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TAUNTON TIGERS |
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Page contents: |
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| League Record | Honours | Venue | Facilities | History | Competition Record | Roster |
| LEAGUE RECORD: | ||||||
| NBL Div. 1 / EBL1: | 1999-2000; 2007-2008 | P. 44 | W. 14 | L. 30 | 8th, 2000, 2008 | |
| NBL Div. 2 / EBL2: | 1998-1999; 2006-2007 | P. 48 | W. 36 | L. 12 | Runners up, 1999 | |
| NBL Div. 3 / NBL2 / EBL3: | 1997-1998; 2000-2002; 2004-2006 | P. 58 | W. 35 | L. 23 | 5th, NBL Div. 3, 1998; Runners-up EBL3 South-West, 2006 | |
| HONOURS: | ||
| Division 2 runners up | 1999 | |
| Division 2 play-off Champions | 1999 | |
| Division 2 play-off Finalists | 2007 | |
| EBL3 South-West Runners-up | 2006 | |
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VENUE: .
WELLSPRINGS
LEISURE CENTRE, Cheddon Road, Taunton, TA2 7LP
Tel.: 01823 271271 M5, J25, turn right ONTO A38 and follow signs for Town Centre.
At
roundabout, with "Focus Do It All" on right, take
right turn, over Obridge Viaduct.
At roundabout, go straight across into Eastwick Road.
(Take care with larger vehicles because of traffic
calming). Follow Eastwick Road,
as it curves to the left, and at the end turn right into Cheddon Road. About
half mile to Ladymead School and entrance to
Sports Centre.
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New (2002) £2.4m indoor arena with seating for 500 spectators. Pleasant bar on site together with other leisure facilities. |
Taunton were founder-members of the new NBL Division 3, in 1997. Finishing in a respectable fifth place (though with an 11&15 record) they were promoted to Division 2, as the higher divisions were expanding.
That move proved fully justified, as they finished as runners-up in 1999, won the play-off Championship, and moved straight through into Division 1.
Unfortunately the end of the next season brought the "clean sheet reorganisation" of the Leagues, and despite an eighth place finish (out of 13) they found themselves back in NBL2 - which, with Division 1 now split into Conference and NBL1, was effectively the third division ... back where they started!
Their run of bad luck continued in 2001, when, having finished eighth, they were the highest-placed team not to gain promotion as Division 1 expanded again. When Birmingham dropped out (late) from the Division 1 line-up, North-West London (ninth in NBL2) leapfrogged the Tigers to take promotion, and when another vacancy occurred, later still, with Doncaster's demise, Worcester Wolves did an even bigger leap, from second in NBL3 - although by then Taunton's plans (and budget) were already tailored to continuing in NBL2.
Indeed, they finished third in NBL2 South in 2002, but the constant changes in division had stretched their resources, and they chose to withdraw from the League, to ensure that they survived to play another day.
That day arrived in 2004, when they re-entered the same division (though now called EBL3 South), with just two players surviving from the last squad to play in the League.
In 2006 they finished as runners-up in EBL3 South-West. Once more they appeared to have just missed out, as there were only two promotion places available, and four regional division 3 champions ahead of them in the queue, and it was Filton and East Kent who made the step up. This time, however, fortune smiled on them, and, when Nottingham and Northampton moved up to fill sudden vacancies in EBL1, Taunton were one of the teams to be granted late admission into EBL2.
The club took full advantage of their elevation, to finish third, behind Derby and Bristol, and reached the Championship Final, where they lost to fourth-placed Northumbria. When London Capitals moved from EBL1 into BBL, Taunton were chosen to move up, alongside Derby and Bristol, just seven years after their departure from that division.
Chose to pursue a prudent all-English policy in their first season back in EBL's top flight, and the decision paid dividends, with a creditable 8th place finish.
ALL-TIME COMPETITION RECORD
| SEASON | LEAGUE | CUP | CHAMPS. | TROPHY | PATRON'S | SHIELD | NAME | |||||
| Div. | Pos. | / | P. | W. | L. | |||||||
| 1997-98 | NBL 3 | 5 | / 11 | 26 | 11 | 15 | x | Semi Final | 4 of 4 Pool | Taunton Tigers | ||
| 1998-99 | NBL 2 | 2 | /14 | 24 | 21 | 3 | x | Winners | 3rd Round | Taunton Tigers | ||
| 1999-2000 | NBL 1 | 8 | /13 | 26 | 9 | 17 | x | 1/4 Final | 3rd Round | Taunton Tigers | ||
| 2000-01 | NBL 2 | 8 | /13 | 24 | 10 | 14 | x | 1/4 Final | x | Semi Final | Taunton Tigers | |
| 2001-02 | NBL 2 South | 3 | / 9 | 16 | 10 | 6 | x | 1/4 Final | x | 1/4 Final | Taunton Tigers | |
| 2002-03 | ||||||||||||
| 2003-04 | ||||||||||||
| 2004-05 | EBL 3 West | 3 | / 9 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 2nd Round | 1/4 Final | x | x | Semi Final | Taunton Tigers |
| 2005-06 | EBL 3 South-West | 2 | / 9 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 3rd Round | Semi Final | x | x | Semi Final | Taunton Tigers |
| 2006-07 | EBL 2 | 3 | /12 | 22 | 15 | 7 | 3rd Round | Final | x | Semi Final | x | Taunton Tigers |
| 2007-08 | EBL 1 | 8 | /10 | 18 | 5 | 13 | 3rd Round | 1/4 Final | 5 of 5 Pool | x | x | Taunton Tigers |
2007-8 Roster:
Names in bold have re-signed for new season.
Names in green are new signings.
Names in red have departed.
| PLAYER | Height | |||
| Kevin ANDERSON | Guard/Forward | 6' 3" | ||
| Richard ANDERSON | Forward | 6' 4" | ||
| Joe ANDREWS | Guard | 5' 9" | ||
| Alistair BIRD | Forward | 6' 4" | ||
| Tim CLIFFORD | Guard | Returned, 2007, after 2 seasons at Plymouth. | ||
| Tad GRAY | Forward | 6' 5" | ||
| Daniel HOWE | Guard | 5' 11" | ||
| Joe MILLS | Guard | 5' 10" | ||
| Matt NOLAN | Guard | 5' 8" | ||
| Lee RIVIELLO | Guard/Forward | 6' 4" | ||
| Joe SAUNDERS | Guard | 6' 1" | ||
| Michael SEBIRE | Guard/Forward | 6' 2" | ||
| Ian SPEARMAN | Guard | 5' 8" | ||
| Paul YABSLEY | Guard/Forward | 6' 4" | Returned from Canada, 2004 | |
| Mike BISHOP | Guard/Forward | 6' 3" | 2006 | |
|
Graham
JONES |
Forward | 6' 0" | ||
| Jordan SEELEY | Guard | 6' 4" | ||
| Ronnie HEATH | Head Coach | |||
|
Graham
JONES |
Assistant Coach |