30/04/2001
Tickets all but gone for Final

There are now only a handful of tickets left in the Riders section of the Wembley crowd for this Saturday's BBL Championship Final against Sheffield Sharks.

Also there is no more room left on the coaches travelling to Wembley, although hotel rooms are still available.

"Tickets have been selling fast, but we're almost out now," admitted Operations Manager Kate Crane. "The coaches are totally full, so people will have to make their own way there, if they haven't booked already."

There are still some Band C tickets left at a cost of £17 adults and a bargain £8.50 for children. Hotel rooms at the Posthouse Premier, Heathrow are still available at £25 for adults (bed and breakfast) and free to children staying in a family room (£5 for child's breakfast).

The BBL still has some tickets remaining and it is believed that some Band D tickets will be available on the door, but their is no guarentee.

In the event of Riders selling out of tickets, you can obtain yours, not in the same section as the majority of Riders fans, from the BBL on 0845 345 7890.

28/04/2001
Road to Wembley Videos on sale

Nurishment Leicester Riders are selling videos of their historic 'Road to Wembley' play-off games.

Three two-hour video contain the thriller against Milton Keynes in round one, the sensational quarter-final win over Chester, and the memorable win over the Towers in the semi-final, all in full.

Relive the drama of Riders record-breaking play-off run over and over again.

The video cost just £12 and is available from the Riders Office by calling Kate Crane on 0116 262 9979.

28/04/2001
Riders charity warm-up

Nurishment Leicester Riders will warm up for the biggest game of their season with a charity basketball game on Monday 30th April at Loughborough University, it was revealed today.

The Riders will take on a team of Loughborough University students at 8.00pm on Monday evening, to raise money for the Cruse Bereavement Care charity.

Riders agreed to take part in this game back in January, not knowing at the time that they would make it all the way to Wembley for the BBL Championship Final. However, Riders' boss, Billy Mims, thinks it's the perfect preparation for the May 5th game against Westfield Sharks Sheffield.

"We are very active in the community throughout Leicestershire and we like to help good causes as often as we possibly can," explained Mims. "We were happy to do this no matter what the implications might be, but looking at it now, it turns out that it's going to be an excellent tune up opportunity and it could be advantageous for the Riders.

"Sheffield will have played just one competitive game in four weeks leading up to the Final, while this will be our fourth, so we should still be on a roll."

Fans wishing to attend the game will be asked to pay £5 for adults, £2.50 for children and students and £7 for courtside seats.

However, Coach Mims is also offering four extra special tickets for fans wishing to sit on the Riders bench with the stars. For £25 each the lucky quartet will be able to rub shoulders with the likes of Purnell Perry and Malcolm Leak.

All proceeds from the evening will go to the Cruse Bereavement Care fund.

26/04/2001
Tickets running low for Final

Riders fans are who have yet to get tickets for the Championship Final against Sheffield Sharks on Saturday 5 May are being urged to do so immediately or face missing out.

"Tickets have been selling rapidly, but now we are starting to run low," said Riders Chairman Kevin Routledge. "I don't want any Riders fans miss this - we've been waiting 34-years to get there - so I'm urging any fans who've put off getting their tickets to do so now."

Riders have already sold out their originally allocation of tickets but have managed to secure some more from the BBL. However, there are no Band A or Band B tickets left and Riders are now only selling the Band C tickets (£17 adults, £8.50 children).

The BBL have totally sold out of Band B tickets and have only a handful of Band A tickets left, but not in the section where the majority of Riders fans will be sat. There may be some tickets left to be bought on the day (probably only Band D), but there is no guarentee.

Tickets can be obtained by calling Kate Crane in the Riders office on 0116 262 9979.

Also available is coach travel to Wembley at £10 for adults and £5 for U16s. Fans wishing to stay the night can also do so as Riders have secured a fantastic deal with at the Post House Hotel at Heathrow, approximately 10 miles from Wembley Arena.

The cost of bed and breakfast is just £25 per adult and children can stay in a Family Room free of charge (the cost of a child breakfast is £5). To take advantage of the hotel or bus deal call Kate now.

24/04/2001
Ticket combos on sale for Wembley

The Nurishment Leicester Riders are on their way to the BBL Championship Final for the first time in their 34-year history. Billy Mims' men are 40 minutes away from lifting the biggest prize in British basketball but to do so they will need your help.

The Riders stormed through the play-offs beating 3rd seed Milton Keynes, 2nd seed Chester Jets and 1st seed London Towers thanks in no small part to the fact that they were comfortably the best supported team.

Billy Mims called Coventry Skydome "Leicester West" during their play-off run and during Riders semi-final with the Towers the Riders fans were so noisy and outnumbered the Towers so comprehensively you'd have thought the game was at Loughborough University.

Now Riders need to create the same sort of atmosphere at the Wembley as they bid to be crowned British Basketball Champions. Chris Finch's Northern Conference Champions, Sheffield Sharks, now stand in the Riders way, but you have your part to play too.

Riders are offering a combination of packages:

Ticket-only: Prices range from £14-£25 for adults and £10-£25 for children dependant on where you sit.

Ticket-travel: An all-in package including ticket and bus travel - call for price details.

Ticket-accommodation: Top band tickets and a Saturday night stay at the Wembley Plaza Hotel (formerly known as Wembley Hilton), which is just a Billy Singleton outlet pass away from Wembley Arena itself - call for price details.

All of the above are available from Kate Crane at the Riders office from Wednesday 25th April onwards. Just call 0116 262 9979.

In 34 years of trying this is the first time the Leicester Riders have ever made the Championship Final - you just cannot miss it, so get your tickets now!

20/04/2001
Riders game goes live to world

Nurishment Leicester Riders crunch battle with HARIBO London Towers in the semi-final of the BBL Championship is set to become the first BBL game ever to be broadcast live over the internet. BBC Radio Leicester will provide full commentary this Saturday from the Skydome Arena, Coventry.

The game, which is being televised live to the nation on Sky Sports, will provide the winner with a place in the BBL Championship Final - the biggest game in the British basketball calendar - on Saturday 5th May at Wembley Arena.

"This is fantastic news for Riders fans all over the world," said Riders' coach Billy Mims. "If they can't get to the Skydome they will still be able to follow the Riders over the internet. It just shows the fantastic commitment we've had from BBC Radio Leicester all season long."

BBC Radio Leicester covered Riders two play-off triumphs last weekend with full commentaries and the semi-final will make up part of its packed Sportstime show this Saturday. It's a big weekend for Leicester's clubs with the Tigers taking on Gloucester in the European Cup semi-final, Leicester City hosting Middlesbrough in the Premiership and Leicestershire beginning their County Championship campaign against Essex.

The packed schedule meant BBC Radio Leicester were unable to broadcast the Riders game in full on 104.9FM, but they teamed up with BBC HQ in London to provide live coverage over the internet at their website www.bbc.co.uk/leicester (please note this takes you to another website).

"British basketball has never had a live broadcast over the internet before, so BBC Radio Leicester are trailblazers in that respect," continued Mims. "Let's hope their support and that of the Riders fans listening can help us get all the way to Wembley."

The Riders take on the Southern Conference champions at 4.00pm this Saturday and the on-line broadcast will provide full commentary of the game. For Americans fans the game begins at 11.00am Eastern time.

19/04/2001
Johnson injury woe

Larry Johnson, 6’2” American guard with the Nurishment Leicester Riders, is facing a race against time to be fit for this Saturday’s BBL Championship Semi-final tie against the HARIBO London Towers.

27-year-old Johnson injured his shoulder during Riders’ 91-70 victory over Chester Jets in Easter Monday’s quarter-finals. He has been receiving treatment ever since the injury, in the desperate hope that he will be fit enough to play on Saturday (21st April).

Riders’ Head Coach, Billy Mims, explained: “He hurt his shoulder in the fourth quarter on Monday and had to miss the last two or three minutes of the game. He also had a shoulder injury in pre-season, but it’s the opposite shoulder, thank goodness. Also, it’s the left shoulder and he’s a right-handed ball handler and a right-handed shooter, so that also bodes well.”

Coach Mims will certainly want Johnson to play on Saturday – the North Carolina born star is the Riders second top scorer this season, with an average of just over 20 points per game, as well as 4.40 assists.

“It’s paramount for us to have him back,” continued Mims. “Because we are not a deep basketball team as most people know. At the end of the day, we have six veteran players and four young kids and the young kids play hard. But, we are talking about Championship basketball now – big games where your backs are against the wall and if you win you go on, if you lose you go home. For those games you want your most experienced players and although Larry is a great talent, it’s mainly his experience in big games like this that we would miss if he were not able to go.

“Fingers crossed and we will say our prayers that it is not serious, that it’s something that is a slight strain or pull and four days of rest and therapy will have him ready to go on Saturday. But, I can’t predict whether he’s going to be able to go – at this stage it’s a real grey area.”

10/04/2001
Got Yours???

Nurishment Leicester Riders need YOU. After their sensational quarter-final win over Chester, Riders are back at the Skydome on Saturday for a semi-final date with Southern Conference champions, London Towers.

The Riders were easily the best supported team on both Saturday and Monday, but there is still room for more, as Leicester look to turn the Skydome into a sea of blue and white for their first Championship semi in a decade. Can Riders make the Final for the first time ever?

You've got to be there so don't delay call Kate in the Riders office on 0116 262 9979 and get your tickets today!

Not been to the Skydome yet? Here's how to get there:

It takes about 25-30 minutes and there is plenty of parking on site. Take M69 to end of the motorway and follow the bend towards the M6 and Central Coventry. Follow the road towards the left following signs for Coventry to Junction Two roundabout. Take the A4600 towards Coventry City Centre. Follow signs for Coventry City Centre. As you approach the centre you will come to a roundabout where you can see the ring road up to the right. Turn right at the roundabout towards the ring road and head left onto the ring road (don't worry if you head onto the ring road the other way - it's only a couple of miles long and a complete circle so you won't go too far out of the way). Follow the road around for a couple of junctions and the Skydome is situated at Junction 7. As you come off the ring road you will see the Skydome on your right. Turn right at the roundabout and the entrance to the car park is 100m up on the left. As well as the multi-storey car park there is a a pay-and-display under the ring road.

10/04/2001
Countdown to Coventry

Nurishment Leicester head into their first play-off game since 1997 on Saturday and leicesterriders.net is getting ready too.

All this week we look forward to the big game, giving you the lowdown on the two teams.

On Wednesday, we bring you a game preview with quotes from both Billy Mims and Nigel Lloyd. As well as this we take a look at the past form of the two clubs, revealing both franchise's play-off pedigree,

On Thursday, our focus turns to the Lions with a look back over their record-breaking season.

On Friday, we size up the sides taking a look at the Lions players and the key match-ups in the big game.

On Saturday, get all the details on the big game with our in-depth match report.

03/04/2001
Mims & Leak shortlisted for awards

Coach Billy Mims and forward Malcolm Leak have been shortlisted for the Nurishment Coach and Player of the Month awards for March.

Mims guided Riders to a 5-2 record during the month, on the way to booking Leicester's first play-off berth since 1997. He goes up against Chris Finch, whose 6-2 record helped the Sharks to the Northern Conference, Nigel Lloyd and Lance Randall, who both went 5-2 to book play-off berths.

Malcolm's numbers during March were 19.13ppg, 9.5rpg, 3.75apg, 51.40% floor shooting, 92.86% free throw shooting and 43.59% three point shooting.

He too is up against Nigel Lloyd - amazingly the Lions' player/coach has been shortlisted for both awards - as well as Thames Valley's John McCord, Donnie Johnson of Newcastle and Leopards' Rico Alderson.

The players and coaches on the shortlist are voted for by fans over the internet at the Nurishment part of the BBL website.

02/04/2001
Johnson voted Riders MVP

Point guard Larry Johnson was voted Nurishment Leicester Riders Player of Year by the fans of the club. Johnson received his award in front of a packed house at Loughborough University prior to Riders 104-92 victory over Derby on Sunday - a success which booked a play-off berth for the club for first time since 1997.

Johnson, 27, averaged over 20 points per game in his first season with the Riders as well as being ranked sixth in the BBL for assists (4.33apg) and also featuring in the BBL's top twenty in steals and floor shooting.

"I think, start to finish, from when he first started training camp through to today, Larry Johnson has been the grittiest of the Riders," said Coach Billy Mims. "By that I mean that night in and night out, he comes out to win."

"The Supporters Club picked Larry as the Player of the Season, so his name has been added to the club shield that the Riders have. Personally, as the coach of the Riders, I think they made an excellent selection. It was certainly a tough choice this season, because we have a lot of good players."

As well as helping the Riders to a play-off berth, he was instrumental in ending the franchise's 34-year wait for silverware in the ntl National Cup Final in January. Johnson hit a crucial three-pointer in the dying seconds to help beat his old club the London Leopards 84-82.

"He plays hard offensively and defensively he gives everything he's got," continued Mims. "He has had a phenomenal season for us. He has produced great numbers for us throughout the year and he has helped us win silverware. He has done everything we asked of him this year and more."

Johnson and his team finish their regular season campaign with a trip to Edinburgh on Wednesday (7.30pm) before they taken on Milton Keynes in Round One of the BBL Championship at Skydome Arena, Coventry on Saturday 14th April (8.00pm). For ticket information call the Riders office on 0116 262 9979.

01/04/2001
Hurrell returns courtside

James Hurrell returned to Loughborough University for the first time since the Edinburgh game in early March when he first suffered the effects of bleeding on the brain.

The 22-year-old is currently undergoing rehabilitation following the operation he had on his brain at Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham.

Hurrell arrived about 10 minutes before the start of Riders final home game of the season against Derby, where he was greeted by hugs from Coach Billy Mims and his team-mates, as well as a moving standing ovation from the Riders fans.

The Riders faithful remained on their feet saluting the forward for several minutes and showed their vocal support again when his name was called during team introductions.

He then watched his team-mates secure a play-off berth with a 104-92 victory.