 | Saturday evening heralded the start of the competitive basketball season for the Bradford Dragons and after some positive performances, during pre-season preparations, expectations were high, leading into the National Trophy Pool 2 fixture, against newly promoted Team Newcastle University Knights. However, it wasn’t to be Bradford’s night, as the Division One newcomers went home with the win, 70-73. The two teams had met previously, in last season’s National Cup, with the Dragons producing a convincing victory. However, during their division two campaign, Newcastle recorded an impressive record of nineteen wins and only three losses, to secure promotion to the top flight, along with Kent Crusaders. |
 Bradford Dragons renewed local rivalries when they travelled to neighbouring Leeds Force, for the first time since Leeds joined the elite British Basketball League (BBL), three seasons ago, in a pre-season fixture and despite the perceived difference in standards, it was the Bradford side that travelled home with the win.
As is often the case for Basketball teams, at this stage of the pre-season, both sides were below full strength, awaiting the arrival of some of their foreign players. In Bradford’s case, they were without American point guard, Marcus Gooding, who has been awaiting arrival of his visa before travelling to England. Leeds are themselves in a period of rebuilding, having appointed new Finnish head coach, Mika Turunen, but also having lost some of last season’s star players, such as Clayfell Harris (Manchester Giants) and Rob Marsden (Sheffield Sharks).  Bradford Dragons Basketball club today announced the signing of Oliver Hylands from local rivals Leeds Force.
6’7” British Power Forward, Hylands will start his third spell in the Dragons Den, having previously been at the club for the 2007/08 season and then again in 2012/13. However, the majority of his playing career has been with neighbouring Leeds Force where he featured in the club’s inaugural British Basketball League (BBL) campaign. He also spent the 2015/16 season at NBL division 3 side, Doncaster Danum Eagles, where he played a senior role in the team, scoring an average of 17.5 points per game and picking up the divisional player of the season award.  Bradford Dragons have today officially announced the return of their two Americans, Ricky Fetske and Marcus Gooding, for the upcoming National Basketball League Division One campaign.
6’8” power forward, Fetske, who hails from New Jersey, will be starting his fourth season for the Dragons, having first arrived for the 2012/13 season. Having then spent some time with both Team Northumbria and Leeds Force, he returned to the Dragons’ Den in November 2015, where he has been a pivotal figure on the Dragons’ roster ever since. Fetske averaged 17.9 points and 7.9 rebounds last season and picked up both the Players’ player of the Year and the Coach’s Player of the Year awards.  Bradford Dragons Basketball Club are pleased to announce that they have re-signed Rihards Sulcs and Eisley Swaine for their 2017/18 National League Division One campaign.
Latvian 6’3” forward, Sulcs, is Dragons’ longest serving player, now entering his ninth season with the club, thrilling fans with his high-flying antics throughout the clubs rise from the lower divisions and into the National League Division One. Sulcs has a reputation for being both a tough and a fast player, who works hard for the ball and has one of the most highlighted slam dunk finishes in British basketball. Last season proved to one of his most successful yet, a season in which he averaged almost 20 points per game and topped the team score sheet on numerous occasions. Dragons fans will be excited at the prospect of more of the same again this year. Bradford Dragons are pleased to unveil our new T-shirt range, which is now available for pre-orders. These are a great way to show your support to the Dragons.
As we have to order a minimum quantity (25) of each item, all orders will be held until we reach the required quantity for that item (colours and sizes of each item to can be mixed to make up the quantity, but not adult and child sizes). Please note that you will not be charged for any items until they have been delivered, however the placing of your order will be deemed as your commitment to pay upon receipt. To order please send your order to info@bradforddragons.co.uk Include the reference number, colour, size and quantity. For example: Ref: TL1 Colour: Royal Blue Size: Medium Quantity: 1 We will then place the order when we reach the minimum items threshold. We will contact you when the items arrive and you will be charged on receipt of your shirt(s). Click here to see the new Bradford Dragons T-Shirt Range.  Bradford Dragons Basketball Club are thrilled to announce that Jermayne Laing and Rafi Saipe have both committed themselves to another season in the Dragons Den.
Laing, will be entering into his fifth campaign on the Dragons roster, having joined the club from neighbouring Leeds Force at the start of the 2013/14 season. The 27-year-old shooting guard also has experience of playing in the United States, where he attended prep school and also attended the highly acclaimed 22ft Basketball Academy in the south of France. Laing has firmly established himself within the Dragon’s lair and defensively he has proved to be an outstanding perimeter player, whilst his speed and agility also provides the team with additional options at the offensive end of the court. Meanwhile, 6’2” guard, Saipe, who also joined from Leeds Force, starts his fourth season with the Dragons. Having spent much of his first season warming the bench, he has since gone on to win himself a regular spot within the starting five. He is known for his tenacious defending; however, he is also a very capable shooter and rebounder at the offensive end, highlighted by a flurry of high scoring performances during the 2016/17 campaign.  Bradford Dragons are pleased to announce that we will be renewing rivalries with neighbouring BBL side, Leeds Force, for a preseason 'friendly' on 10th September 2017, at the Carnegie Sports Arena. Whatever the context, fixtures between these two sides are always exciting and both teams will be eager to get the W.
We would encourage all Bradford supporters to purchase tickets in advance, via the Dragons online booking facility, as Leeds Force have kindly offered to allow us to keep any proceeds from tickets sold by ourselves. You will not only be helping the Dragons by booking tickets in advise from us, but you will also make a significant saving on the 'on-door' entry price.  Buttershaw Youngster jets off to Wyoming to take up Basketball Scholarship.
Local 6’7” basketball player, Zion Tordoff, has taken his playing career to a whole new level, having committed to a full athletic scholarship at Casper College in Wyoming, USA. Tordoff, a Great Britain under 18s international, who was also recently voted the EABL (Elite Academy Basketball League) Western player of the year, becomes the first product of the Bradford Dragons junior programme to make it into the United States leagues. Zion was first introduced to the game of basketball, aged 12, by his PE teacher, Steve Ward, at Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College. Having shown some potential, and following much cajoling from the then Bradford Dragons’ Chairman, Stuart Culliford, Zion also joined the Dragons’ junior programme, combining his first love of football with, in his words, ‘a little social basketball in-between.’ However, the following year, Culliford recruited Hungarian coach Tamas Okros, to head up the juniors, who quickly identified Tordoff as ‘a very real talent.’ Tamas was instrumental in building the junior programme, entering teams into the National league structure at under 14s, under 16s and under 18s. However, more importantly, for Zion, Coach Okros created a competitive, fundamentally accountable and tough environment within the junior ranks. As a result, many players fell by the wayside, but not Tordoff. Zion reflected on that period, stating, “The demands placed upon the players by the coach (Okros), showed me what was required and the sacrifices that were needed in order to take my game to a higher level. Raw talent is not enough!”
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September 2017
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