Guildford Kings
{{short description|Former basketball team in Surrey, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox basketball club
| color1 = #000080
| color2 = #FF0000
| name = Guildford Kings
| logo = Guildford Kings logo.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| established = 1973
| folded = 1994
| history = London YMCA Metros
1973–1979
Kingston
1979–1988
Glasgow Rangers
1988–1989
Kingston
1989–1992
Guildford Kings
1992–1994
| arena = Guildford Spectrum
| location = Guildford, Surrey
| ownership = Barry Dow
| colours = Red, Navy Blue and White
}}
Guildford Kings was a successful British basketball team, most prominent in the National Basketball League during the early 1980's and later the British Basketball League (BBL) during the late 1980s and early 1990s period. The team ceased operations at the end of the 1993–94 season and folded.
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,{{cite news |last= Bradley |first= Sue |date= 6 May 1988 |title= Kings leave town for new Glasgow home |work= The Kingston Informer |page= 1}} 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,{{cite news |last= Bradley |first= Sue |date= 16 June 1989 |title= Kings back to rule! |work= The Kingston Informer |page= 52}} 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.{{cite news |title= Goodbye to basketball |date= 14 August 1922 |work= The Kingston Informer |volume= 19 |issue= 32 |page= 32 }} 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{{cite news |title= Kings bid to claim crown |date= 10 December 1992 |work= Staines & Ashford News |page= 77 }} before moving to the Spectrum in January 1993.{{cite news |title= Kings on top |date= 27 January 1993 |work= Esher News and Mail |page= 7 }} 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.{{cite newspaper The Times |title= Leopards step in |date= 12 August 1994 |issue= 65031 |page= 31 |url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&docId=IF502064998 }} 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.{{cite news |last= Pryce |first= Robert |date= 17 September 1994 |title= Leopards come over less def |work= The Guardian |page= 21 }}
Professional basketball returned to Guildford in 2005 with the creation of Guildford Heat. The club folded in 2009.{{cite news |title= Guildford Heat goes into administration |date= 2 July 2013 |orig-date= 13 February 2009 |work= Surrey Live |url= https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/guildford-heat-goes-into-administration-4825282 |access-date= 11 January 2024 }}
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
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%;" |
| bgcolor="#efefef"
!rowspan="2"|Season !rowspan="2"|Division !rowspan="2"|Tier !colspan="6"|Regular Season !rowspan="2"|Post-Season !rowspan="2"|BBL Trophy !rowspan="2"|National Cup !rowspan="2"|Head Coach |
| Finish
! Played ! Wins ! Losses ! Points ! Win % |
|---|
| colspan="13" align=center bgcolor="white" | London Metros |
| style="text-align:center;"|1973–74
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|3rd |style="text-align:center;"|14 |style="text-align:center;"|8 |style="text-align:center;"|6 |style="text-align:center;"|22 |style="text-align:center;"|0.571 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"| |style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|1974–75
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|6th |style="text-align:center;"|18 |style="text-align:center;"|8 |style="text-align:center;"|10 |style="text-align:center;"|26 |style="text-align:center;"|0.444 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"| |style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|1975–76
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL D1 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|9th |style="text-align:center;"|18 |style="text-align:center;"|6 |style="text-align:center;"|12 |style="text-align:center;"|24 |style="text-align:center;"|0.333 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"| |style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|1976–77
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL D1 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|7th |style="text-align:center;"|18 |style="text-align:center;"|7 |style="text-align:center;"|11 |style="text-align:center;"|25 |style="text-align:center;"|0.389 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"| |style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|1977–78
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL D1 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|8th |style="text-align:center;"|18 |style="text-align:center;"|5 |style="text-align:center;"|13 |style="text-align:center;"|9 |style="text-align:center;"|0.278 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"| |style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|1978–79
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL D1 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|3rd |style="text-align:center;"|20 |style="text-align:center;"|15 |style="text-align:center;"|5 |style="text-align:center;"|30 |style="text-align:center;"|0.750 |style="text-align:center;"|Semi-finals |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"| |style="text-align:center;"| |
| colspan="13" align=center bgcolor="white" | Kingston |
| style="text-align:center;"|1979–80
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL D1 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|5th |style="text-align:center;"|18 |style="text-align:center;"|10 |style="text-align:center;"|8 |style="text-align:center;"|20 |style="text-align:center;"|0.556 |style="text-align:center;"|Did not qualify |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"| |style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|1980–81
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL D1 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|8th |style="text-align:center;"|18 |style="text-align:center;"|5 |style="text-align:center;"|13 |style="text-align:center;"|10 |style="text-align:center;"|0.278 |style="text-align:center;"|Did not qualify |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"|Quarter-finals |style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|1981–82
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL D1 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|7th |style="text-align:center;"|22 |style="text-align:center;"|7 |style="text-align:center;"|15 |style="text-align:center;"|14 |style="text-align:center;"|0.318 |style="text-align:center;"|Did not qualify |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"|2nd round |style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|1982–83
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL D1 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|9th |style="text-align:center;"|24 |style="text-align:center;"|10 |style="text-align:center;"|14 |style="text-align:center;"|20 |style="text-align:center;"|0.417 |style="text-align:center;"|Did not qualify |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"|Semi-finals |style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|1983–84
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL D1 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|10th |style="text-align:center;"|36 |style="text-align:center;"|14 |style="text-align:center;"|22 |style="text-align:center;"|28 |style="text-align:center;"|0.389 |style="text-align:center;"|Did not qualify |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"|Quarter-finals |style="text-align:center;"|Jim Guymon |
| colspan="13" align=center bgcolor="white" | Kingston Kings |
| style="text-align:center;"|1984–85
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL D1 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|1st |style="text-align:center;"|26 |style="text-align:center;"|24 |style="text-align:center;"|2 |style="text-align:center;"|48 |style="text-align:center;"|0.923 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=silver|Runners-Up |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Manchester |style="text-align:center;"|Steve Bontrager |
| style="text-align:center;"|1984–85
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL D1 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=silver|2nd |style="text-align:center;"|28 |style="text-align:center;"|24 |style="text-align:center;"|4 |style="text-align:center;"|48 |style="text-align:center;"|0.857 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Birmingham |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Solent |style="text-align:center;"|Malcolm Chamberlain |
| style="text-align:center;"|1986–87
|style="text-align:center;"|NBL D1 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=silver|2nd |style="text-align:center;"|24 |style="text-align:center;"|21 |style="text-align:center;"|3 |style="text-align:center;"|42 |style="text-align:center;"|0.875 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=silver|Runners-Up |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Portsmouth |style="text-align:center;"|Kevin Cadle |
| style="text-align:center;"|1987–88
|style="text-align:center;"|BBL |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=silver|2nd |style="text-align:center;"|28 |style="text-align:center;"|24 |style="text-align:center;"|4 |style="text-align:center;"|48 |style="text-align:center;"|0.857 |style="text-align:center;"|Semi-finals |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Portsmouth |style="text-align:center;"|Kevin Cadle |
| colspan="13" align=center bgcolor="blue" | Glasgow Rangers |
| style="text-align:center;"|1988–89
|style="text-align:center;"|BBL |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|1st |style="text-align:center;"|20 |style="text-align:center;"|18 |style="text-align:center;"|2 |style="text-align:center;"|36 |style="text-align:center;"|0.900 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Livingston |style="text-align:center;"|Semi-finals |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=#DCDCDC| |style="text-align:center;"|Kevin Cadle |
| colspan="13" align=center bgcolor="blue" | Kingston Kings |
| style="text-align:center;"|1989–90
|style="text-align:center;"|BBL |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|1st |style="text-align:center;"|28 |style="text-align:center;"|25 |style="text-align:center;"|3 |style="text-align:center;"|50 |style="text-align:center;"|0.892 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Sunderland |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Manchester |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Sunderland |style="text-align:center;"|Kevin Cadle |
| style="text-align:center;"|1990–91
|style="text-align:center;"|BBL |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|1st |style="text-align:center;"|24 |style="text-align:center;"|23 |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|46 |style="text-align:center;"|0.958 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Sunderland |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Manchester |style="text-align:center;"|Semi-finals |style="text-align:center;"|Kevin Cadle |
| style="text-align:center;"|1991–92
|style="text-align:center;"|BBL |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|1st |style="text-align:center;"|30 |style="text-align:center;"|27 |style="text-align:center;"|3 |style="text-align:center;"|54 |style="text-align:center;"|0.900 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Thames Valley |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Leicester |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Thames Valley |style="text-align:center;"|Kevin Cadle |
| colspan="13" align=center bgcolor="red" | Guildford Kings |
| style="text-align:center;"|1992–93
|style="text-align:center;"|BBL |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|4th |style="text-align:center;"|33 |style="text-align:center;"|25 |style="text-align:center;"|8 |style="text-align:center;"|50 |style="text-align:center;"|0.757 |style="text-align:center;"|Semi-finals |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=silver|Runners-Up |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=gold|Winners, beating Worthing |style="text-align:center;"|Kevin Cadle |
| style="text-align:center;"|1993–94
|style="text-align:center;"|BBL |style="text-align:center;"|1 |style="text-align:center;"|4th |style="text-align:center;"|36 |style="text-align:center;"|24 |style="text-align:center;"|12 |style="text-align:center;"|48 |style="text-align:center;"|0.667 |style="text-align:center;"bgcolor=silver|Runners-Up |style="text-align:center;"|Pool Stage |style="text-align:center;"|Semi-finals |style="text-align:center;"|Kevin Cadle |
References
{{Reflist}}
Category:Defunct basketball teams in the United Kingdom
Category:Sports clubs and teams founded by the YMCA
Category:Basketball teams established in 1973
Category:Basketball teams disestablished in 1994
Category:1994 disestablishments in England
Category:1974 establishments in England
Category:Basketball teams in London