Bullets homeless

Just five days before their first BBL home game of the season, the Birmingham Bullets have announced that they are to leave their home at the Aston Event Centre (previously known as the Aston Villa Leisure Centre).

The timing of this announcement, and the fact that the move, to Birmingham Sports Centre will result in the postponement of their first three home fixtures, makes it seem likely that this development is not entirely unconnected with the long-running dispute between Bullets' owner Craig Bown and Birmingham Community Sports Ltd, who run the Centre.

This dispute resulted in Bown and the Bullets being locked out of the AVEC in August, and then let back in following their successful application for an injunction.

Now, however, the Bullets are set to end their association with "the Villa", which goes back as far as the 1980-81 season - the last time they won the League title.

Craig Bown has wasted no time in responding to the actions of BCSL, which saw the Bullets locked out of their offices at Aston Event Centre. An injunction granted by the High Court ensures that the Birmingham club may move back into the Centre.

The Birmingham Bullets were granted an injunction today in the High Court and will be back in their office taking care of the coming season's business as of midday tomorrow.

The court overruled the cynical actions taken by the Directors of Birmingham Community Sports Ltd (BCSL) that saw the Bullets staff locked out of their office when they arrived for work on Monday morning.

The courts decision against BCSL's Directors, who have been involved in a number of manoeuvres, including the development of commercial relationships behind the back of Bullets' owner Craig Bown during his time as Chair of the organisation, is clear vindication of the Bullets right to call the AVLC 'the home of the Bullets'.

Craig Bown, following the courts decision, said: "The Bullets Basketball team are part of the Birmingham culture and through its performance in the BBL and in Europe we have carried with pride the Birmingham name. What we are demanding now is that the City give us the recognition and support we deserve for our team and for the huge community programme that we have developed. Now is the time for the City to take action to secure the future of the Bullets."

Bown went on to say, "BCSL's Directors gave no consideration to the staff of the Bullets who have shown their commitment throughout, carrying on with their work as best they could and today Judge Norris QC required a personal guarantee from the Directors of BCSL indicating they are personally responsible and personally liable."

Birmingham Bullets found themselves without a home yesterday, as the Birmingham Evening Mail reports in a story headed "Locked Out! Bullets barred from office".

This appears to be part of a developing dispute between owner Craig Bown and the board of Birmingham Community Sports Ltd (BCSL), a body set up to run the Aston Event Centre, from which Bown was recently removed. "The remaining directors, including representatives from the City Council and Aston Villa FC, have queried Bown's handling of the Centre." says the Mail.

Thelocks to the Centre's doors were changed, and angry scenes apparently ensued when Coach Steve Tucker and Bown's right-hand man Byron Lawson were refused entry by a security guard hired by BCSL.

Tempers became so high that the Police were called. Eventually Lawson gained access to the Bullets office only to find all the power turned off. He thus moved the office equipment elsewhere and the Mail states "...effectively the club has no firm base."

The newspaper also reports that "Bown, travelling to Scotland on a short break, was furious when told of the development and is seeking legal advice."

BCSL have told Bown that the concept of Bullets having rent-free office space, and free use of the court on game nights, has to change, and this appears to have sparked their decision to effectively bar them from the building.

What must have been even more frustrating for the Bullets was that ex-coach Tony Garbelotto is renting office space direct from BCSL, for his basketball coaching business, and he was able to walk into the building as normal!