RAIDERS SIGN ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL TANNER ADU

The Plymouth Raiders have announced their second signing of the summer, England international player Taner Adu. The 6'3", 26 year old Adu comes to Plymouth following a season in the BBL with Essex Pirates where he averaged 17 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals per game. He will be a key player for the England team this summer in their round of friendly games, and Raiders Coach Gavin Love was delighted to have secured his signature.

"Taner is a great pick up for us," said Love. "A number of BBL teams offered Taner a contract, but I think our reputation here, together with the opportunities that he will get playing for the Raiders helped swing the balance in our favour. Taner spoke to former Raiders players Haggai Hundert and Dean Williams (both teammates at Essex) and they were able to tell him a lot about the club and the area."

The move gives the Raiders their first full England senior international player ever. Adu will play for England this summer in games against Scotland and Lithuania (both at Worcester), in a tournament in Dunkerque in France against Ivory Coast, Belgium Under 23s, Luxembourg and Tunisia, and then in a tournament in Belfast where they will play the Ireland All Stars, the Melbourne Tigers and the University of Pittsburgh.

"He'll give us a really solid option at point guard," added Love. "He can shoot the ball very well, he lead Essex in scoring and had some massive games against other teams last year - 35 against Cheshire, 25 against us, and 11 other games where he scored 20 or more. He does the small things very well, he gets the ball to the right people - he had 16 assists against Guildford last year - he's a tough defender, and I'm overjoyed that he's chosen to come to Plymouth and play for us."

Adu played for Manchester and Teesside before moving to BBL new boys, Essex Pirates at the start of last summer. The Pirates had a tough first season, but Adu grasped his opportunity with both hands and was one of the players to come out of the season having enhanced his reputation significantly.

"We've signed 2 players so far and not used up any of our permit spots yet," said Raiders Chairman Bob Widdecombe. "Gavin has done very well in getting Taner to come to Plymouth; having signed a senior England international like Taner and a player with the proven scoring abilities of Cody, we're off to a great start. We're serious about improving the team from last year, and putting together a group of players who will complement each other, work hard and get us back up the table. I know Gavin is keen to get more players signed in the coming weeks, and he's looking at some outstanding candidates at the minute."

BBL CONFIRM COMPETITIONS STRUCTURE FOR 2010/11

The British Basketball League (BBL) is pleased to confirm the structure of their competitions - the BBL Championship & Playoffs, the BBL Cup, and the BBL Trophy - for the 2010/11 season, which begins in September.

Of note are changes to one of the peripheral competitions, the BBL Trophy, which reverts back to regional group stages for the opening round - with these games played at the beginning of the season (commencing 17th September). The four group winners progress through to the semi final round with both the semi and final rounds of the competition taking place over two legs (aggregate scores) at the competing club venues in the first half of the season.

The BBL Cup format will remain the same as last term with 4 teams receiving a bye from the 1st Round based on their BBL Championship position last season (Newcastle Eagles - 1st, Sheffield Sharks - 2nd, Glasgow Rocks - 3rd & Cheshire Jets - 4th). The opening rounds will be one-off games, with the semi finals contested over two legs (home & away) and decided on aggregate score. The conclusion of the BBL Cup competition will take place in a one-off game at a central venue in January.

The BBL Championship season will begin following the BBL Trophy group stages in early October and the format will remain the same as last season with teams playing each other three times. Teams will each play 33 regular season games, with sides meeting one another once at home, once away, and once home or away. Two league points are awarded for a win, and the top eight teams will progress to the BBL Championship Playoffs in April.

The format for the post-season also sees a minor modification as for 2010-11 both the quarter and semi final rounds are to be played over two legs (home & away) with the higher seed having choice of home advantage in the either the 1st or 2nd leg - aggregate scores will determine the victors. The climax of the season will once again be a single day showpiece event.

The full fixture list, BBL Cup and BBL Trophy draws, are due to be announced in the first week in August.

GARY STRONACH CALLS IT A DAY AT PLYMOUTH RAIDERS

The Airwaves Plymouth Raiders announce that Coach Gary Stronach will be leaving the Raiders after the final match of the season on Sunday 18th April against Worthing Thunder (Plymouth Pavilions, 3.45pm). This will end an association that has lasted for 24 years and brought numerous cups, league titles and success to the city.

Stronach decided earlier this week, not to renew his contract for another season, ending an era that stretches back to the 1985/86 season. He played 356 games for the club before announcing his retirement just before the 1999/00 season. After 24 years in the city, it will be a huge wrench for him to leave the Plymouth Raiders.

"I've had an absolutely fantastic career as a player, player/coach and head coach of Plymouth," Said Stronach. "I've made many friends and acquaintances over my 24 years. I feel the time is now right for me to pursue another challenge at this stage of my career."

Over his career with the Raiders, Stronach has played with and coached more than 100 players. He will be fondly remembered by them all together with the Raiders fans, and it's expected that a large number of them will be at Sunday's game to give him a good send off.

In today's professional sporting environment, loyalty is not something that often springs to mind, but it's something that Stronach has held dear and valued throughout his 24 years.

Stronach was originally involved in the Raidercoach Academy - working in schools throughout the area, coaching basketball and delivering mentoring programmes to children from varying backgrounds. In recent years, this has progressed significantly, and now includes the highly successful Hoops 4 Health scheme delivered in Primary Schools in Plymouth over the last 2 years and is set to expand in future years.

One of Stronach's proudest moments as coach of the Raiders, was lifting the BBL Trophy in 2007 in front of the Raiders fans, having beaten Newcastle Eagles in front of their own fans in Newcastle. He was Head Coach when the Raiders made the jump from England Basketball's Division One to the fully professional BBL in 2004, a move that saw the UK's premier basketball action come to the city.

Raiders Chairman Bob Widdecombe said, "On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Raiders, we'd all like to thank Gary for everything he has done over his 24 years for the club. The club's present set up is unrecognisable from the club that Gary joined back in 1985. The search for a new coach will start next week, but for this week, the Raiders are focused on the remaining 2 games of the 2009/10 season. We wish Gary well for the future following his departure from the Raiders."


"I'd really like for every fan coming to the game to wear something green," said Stronach. "Whether it's a hat, a t-shirt or top, or just something with green on it, I want to be able to look out at a sea of green in my last game with the team, and walk away with some very proud memories of what we have achieved here."

Recognised as one of the longest serving coaches in the English game, it won't be Stronach's final game of the season. The BBL have asked him to coach the GB representative team in the BBL All Star game against the Rest of the World team , on May 8that the NIA in Birmingham. The GB team will feature Raiders' own Anthony Martin. Stronach said "It's an honour to be asked to coach in the All Star game and I'm really looking forward to it. I hope that some of the Raiders fans can come to the NIA and cheer my team on to a victory!!!"

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."