 ) ... registered 16 points and seven assists in an 83-79 home win over Northern Arizona (1/20) ... registered a career-high nine assists to go along with seven points and two steals in a 83-80 loss at Sacramento State (2/17) ... had 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three-point range in an 88-77 loss to Washington in the NCAA Tournament first round (3/17).

High School:
A three-sport letterman at Spearfish High School ... earned four letters in basketball ... led his team to three conference championships and one state title ... a three-time all-state and all-conference selection ... named to the all-state tournament team on three occasions ... scored 1,602 career points, including 267 made three-pointers ... averaged 22.1 points, 4.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game as a senior ... tallied 20.1 points, 4.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds per contest as a junior ... also an all-state and all-conference selection in football ... played quarterback and led his football team to a state championship.

Welcome to the Riders, Matt!

Pictured above is Rob Paternostro, the newly announced player coach of the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders.

Quoted on the BBC Sport website, Rob had the following to say " "To be a head coach is something I've aspired to do.

"And to be given the opportunity by a club like Leicester, who I've had the fortune of playing for and I'm familiar with, is a wonderful thing."

He added: "There is a lot of work to be done between now and the start of the season, but I am excited to step up and take this challenge."

www.ridersballonline.com would like to welcome Rob back to Leicester and looks forward to seeing his team out on the floor.

29/05/08

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders have parted company with Head Coach Martin Ford. The ex Derby man had been in charge for the 2007/08 season and under him the team had struggled for consistency throughout the campaign. In Ford's defence the team was assembled very late in the summer but the inability to seal a play off berth coupled with his full time teaching commitments led the club to make the decision to not renew his contract.

Names bandied around to fill the vacancy include ex Sheffield Sharks coach Peter Scantlebury, Birmingham Panthers leader [and ex Rider] Nigel Lloyd and former Rider and coach of the Leicester Warriors, Dave Greenaway.

Whoever does win the race for the job will have the added boost of Jelson Homes giving the thumbs up to a further two year deal to support the club. Interestingly the statement from Robert Jelley, MD of Jelson Homes said that they would be "looking to help the club with issues related to their playing facillities"

Could this be the beginning of plans to finally see the team play in their own purpose built arena in the city? If so, what a shot in the arm it would be for the club.

www.ridersballonline.com would like to place on record its gratitude to both Jelson Homes for their continued generosity and to Martin Ford for his efforts over the course of last season.

25/05/08

The new season cannot come quickly enough after last term's disappointments....... Any news of new signings/retained players will be posted here as soon as possible.

Apologies for the total lack of updates from the final third of last season, i thought the effort on court didn't warrant too many column inches on here but rest assured, normal service will be resumed next season.

17/01/08

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders new signing Carlo White has arrived in the UK and will be available to suit up at Bletchley on Friday for the BBL Trophy game against the newly crowned BBL Cup winners, Marshall MK Lions.

The 6'8 player has been playing in Portugal for the past two seasons and has posted some decent numbers including 14ppg and 10rpg plus shooting a handy 82% from the stripe.

www.ridersballonline.com welcomes Carlo to Leicester and hopes that his arrival can spark an upturn in form and fortune for the side.

11/01/08

There will be updates from the MetroRadio Arena posted in the match report section of the site, i have a member of the Geordie Press Association on site primed with his lap top to beam back all the news, scores and gossip so you know know what to do tonight, you can either

A: Sit and wait for the BBL site to tell you what happened.

B: Still be sat there at 11.30pm awaiting the first quarter score on the BBL site or finally

C: Tune in here for the news as it happens, possible new players, scores etc.

10/01/08

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders have announced that they and point guard Kyle Greathouse [above] have parted ways "by mutual consent".

The rookie PG out of Western Carolina Uni was averging 8.87 ppg and 3 apg but Coach Martin Ford has decided to sacrifice Greathouse in favour of an American big man to give Riders more muscle on the glass.

www.ridersballonline.com would like to place on record its thanks to KG for his efforts on the floor this season and wishes him well in his next career move, wherever or whatever that maybe.

05/01/08

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders have picked up 5'11 UK guard Steve Vear who has played at EBL level for the majority of his career. Vear has played for Reading Rockets and Worthing Thunder. Vear has already played under Riders coach Martin Ford for GB Universities and has also played in the 2005 World University Games in Turkey.

Welcome to Leicester, Steve.

04/01/08

The search for a big guy goes on for Riders coach Martin Ford as his "done deal" for a new new signing turned out to be anything but. Ford had agreed terms with former St Johns and Birmingham Panthers forward Phil Missere [pic above No15] to join up but he "changed his mind" according to Ford. Speaking on the BBL preview ahead of his sides trip to Plymouth in the BBL Trophy, Ford explained that he is still hoping to add to his roster: “We still need that big man. We’d hoped to have Phil Missere in for Saturday’s game, but unfortunately he pulled out just before Christmas as his wife’s pregnant. It’s a real disappointment because we thought it was a done deal, and we could have spent the time on getting someone else. We phoned him just before Christmas to check when he was flying in, and he said he’d changed his mind. We want to get someone in as soon as possible, preferably a European so we don’t have to cut anyone.”

The last sentence is telling for Riders fans as certain unsubstantiated rumours about players being cut were placed on a web forum this week so the above directly attributable quotes clearly state otherwise. Check back soon for news of any new additions....

29/12/07

Keep an eye out for [hopefully] some new interviews in the "One on One" section of the site. I have contacted Gene Waldron [via a Syracuse colleague], Billy Singleton and last but not least Bob Donewald Jnr [above] to see if they would like to let us in on few of their memories and stories from their time here in Leicester. I'm hopeful of replies although my contact at Syracuse said that "Gene doesn't do many e-mails.....!}so i'll see what lands in my inbox.....

Keep checking back for new material.

22/12/07

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders coach Martin Ford has spoken of his frustration in his attempts to add some inside muscle to his squad. Speaking on BBC Radio Leicester, Ford revealed the club "had lined up a player who had signed a contract but who then pulled out due to his girlfriend being pregnant and the time not being right" He also said a further replacement was "looking to join up but then took a better offer in Europe"

More news here as soon as it breaks.....

A benefit game is to be held to raise funds for reigning BBL MVP Brian Dux who suffered serious head injuries in a car crash near his home in Guildford in early November. Since the accident, Brian has made better than expected progress over the last couple of weeks, so much so that it has been possible to repatriate him back in his native New York via a medically equipped Jet.

The cost of this operation alone is rumoured to have cost around £16,000 so the aforementioned game has been devised to assist with helping the Dux family in their time of need.

The game will be held at the Guildford Spectrum on December 28th 2007 [7pm tip] and will feature the hometown Heat against a BBL Select invite team.

More information can be found on the link below.

http://www.guildfordheat.com/report-detail.asp?id=419

It goes without saying that we here at ridersballonline.com hope that Brian makes as full a recovery as possible from his injuries and that hopefully we can see his undoubted skills on a BBL floor again in the future

www.ridersballonline.com is now the official sponsor of  Terrence Woodyard's Nike boots!

If you would like to sponsor a player then go to the Sponsors Page at www.leicesterriders.co.uk

www.ridersballonline.com would like to wish Guildford Heat star Brian Dux [pic above] a full and speedy recovery after he was injured in a serious car accident in the early hours of yesterday morning. Dux remains under sedation in intensive care at a hospital local to Guildford. He has been visited by Heat management and his team-mates.

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders have progressed into the Quarter Finals of the BBL Cup after a tight 79-73 home win over Team Birmingham Panthers.

Riders spread the scoring with Chad McKnight looking more comfortable than of late with 16, Kyle Greathouse had his most productive offensive night in Rider red with 14 including some accurate free throw shooting down the stretch while skipper Rod Wellington [12pts] banked in the game securing threeball to finally put away a pesky Birmingham outfit led superbly by former Rider Rob Paternostro. Terrence Woodyard had plenty of rebounds and a couple of mega blocks too. The game also saw the debut of guard Josh Lippsey who saw some minutes covering for Janiska and Greathouse in the second quarter.

If you are going to Worcester tonight, here's how to find the Uni campus......

7pm start don't forget, and don't trot out the Rugby excuse, tape it!!

Venue Directions: From M5 Junction 7, take the A44 towards Worcester. At the first roundabout, turn left onto the Southern Link Road and follow signposts towards Leominster. This will take you straight on at the next two roundabouts. At the third roundabout, turn right onto the A449 towards Worcester (West), over a bridge to another roundabout. Take the second exit, to the left of the petrol station, into Malvern Road. Follow this road for about a mile to a T-junction (with traffic lights). Turn right then first left onto Henwick Road. After three-quarters of a mile, turn left onto the campus, just before the junction with the A443, Hylton Road. The sports centre is the large building beyond the rugby pitch and the entrance is at the left-hand end of the building. There is a large car Pay and Display park on your right, just before you reach the sports centre.

www.ridersballonline.com Yes folks, its THE place where Riders players parents check out their boys progress, if you don't believe me, then check out the guestbook.

Glad you like the site Bernice, your boy is doing a great job out there on the floor!

Also, a message has been left by former Walkers Leicester player Tom Brown who played in the mid 80's at the mighty Granby Halls. Tom has also sent some very nice e-mails through and all being well should be sending me some "memories from his time in Leicester". He was dismayed when i told him the Granby was now a car park...........

As and when Tom gets back in touch i will post up his thoughts in the "Retro Riders" section of the site.

Its great to see Darren Mills back in a Riders uniform and he put in a typically all action display in the heartbreaking last shot defeat to the table topping Sheffield Sharks last night. Darren saw major minutes off the bench and looked at home right away giving the team great energy.

Welome back Millsy!

6'7 forward Rod Wellington is a new addition to the roster ahead of the new season. The experienced Londoner made a stunning debut in the friendly at Chester scoring 29pts and he has also been installed as club captain.

Russell Jordan, that is. The young guard/forward has signed up along with forward Emile Hopkins to give Coach Martin Ford options off the bench for the coming season. Judging by their performances at Chester last weekend, they will both bring substantial heart and effort to the squad, along with a lot of talent. Some of Hopkins' moves were superb given his lack of experience at this level.

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders roster has swelled with the addition of returning 6'10 centre Barry Lamble and Lithuanian shooting guard Janiska Mindaugas.

Lamble [above] is back for a second season and will be looking to build on a promising first term in Rider red. His performances towards the end of last season were excellent and his efforts in the win over Newcastle particularly caught the eye.

Janiska Mindaugas or "MD" [pictured above] joins as a back up guard to Kyle Greathouse and Joel Burns and will bring a three point threat along with aggressive attitude at both ends of the floor. He has formerly played for the Lithuania U18 team and played for Eiffel Towers Nijmegen for a spell.

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders coach Martin Ford has signed 6'0 Western Carolina guard Kyle Greathouse [left] and 6'9 forward Terrance Woodyard also formerly of Western Carolina ahead of the new season.

Greathouse was ranked 8th in SoCon three point pct making 40.3% and ranked 10th in three pointers made per game [2.13]. He also made a name for himself in closing out close games with nerveless free throw shooting.

Joining Kyle in Leicester will be the versatile 6'9 Terrence Woodyard. At Western he made 68% of his freebies, averaged 4.7pts and 3.1 rebounds in 17mins of action per outing in the 2004/05 season. His first pro contract was in the IBL where he played half a season for the Seattle Mountaineers.

Woodyard can play anywhere from the 3 through to the 5 spot so he will provide great cover and give extra options in the front court for Coach Ford.

Work permits applications have been lodged for the three new recruits including Chad McKnight and the club are hoping for the trio to be available in time for the tip off on 22nd September at the JSSC against Birmingham Panthers.

Three point gunner Joel Burns has re-signed for Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders for a third time. The vastly experienced 32 year old has also taken on the role of assistant coach to Martin Ford and he is also charged with developing the club's younger players too.

Burns has been around the BBL for ever it seems with spells at Watford, Edinburgh, Worthing, Derby, Birmingham, Milton Keynes [above] Scottish Rocks and he spent last season in Sheffield.

It will be great to see the long bombs flying in again from one of the deadliest three ball exponents in BBL history!

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders fans have their first chance to see the new team and coach in action as they travel to the Northgate Arena to take on BiG Storage Cheshire Jets this Sunday 16th Sept [tip 5.30pm]

Coach Martin Ford will be announcing further signings this week as preparations now start to move through the gears ready for the big tip-off on 22nd September at the John Sandford v Team Birmingham Panthers.

Pic www.guildfordheat.com

Chad McKnight is the first new face on board for Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders.

The  6'8 ex Morehead State star was a popular figure in his time at Guildford and he played a starring role in their Cup Final win over the Scottish Rocks to help Heat to their first piece of silverware.

www.ridersballonline.com would like to welcome Chad to Leicester where i'm sure the fans will warm to his high flying, slam dunking style

www.ridersballonline.com has a week's holiday and it all kicks off!

Martin Ford [above] has been installed as Head Coach who takes over from Karl Brown. Ford was Head Coach at Derby in 2000/01 where he put together an exciting side containing the high flying Cypheus Bunton, sharp shooting Kip Stone and the enigmatic Darrian Evans plus former Rider hero John Tresvant. Hopefully that fast paced style will follow Ford to Leicester where www.ridersballonline.com thinks he will do a fantastic job.

Hopefully with the cash injection from Jelson, Ford can mould a side to entertain and produce results although the short time frame could initially hamper plans with recruitment being the number one priority.

Russell Levenston has also been installed as the General Manager which should make the club more efficient off the floor and make for a more solid base recruiting sponsors and generally taking the heat off the club volunteers. Levenston has formerly worked with MK Lions and also for Reebok UK.

www.ridersballonline.com would like to welcome both Martin and Russell to Leicester and hope they can help the club kick on and be a competitive force not just this season but also in seasons to come

Riders are GO!

Local housebuilers Jelson Homes have stepped in to become the club's main sponsor and provide much needed stabilty for the club which is absolutely fantastic. Now the big project will be to put a team together for the big tip off on the 22nd Sept, rest assured the club have been working on this for a while!

www.ridersballonline.com would like to thank Jelson Homes for their support and hope that they gain a great deal from their association with the club.

To see Jelson Homes range of products please visit www.jelson.co.uk

More updates shortly!

DMU Leicester Riders Fans Meeting, 28th August at Tigers Bar, Welford Road.

The meeting was held tonight, with a good turnout of fans [estimate 80-100] and other interested parties. Mike Steptoe, Dan Routledge and Mark Ellis from the club outlined the situation the Riders face, and it was interesting to hear the various elements needed to sustain the clubs future. Everything was covered including costings of training facilities, flights for overseas players, players wages, players visas and licences, various admin duties, game night presentations, season ticket information etc etc.

There was, it seemed, a very positive atmosphere prevailing and various offers of help were forthcoming for varying duties. Mike Davies of the BBL and formerly of the Guildford Heat was on hand to offer first hand advice of how the Heat rose from the ashes of Thames Valley and he had some encouraging words for the fans and also club officials, the message from Mike was "You have to do whatever it takes" eg drive players to games, buy your season tickets, sell merchandise etc etc.

The deadline is Friday for the club to tell the league whether they will be able to participate this season, Dan Routledge explained how the club didn't want to start the season and not be able to finish it, equally he stated that they didn't want to be in this same postion next summer so it really is make or break. Interestingly it was also mentioned that Kevin Routledge [franchise holder] may well be on his way back from Canada to take over again in the near future although no time frame was put on this.

On the subject of the club being able to play in the 07/08 season, Mike Steptoe said that the club had been approached by many players wanting to play for the club, also saying that a few "surprising" names had been in touch so things could be very exciting should everything work out.

Season ticket forms were handed out, a copy is available to download by clicking on the link below....

RIDERS TICKETS HERE

Fans wishing to take up the season ticket offer are encouraged to do so as quickly as possible so as to give the club an early indication of supporter intent. As Dan Routledge pointed out [to much amusement], no money will be banked until the club give the green light on participation......!!

Season ticket prices are as follows: Adult £190, Concessions £110, Family 1 [2 adults, 2 concessions] £490 and Family 2 [2 adults, 3 concessions] £550. Other combinations are available on request.

Cheques are to made payable to "Leicester Basketball Club" and can be returned to Leicester Riders, c/o 156 Victoria Park Rd, Leicester LE2 1XD.

www.ridersballonline.com will update on this situation as things develop so check back regularly for more news.

DMU Leicester Riders have issued a statement ahead of the new season explaining how a rescue plan to ensure the team's survival has fallen through at the last minute. A backer for the team's community and schools scheme is sought as this is a major part of the business plan formulated to cement the club's future.

The full statement can be viewed on the Leicester Mercury website, click on the following link. http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=132954&command=displayContent&sourceNode=132742&contentPK=18106840&pNodeId=132503

As the statement says, time is running out so if you know of any local businesses that may be able to assist to keep the BBL's oldest club afloat, please get in touch with Mike Steptoe or via the contact details on this site.

Thank you.

 IN?  OUT?

Rumour central on www.whatsbev.com and www.badaball.com ................

The story goes that Karl Brown has left the club and Stedroy Baker has been approached to become coach, how true this is i don't know but with the new season only 6 weeks away things are hopefully moving quickly behind the scenes........

A complete list of all DMU Leicester Riders 2007/08 fixtures can now be found on the 2007/08 fixture page [where else would they be really.......?]

A fully updated list of all 2007/08 BBL fixtures can be found at www.bbl.org.uk

Also, details of Poujoulat Heat Guildford's ambitious foray into the ULEB Cup can be found there too.

01/05/07 - Well done to Yorick Williams who has earned a call up to Chris Finch's Team GB squad which leaves for training in Florida on July 20. Joining Yorick will be former Riders Nate Reinking and Andy Betts plus Chicago Bulls superstar Luol Deng in an exciting looking 23 man roster captained by Badalona star and former Newcastle Eagle Drew Sullivan.

26/04/07 - Great news folks, the club have confirmed their participation in the BBL next season [2007/08] and have issued a press release which can be viewed on the BBL website www.bbl.org.uk

This comes as a great relief and now the club can prepare for their 40th year of competition.

Well done to all involved, hopefully the media campaign can be continued into next season and the JSSC will have a healthy number of supporters packed in to cheer on the team.

Further squad news will be posted here as and when........

Well, the end of the season has arrived again despite the best efforts of Karl and the players to prolong things and give us a weekend away in Newcastle......

www.ridersballonline.com would like to place on record its thanks to Rob Paternostro, Yorick Williams, Adam Williams, Terrance McGee, Del Herriman, Darren Mills, Carl Pearson, Barry Lamble and Drew Alleyne for their efforts over a very trying season both on and off the floor. To Karl Brown and John James, thanks for keeping the team competitive and nigh on unbeatable at home despite all the upheaval and to Mike Steptoe, Dan Routledge, Kevin Routledge and Steve White, there would have been no more Riders if it wasn't for your collective efforts. I, as a fan, think that i can speak on behalf of all Riders fans and say thank you to all of the above plus all the sponsors, helpers, volunteers and back room staff that i have missed out so far[!]

I would also like to thank each and every one of you that has looked at www.ridersballonline.com since it launched in January, i hope the site has been of use to you and has helped fill the gap caused by the former club owners distinct lack of effort web-wise.......

I hope that we can do it all again next season, i will keep my ear to the ground over the summer and update the site if and when i hear of anything CREDIBLE to add, rumours do nobody any good at all......

Cheers,

Wayne Pearson.

Terrance McGee was the deserving winner of the 2006/07 Player of the Season award, despite Drew Alleyne running onto the court as McGee's stats were being announced...........

www.ridersballonline.com would like to congratulate Terrance on the award and thank him for his inspirational efforts through a tough season. This extends to all the players and coaching staff who have made sacrifices to keep the show on the road.

Bring on the play-offs!

More "Where are they now....." updates including Mike Pegues and Deg Erskin......

Thanks to Sarah Booth for the info!

An exclusive interview with former Riders and BBL Legend Tony Holley.

Tony speaks frankly about his career and what may be on the horizon, he even praises BBL refs [!]

Go to Five Minutes with...... to find out more.

New "Where are they now" page up and running and the Hall of Fame has also gained some famous new inductees.

If anyone has any images of the following ex Riders players that i could use on the site then please get in touch at ridersball@fsmail.net

Pics of these players would be helpful: Leon McGee, Dave Harris, Hilroy Thomas, Mark Considine, Ryan Huntley and Steve Bucknall.

Thanks,

www.ridersballonline.com

Check out the gallery page which has images of this season's squad in action.

Pictures have been supplied generously by Jez Brown, many thanks again Jez!

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