Men
WOMen
June 24, 2025
A message to the Manchester fans
-1585.jpg)
Fellow Manchester Basketball Fans,
Since launching the franchise just 10 months ago, we've been focused on delivering on the vision we set out from day one: to build a top-tier professional basketball club in Manchester and to lead by action, not just words. The investments in infrastructure, staff, partners and our incredible athletes have been significant and intense, all with the goal of ensuring sustainable top-tier professional basketball in this great city.
We closed our inaugural season with a historic sellout at Belle Vue. We've established key partnerships across the city and are building on this success. That includes formal discussions with local academies, aiming to integrate more academy players, both men and women, into our training environment and matchday rosters. We're preparing to renovate two outdoor courts in Manchester, in partnership with MCR Active and Basketball England. We're in dialogue with MCR Active and the Manchester City Council on facility development initiatives. We are also engaging local corporate partners -- large and small -- to build a community that shares in our success on the court and with our fans as part of this next step in our club development.
This is your team. We cannot do it without you, our fans, helping us shape the next generation of professional basketball in Manchester.
We'll be competing in a pre-season tournament in Belgium, building a wider partnership with Brussels Basketball that will include coach development and opportunities for youth crossover. We've also launched a summer Pro-Am tournament that will blend top local pros with elite academy players, helping develop talent and showcasing our strong community commitment.
We're not just here to compete, we're here to lead. Our goal is to build a franchise that is elite in the UK, and across Europe. We've held productive conversations on European competitions with FIBA, ENBL and EuroCup. There's clear recognition across Europe of the enormous potential for basketball in the UK—and in Manchester specifically.
A Technical Foul on BBF & A Missed Opportunity for UK Basketball
Here's where things get frustrating. We recently submitted our application to the Basketball Champions League (BCL), marking the first time in history that Manchester has applied to compete at that level. This would be the first time since the late 1980s that a Manchester basketball team would have competed in Europe.
Unfortunately, the British Basketball Federation (BBF) declined to endorse our BCL application, which effectively prevents us from competing in their tournament this season.
Look, we get that there's an ongoing licensing situation. But here's what doesn't make sense: the BBF terminated SLB's license (though it remains valid through June 30), yet their replacement league (GBBL) won't launch until 2026-27. That means there's literally no officially sanctioned league operating in 2025-26. As a side note, we share the belief that the GBBL award and process violated laws, and that the GBBL do not have the financial backing to launch any such league, let alone the relevant expertise.
So, we're in this bizarre situation where the BBF is using a licensing vacuum, that they illegally created, to block European opportunities for UK teams. Manchester met every single BCL requirement except for the BBF's endorsement.
Why This Matters
This isn't just about Manchester Basketball. This is about the bigger picture of UK basketball's development and our ability to compete on the European stage.
The BBF's position raises some serious questions:
Our legal team believes the BBF's stance violates numerous UK laws, and governance. The BBF’s mandate is to grow the sport of Basketball in the UK. Legal issues aside (and there are many), their decision here, and their behaviour over the past months with SLB, is morally reprehensible. The SLB has commenced legal proceedings, and we hope for us all that change will come soon. If you want more on this topic, SLB’s detailed responses to the BBFA questions; Sam Neter’s recent piece on Hoopsfix; SLB’s recent statement and our full legal filings.
But frankly, we'd rather focus on basketball than legal battles.
Moving Forward
We're actively pursuing opportunities with other European competitions for 2025-2026, and we're optimistic about our prospects. We will communicate more on this soon.
UK basketball is stronger when our teams can compete at the highest levels, both domestically and internationally. Manchester is ready to represent British basketball on the European stage, and we believe that's something worth supporting regardless of the current licensing situation.
On the court, we’re investing in our players – both on the men’s and women’s side. Our rosters are shaping up well with returning talent and new top-class signings. We think you’ll recognise a few of their names! Stay tuned to our socials for future announcements later this week.
Get Excited
As Oasis once said, "You gotta make it happen," that's a Mancunian attitude, and it's been ours from the start.
We remain committed to our vision of building something special in Manchester. The energy is real, the fan base is growing, our support in the city is strong, and we will continue doing everything we can to elevate the sport at the professional, academy, and amateur level.
The future of UK basketball is bright, and Manchester will be part of that story, in Europe and beyond.
To our fans: Thank you for your continued support. This is just the beginning.
Ben Pierson & The Sherwood Group
Fellow Manchester Basketball Fans,
Since launching the franchise just 10 months ago, we've been focused on delivering on the vision we set out from day one: to build a top-tier professional basketball club in Manchester and to lead by action, not just words. The investments in infrastructure, staff, partners and our incredible athletes have been significant and intense, all with the goal of ensuring sustainable top-tier professional basketball in this great city.
We closed our inaugural season with a historic sellout at Belle Vue. We've established key partnerships across the city and are building on this success. That includes formal discussions with local academies, aiming to integrate more academy players, both men and women, into our training environment and matchday rosters. We're preparing to renovate two outdoor courts in Manchester, in partnership with MCR Active and Basketball England. We're in dialogue with MCR Active and the Manchester City Council on facility development initiatives. We are also engaging local corporate partners -- large and small -- to build a community that shares in our success on the court and with our fans as part of this next step in our club development.
This is your team. We cannot do it without you, our fans, helping us shape the next generation of professional basketball in Manchester.
We'll be competing in a pre-season tournament in Belgium, building a wider partnership with Brussels Basketball that will include coach development and opportunities for youth crossover. We've also launched a summer Pro-Am tournament that will blend top local pros with elite academy players, helping develop talent and showcasing our strong community commitment.
We're not just here to compete, we're here to lead. Our goal is to build a franchise that is elite in the UK, and across Europe. We've held productive conversations on European competitions with FIBA, ENBL and EuroCup. There's clear recognition across Europe of the enormous potential for basketball in the UK—and in Manchester specifically.
A Technical Foul on BBF & A Missed Opportunity for UK Basketball
Here's where things get frustrating. We recently submitted our application to the Basketball Champions League (BCL), marking the first time in history that Manchester has applied to compete at that level. This would be the first time since the late 1980s that a Manchester basketball team would have competed in Europe.
Unfortunately, the British Basketball Federation (BBF) declined to endorse our BCL application, which effectively prevents us from competing in their tournament this season.
Look, we get that there's an ongoing licensing situation. But here's what doesn't make sense: the BBF terminated SLB's license (though it remains valid through June 30), yet their replacement league (GBBL) won't launch until 2026-27. That means there's literally no officially sanctioned league operating in 2025-26. As a side note, we share the belief that the GBBL award and process violated laws, and that the GBBL do not have the financial backing to launch any such league, let alone the relevant expertise.
So, we're in this bizarre situation where the BBF is using a licensing vacuum, that they illegally created, to block European opportunities for UK teams. Manchester met every single BCL requirement except for the BBF's endorsement.
Why This Matters
This isn't just about Manchester Basketball. This is about the bigger picture of UK basketball's development and our ability to compete on the European stage.
The BBF's position raises some serious questions:
Our legal team believes the BBF's stance violates numerous UK laws, and governance. The BBF’s mandate is to grow the sport of Basketball in the UK. Legal issues aside (and there are many), their decision here, and their behaviour over the past months with SLB, is morally reprehensible. The SLB has commenced legal proceedings, and we hope for us all that change will come soon. If you want more on this topic, SLB’s detailed responses to the BBFA questions; Sam Neter’s recent piece on Hoopsfix; SLB’s recent statement and our full legal filings.
But frankly, we'd rather focus on basketball than legal battles.
Moving Forward
We're actively pursuing opportunities with other European competitions for 2025-2026, and we're optimistic about our prospects. We will communicate more on this soon.
UK basketball is stronger when our teams can compete at the highest levels, both domestically and internationally. Manchester is ready to represent British basketball on the European stage, and we believe that's something worth supporting regardless of the current licensing situation.
On the court, we’re investing in our players – both on the men’s and women’s side. Our rosters are shaping up well with returning talent and new top-class signings. We think you’ll recognise a few of their names! Stay tuned to our socials for future announcements later this week.
Get Excited
As Oasis once said, "You gotta make it happen," that's a Mancunian attitude, and it's been ours from the start.
We remain committed to our vision of building something special in Manchester. The energy is real, the fan base is growing, our support in the city is strong, and we will continue doing everything we can to elevate the sport at the professional, academy, and amateur level.
The future of UK basketball is bright, and Manchester will be part of that story, in Europe and beyond.
To our fans: Thank you for your continued support. This is just the beginning.
Ben Pierson & The Sherwood Group
-2607.jpg)
-4118.jpg)
-5580.jpg)
-0561.jpg)
