East Scotland Warriors make BBL debut in 2014-15

The BBL announced today an agreement for brand new franchise, to be based in Edinburgh, under the guise of the East Scotland Warriors.

The Warriors, who will take to court officially for the first time in the 2014-15 BBL season, will play out of the 2,400 capacity Meadowbank Arena, and will be the second franchise from Scotland – looking set to spark a fierce rivalry to come with the Glasgow Rocks.

Warriors’ owner Donald Sampley, expressed his delight of the news: “I am very excited to be a part of professional basketball returning to the City of Edinburgh. I am really looking forward to working with everyone in East Scotland’s basketball community to grow the game, and help put Scotland’s youth basketball players on a pathway to the pros.”

Kevin Pringle, Chief Executive of Basketball Scotland, added: “Having a second professional franchise in Scotland is an exciting prospect for the sport and demonstrates the growth and potential of the sport. Basketball Scotland has been working hard to support the growth of the game through our member clubs and we hope that that an additional professional franchise can further support the work of the clubs both in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland.”

The recent additions of this season’s newcomers, Birmingham Knights, followed by the Bristol Flyers, who will also join the BBL in the same season as the Warriors, shows the positive rate of expansion into major UK cities over the past number of years.

Andy Webb, BBL Chief Operating Officer, commented: “We are delighted to add a second club in Scotland and look forward to the exciting rivalry this will create with the Glasgow Rocks. The strong community ethos of the club fits perfectly with our own beliefs and we look forward to seeing their development in this area over the course of the next season.”

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