Surrey Scorchers fold, replaced by 89ers as new club formed
Surrey Scorchers have folded after the university has pulled out from the franchise due to uncertainty and “economic headwinds across the UK higher education sector” following the withdrawal of the league license by the BBF, the club announced today.
Meanwhile, a new club has been formed and awarded the Surrey franchise area, as ‘Surrey 89ers’ become majority owned by GB legend Dan Clark, who was the General Manager at Scorchers.
The ‘Niners’ – named as such because 1889 was when the modern county of Surrey was formed – joins the consortia of clubs in the new professional men’s basketball league which gets underway in September, and will still play out of Surrey Sports Park.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to grow the sport of basketball in Surrey and build on the legacy of Surrey Scorchers,” Clark said in a statement.
“Our vision to develop young British talent will live on through the Niners as we continue to grow the sport of basketball alongside the other professional clubs and the BBF.
“We would like to thank our fellow clubs within Premier Basketball Ltd, who we have been working alongside us to ensure we are all ready for the start of the 24/25 season in September.
“We understand it is a big change, but we hope to see many familiar faces in the crowd next season and will be announcing more information in the next few weeks”.
Clark is joined by Jodie Jackson, who was also in senior management at Scorchers, as the Scorchers become the latest basketball club to fall foul of partnering with a university, with the likes of Worcester Wolves (University of Worcester), Leeds Force (Leeds Beckett University), and Durham Wildcats (Durham University) all examples in the past decade of university-led clubs that have ended up withdrawing from the pro league.
Differing priorities, a lack of understanding of elite sport, and changes in leadership are all contributing factors to the university model not having proven to be successful in the UK.
The full Scorchers statement read as follows:
It is with sadness that we today announce the end of an era for Surrey Scorchers, based at the Surrey Sports Park and a longstanding member of the British Basketball League.
The sudden decision, taken on 14th June, by the British Basketball Federation to terminate the operating license of the British Basketball League, created a significant amount of uncertainty for the club. This required decisions about the future to be made rapidly.
Economic headwinds across the UK higher education sector, played a part in the University of Surrey, owners of Surrey Sports Park, making proactive decisions in order to restore long term sustainability to their finances.
Being out of season with no confirmed league, commercial structure or income has made it impossible to support Scorchers in navigating this unexpected period of uncertainty.
We wish all clubs – old and new – and the basketball governing bodies all the very best with the launch of the new league, in time for the new season.
Our thoughts and thanks are with our team members, current and past players, volunteers and the many thousands of fans who have cheered on Surrey Scorchers over the years. Surrey Sports Park is proud to have been home to the Surrey Scorchers since 2015, and to have continued the long history of basketball in Guildford when we gave a new home – and new name – to Surrey Heat when they relocated to us from the Spectrum.
We wish everyone in the basketball family well for the future. We hope and believe the British Basketball Federation will be able to build a bright future for the sport.
While we are extremely sad that we are no longer able to operate an elite basketball team, Surrey Sports Park will continue to be a home for basketball at all levels in Guildford and Surrey. We look forward to continuing to welcome our students, our Sports Park members and other members of the wider community to play basketball with us.
Signing off,
Surrey Scorchers Team
Despite the university’s statement that the decision was made due to the uncertainty around the league, Hoopsfix is told by multiple sources the university has wanted to move away from professional basketball for a while, with the licensing decision around the league being an opportune time to make it happen.
It comes after Surrey’s professional netball team, Surrey Storm, was also removed from the Super League.
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