Guildford Kings

History

The team's origins date back to the London YMCA Metros who entered the National Basketball League in 1973. The Metros enjoyed several successful seasons and a variety of exotic names - due to sponsorship naming deals - throughout the 1970s, but in 1979, owner Malcolm Chamberlain uprooted the team and relocated them from London to the suburbs of Kingston upon Thames and to the Tolworth Recreation Centre, and rebranding as Kingston.

Kingston were one of the first entrants into the new Carlsberg League, finishing second in the inaugural 1987–88 British Basketball League season. In 1988, the franchise was bought out by Rangers F.C., and became the Glasgow Rangers, although the team played at the Coasters Arena in Falkirk. Rangers were League Champions in 1988–89, but were sold off after just one year and returned to Kingston, where the franchise enjoyed their most glorious period. From 1989 to 1992, they won every League Championship as well as many other trophies and competitions. In 1992 the franchise was moved yet again to the brand new Guildford Spectrum in Guildford to become the Guildford Kings. However, with the newly constructed Spectrum venue not yet complete, the Kings started their tenure in Guildford playing at the Guildford Sports Centre on Bedford Road before moving to the Spectrum in January 1993. The Kings competed in Guildford for two years in the British Basketball League and even European competitions, until 1994, when the franchise folded completely due to the club being unable to negotiate a viable contract with the owners of the Guildford Spectrum. The league sold Kings' licence to a group headed by Robert Earl, Ed Simons and Harvey Goldsmith, who went on to establish the equally successful Leopards franchise.

Professional basketball returned to Guildford in 2005 with the creation of Guildford Heat. The club folded in 2009.

Club basketball remains in Kingston with the Kingston Wildcats School of Basketball, a community basketball development club that practices and plays its home fixtures at Chessington School, competing in the Surrey League and Basketball England National League.

Home arenas

• Tolworth Recreation Centre (1979–1988)
• Coasters Arena (1988–1989)
• Tolworth Recreation Centre (1989–1992)
• Guildford Sports Centre (1992–1993)
• Guildford Spectrum (1993–1994)

Note: European matches and some high-profile domestic games for Kingston, and later Guildford, were often played at the larger Crystal Palace National Sports Centre venue.

Season-by-season records

References

References

1. Bradley, Sue. (6 May 1988). "Kings leave town for new Glasgow home". The Kingston Informer.
2. Bradley, Sue. (16 June 1989). "Kings back to rule!". The Kingston Informer.
3. (14 August 1922). "Goodbye to basketball". The Kingston Informer.
4. (10 December 1992). "Kings bid to claim crown". Staines & Ashford News.
5. (27 January 1993). "Kings on top". Esher News and Mail.
6. (12 August 1994). "Leopards step in".
7. Pryce, Robert. (17 September 1994). "Leopards come over less def". The Guardian.
8. (2 July 2013). "Guildford Heat goes into administration". Surrey Live.