NEWCASTLE EAGLES SIGN GB STAR FLINDER BOYD

The former Dartmouth Ivy League graduate comes to the club after a five year career in France and Spain. Flinder started his professional career in 2002 at French Pro A club Le Havre and has since played in French Pro B with Mulhouse and Nantes, before a two year spell with Rosalia in the Spanish LEB. Flinders' last club attachment was with Leicester Riders, before joining the Great Britain national team last summer.

Flinder played a key role in the GB programme at its first European Championship Finals in 32 years,. Although the team did not reach the final stages, the highlight of its group competition was without doubt the narrow loss to World and European Champions Spain, which saw the GB side 4 points ahead with three minutes to play.

Eagles coach Fab Flournoy believes that he already has a basis of a team to retain the BBL Championship title, but feels Boyd will give the team the added dimension it needs.

"Flinder is a player I have been keen to sign for a little while now. We have talked a lot recently and have monitored Flinders' rehabilitation. He is a much respected player and I think the type of character that is going to fit very easily into our system. He is also the type of guy that makes players around him better, which will be a real shot in the arm for us at this point in the season, both on and off the court".

Eagles' managing director Paul Blake expressed, 'I'm really pleased to see Flinder come to the club. He is an intelligent, likeable individual, who without question has proven his ability at domestic and international level. It is a real boost for the club and the league to have a potential 2012 representative participating on these shores.'

Boyd is expected to join the club on Monday 25th January as the club prepare for their home tie against Plymouth Raiders on Thursday 28th January.

GUILDFORD HEAT OFF TO A FLYING START IN 2010

Guildford Heat made the best possible start to the New Year with a 104-88 win over bottom placed Essex Pirates and in the process moved into the play-off positions.

With both teams looking to get 2010 off to a winning start it was the visitors that began brightest. Former Sheffield Sharks and Worcester Wolves player Randy George scored the first points of the new decade as Pirates led 7-2. Heat responded through Chad McKnight (pictured) and Michael Martin to take their first lead of the match at 12-11. Threes from Kenny Langhorne and Martin kept Guildford on top as they ended the quarter 26-24 in front.

After a 6-2 Pirates run had put them 30-28 up the rest of the second quarter belonged to Guildford. A McKnight three kick-started a 20-4 burst to take the score to 48-34. Four straight points from Essex reduced the arrears before an 8-0 tear, with four from LA Drakeford, by Heat closed out the half 56-37 in the home team's favour.

Heat stretched out to 71-48 in the third quarter before Pirates put together a 16-7 run to get within 14 (78- 64). The teams shared the final points of the period to head into the last ten minutes of action with Guildford 80-66 ahead.

Pirates continued to fight hard, but the closest they could get was 84-72 before Heat sealed the match with a 15-4 burst to take the score to 99-78.

Guildford player-coach Chad McKnight, who led all scorers with an excellent 31-points, said: "It's a New Year and a new look for us. We're approaching it like a new season. We really want to pick things up and it was good to start off with a win. Essex made it really tough; they kept going for all 40 minutes. But we had balanced offence with five men scoring in double figures."