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Guildford Kings

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Guildford Kings
Guildford Kings logo
LeagueBBL/NBL
Established1973
Folded1994
HistoryLondon YMCA Metros
1973–1979
Kingston
1979–1988
Glasgow Rangers
1988–1989
Kingston
1989–1992
Guildford Kings
1992–1994
ArenaGuildford Spectrum
LocationGuildford, Surrey
Team coloursRed, Navy Blue and White
OwnershipBarry Dow

Guildford Kings was a successful British basketball team, most prominent in the National Basketball League during the early 1980's and later the British Basketball League (BBL) during the late 1980s and early 1990s period. The team ceased operations at the end of the 1993–94 season and folded.

History

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The team's origins date back to the London YMCA Metros who entered the National Basketball League in 1973. The Metros enjoyed several successful seasons and a variety of exotic names - due to sponsorship naming deals - throughout the 1970s, but in 1979, owner Malcolm Chamberlain uprooted the team and relocated them from London to the suburbs of Kingston upon Thames and to the Tolworth Recreation Centre, and rebranding as Kingston.

Kingston were one of the first entrants into the new Carlsberg League, finishing second in the inaugural 1987–88 British Basketball League season. In 1988, the franchise was bought out by Rangers F.C., and became the Glasgow Rangers,[1] although the team played at the Coasters Arena in Falkirk. Rangers were League Champions in 1988–89, but were sold off after just one year and returned to Kingston,[2] where the franchise enjoyed their most glorious period. From 1989 to 1992, they won every League Championship as well as many other trophies and competitions. In 1992 the franchise was moved yet again to the brand new Guildford Spectrum in Guildford to become the Guildford Kings.[3] However, with the newly constructed Spectrum venue not yet complete, the Kings started their tenure in Guildford playing at the Guildford Sports Centre on Bedford Road[4] before moving to the Spectrum in January 1993.[5] The Kings competed in Guildford for two years in the British Basketball League and even European competitions, until 1994, when the franchise folded completely due to the club being unable to negotiate a viable contract with the owners of the Guildford Spectrum.[6] The league sold Kings' licence to a group headed by Robert Earl, Ed Simons and Harvey Goldsmith, who went on to establish the equally successful Leopards franchise.[7]

Professional basketball returned to Guildford in 2005 with the creation of Guildford Heat. The club folded in 2009.[8]

Club basketball remains in Kingston with the Kingston Wildcats School of Basketball, a community basketball development club that practices and plays its home fixtures at Chessington School, competing in the Surrey League and Basketball England National League.

Home arenas

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  • Tolworth Recreation Centre (1979–1988)
  • Coasters Arena (1988–1989)
  • Tolworth Recreation Centre (1989–1992)
  • Guildford Sports Centre (1992–1993)
  • Guildford Spectrum (1993–1994)

Note: European matches and some high-profile domestic games for Kingston, and later Guildford, were often played at the larger Crystal Palace National Sports Centre venue.

Season-by-season records

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Season Division Tier Regular Season Post-Season BBL Trophy National Cup Head Coach
Finish Played Wins Losses Points Win %
London Metros
1973–74 NBL 1 3rd 14 8 6 22 0.571
1974–75 NBL 1 6th 18 8 10 26 0.444
1975–76 NBL D1 1 9th 18 6 12 24 0.333
1976–77 NBL D1 1 7th 18 7 11 25 0.389
1977–78 NBL D1 1 8th 18 5 13 9 0.278
1978–79 NBL D1 1 3rd 20 15 5 30 0.750 Semi-finals
Kingston
1979–80 NBL D1 1 5th 18 10 8 20 0.556 Did not qualify
1980–81 NBL D1 1 8th 18 5 13 10 0.278 Did not qualify Quarter-finals
1981–82 NBL D1 1 7th 22 7 15 14 0.318 Did not qualify 2nd round
1982–83 NBL D1 1 9th 24 10 14 20 0.417 Did not qualify Semi-finals
1983–84 NBL D1 1 10th 36 14 22 28 0.389 Did not qualify Quarter-finals Jim Guymon
Kingston Kings
1984–85 NBL D1 1 1st 26 24 2 48 0.923 Runners-Up Winners, beating Manchester Steve Bontrager
1984–85 NBL D1 1 2nd 28 24 4 48 0.857 Winners, beating Birmingham Winners, beating Solent Malcolm Chamberlain
1986–87 NBL D1 1 2nd 24 21 3 42 0.875 Runners-Up Winners, beating Portsmouth Kevin Cadle
1987–88 BBL 1 2nd 28 24 4 48 0.857 Semi-finals Winners, beating Portsmouth Kevin Cadle
Glasgow Rangers
1988–89 BBL 1 1st 20 18 2 36 0.900 Winners, beating Livingston Semi-finals Kevin Cadle
Kingston Kings
1989–90 BBL 1 1st 28 25 3 50 0.892 Winners, beating Sunderland Winners, beating Manchester Winners, beating Sunderland Kevin Cadle
1990–91 BBL 1 1st 24 23 1 46 0.958 Winners, beating Sunderland Winners, beating Manchester Semi-finals Kevin Cadle
1991–92 BBL 1 1st 30 27 3 54 0.900 Winners, beating Thames Valley Winners, beating Leicester Winners, beating Thames Valley Kevin Cadle
Guildford Kings
1992–93 BBL 1 4th 33 25 8 50 0.757 Semi-finals Runners-Up Winners, beating Worthing Kevin Cadle
1993–94 BBL 1 4th 36 24 12 48 0.667 Runners-Up Pool Stage Semi-finals Kevin Cadle

References

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  1. ^ Bradley, Sue (6 May 1988). "Kings leave town for new Glasgow home". The Kingston Informer. p. 1.
  2. ^ Bradley, Sue (16 June 1989). "Kings back to rule!". The Kingston Informer. p. 52.
  3. ^ "Goodbye to basketball". The Kingston Informer. Vol. 19, no. 32. 14 August 1922. p. 32.
  4. ^ "Kings bid to claim crown". Staines & Ashford News. 10 December 1992. p. 77.
  5. ^ "Kings on top". Esher News and Mail. 27 January 1993. p. 7.
  6. ^ "Leopards step in". The Times. No. 65031. London. 12 August 1994. p. 31.
  7. ^ Pryce, Robert (17 September 1994). "Leopards come over less def". The Guardian. p. 21.
  8. ^ "Guildford Heat goes into administration". Surrey Live. 2 July 2013 [13 February 2009]. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
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