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| S H A R K S - A to Z - 1994 - 2007 | |
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| Topic Started: Jul 9 2007, 07:02 PM (3,755 Views) | |
| voise | Jul 25 2007, 10:47 AM Post #26 |
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Sixth Man
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Dave - I think he attended this camp last year and the year before (indeed they claim credit for getting him the job at the Sharks) but can't see his name on the roster this year? Simon Wardle seems to ring a bell btw |
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| Rob Mi | Jul 25 2007, 01:40 PM Post #27 |
He's a bit Pikey
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Definately S. Wardle but as for his first name I have no idea. |
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| DaveBeeden | Jul 25 2007, 07:30 PM Post #28 |
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Bench Player
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S. WARDLE Sharks career : 1994/95 (1 season) Wardle is a player I know nothing about and I still am unsure over his first name. He appeared for the Sharks early into their inaugural season and only made 4 appearances, only registering actual playing time on one occasion. Any more information from Sharks fans/stattos(!) would be much appreciated!?! App/Games : 4 / 1 Points/Points per game : - / -ppg --- JERRY WILLIAMS Height : 6’5’’ Position : Forward/Guard Number : 8 Sharks career : 2002/03 (1 season) Like Travis Conlan, Jerry Williams made a superb impression on the Sharks fans in his brief time with the club. Despite only staying one season, the talented Williams showed enough ability, heart and entertainment to leave a place in the Sharks followers hearts forever. Williams was born on the 2nd January in 1978 and grew up in Florida, attending Cumberland College (Kentucky) where he earned Player of the Year honours in the Mid South Conference in 2000/01 and was an NAIA All American scoring 23.6ppg. He played with future Birmingham Bullet Ivan Johnson. He briefly played for the Florida Sea Dragons in the USBL but decided to play overseas for the 2002/03 season. He joined the Sharks and showed the explosive scoring and all around game that had attracted him to coach Chris Finch. Whilst he did not seem like a typical Sharks player, in that he was very flashy and all action, he soon fitted into the team concept and his talent then shone through. He was a slashing forward/guard but could really get up and dunk the basketball. He could also make the outside shot and was a legitimate scorer who could score in a variety of offensive sets. He sometimes became a bit impatient with the Sharks team ethos and would try to do too much himself but Chris Finch would simple yank him out of the game. When he returned he remembered to play more as a team player. He used to make many steals and race down court for dunks that would energise the crowd. The image I have of Williams from his days with the Sharks is his hair streaking everywhere and him waving his arms around to pump up the crowd following a Sharks score or run of points. He is one of the most entertaining and exciting players I have ever seen in a Sharks vest. He led the Sharks in scoring with 18ppg and helped to lead the Sharks to the championship after they had played superbly down the stretch. It really was a fairytale rookie season in professional basketball for Williams, who had become so popular in the Steel City. The chants of ‘Jerry, Jerry’ often reigning down form the stands in Ponds Forge. He finished 3rd in MVP voting but made a couple of unforced turnovers when he tried to go one on one in the playoffs against the Rocks in Birmingham. After the season, Williams financial demands meant the Sharks could not afford to keep him, as they would have had to sacrifice Lynard Stewart or even two players to keep him. The Scottish Rocks stepped in with a good offer and teamed him with ex-Eagle Niki Arinze in Glasgow. The Rocks had a very good season and Williams upped his individual game even more as he did not have to play in such a team concept and could be more of an individual, expressing himself more. He was one of those players that the rest of the BBL now suddenly acknowledged as a star but in truth he had been one the season before but had to sacrifice certain parts of his individual game in order for the Sharks team principles to continue to flourish. He finished 4th in the league in scoring with 23ppg, leading the Rocks to a 4th placed finish and also to the final of the National cup where he met his former team, the Sharks. The injury hit Rocks did their best with Williams scintillating but the Sharks prevailed. The classy Williams was seen congratulating each and every one of his former teammates after the game; the mark of the man. He had another incredible game versus the Sharks at Ponds Forge, where he was greeted on both occasions with rapturous applause. Williams was named the league MVP but his Rocks narrowly lost out to Chester in the playoffs. After the season he joined the London Towers for the 04/05 season and led the Towers in scoring playing alongside former Sharks Lynard Stewart. Despite an abundance of talent honours eluded the Towers and Williams was on the move again. He played briefly in France for Dijon at the beginning of 05/06 but his freestyling play and demand for the ball did not endear him to his coach and he was cut. He returned to the Bears and played for Nick Nurse on the South Coast. In a season that featured former Chicago Bull Dennis Rodman for 2 games, the Bears struggled and had a losing record. This was the last we saw of Williams in this country as he returned to the States and the ABA, appearing for the Jacksonville Jam for the 06/07 season, appearing with former BBL stars Tony Holley and DeRon Rutledge in a team coached by Steve Tucker. Williams has continued to excite and score but surely will regret that he has not played the game at a much higher level. Williams clearly had ability but often the team concept eluded him. He left the Sharks and managed to score a lot more points, get a lot more shots but honours for teams he played on just did not happen. I sometimes wonder if Williams regrets not staying with the Sharks for more than the one championship season, where along with the likes of Stewart, Phoenix, Reinking, Yanders, McKinney and Payne, the team could have dominated the BBL for years to come. Of course financially him and his family are very secure with his brother Rashean Mathis is a famous American football player who plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now 29, Williams stated that he only earns $40,000 a year playing in the ABA (I remember he used to slam the BBL and the salaries but ironically would earn more over here now!) and could make much more but he wants to be at home in Florida with his 11 year old son and around his family. App/Games : 40 / 40 Points/Points per game : 716 / 17.9ppg --- RICHARD WINDLE Height : 6’8’’ Position : Centre/Forward Number : 20/15 Sharks career : 1994/95, 1996-2002 and 2003-2006 (10 seasons) Born in Sheffield on the 7th April, 1976, Windle grew up in the heartland of Sheffield, in the ‘tough’ Manor region. Always very tall as a youngster, Windle started playing basketball in his early teens. He began training with the Sheffield Forgers and made his debut on the 18th September, 1993 against Solent. He played for the Forgers for the remainder of the season, whilst attending Sheffield College. The following campaign (94/95) when the Forgers became the Sharks, Windle (aged 17) remained with the team and although he spent much of this first campaign on the bench (1.6ppg), it was a valuable experience. The young centre always stood out for his mop of blond hair and for his size for someone so young, when he did come onto the court. He was to pick up a National Cup and Championship winning medal in the Sharks first season. He also became part of Junior England programmes at under 17 and under 18 level. After the season ended, Windle was to attend a junior college in America with Adrian Anderson. Whilst Anderson never actually left, Windle did go and play for a while in the States but I don’t think it quite worked out as he returned to the Sharks for the following season (1996/97). He again only appeared in 7 games out of 21 appearances, averaging 1.3ppg, only scoring 9 points in total. Jimmy Brandon who had given Windle a chance and also given him his nickname ‘Bam, Bam’ from the Flintstones character (something to do with the fact he just barrelled everyone over!), left the club at the end of the season. New coach Chris Finch recognised some raw talent in Windle and at last he was given decent minutes. He averaged 3.5ppg in 97/98, but it was the following season where he made the real breakthrough. Coming off the bench with much more regularity, Windle became a key man in the Sharks 98/99 championship season. He played in 35 out of 36 games and was a solid big man who got a lot of hustle plays. I also remember a huge three at the end of the first quarter in a game against the bitter rivals, the Giants. Windle had now become an important member of the squad and I remember seeing him in Champs during the summer looking so much more mature and confident than a few years previous. Windle was studying for a HND in Leisure Management at Sheffield Hallam University during this time. Windle also played for the university team and was selected for the 1999 World Student Games in Parma. Even though he finished his course in 2000 he was still able to compete in the World Student Games in Beijing a year after graduating. He has also played for England and has gained 6 caps with his debut in1999 versus Poland. Windle took his new found confidence into the 1999/2000 season and again extended his minutes and improved his play. Backing up Will Johnson he proved he could do a solid job and even started a few games during this campaign. Indeed, the improvement of Windle was one of the reasons the Sharks decided to release the popular American centre. Windle had his best ever scoring campaign the following season, averaging 5.7ppg and again being a starter for periods of the season. It was during this campaign that the physical Windle was involved in altercations with both Shawn Jamison and Casey Arena. It was alleged both players threw punches at Windle in separate off-the-ball incidents. Chris Finch handed over video evidence to the English Basketball Association which clearly showed Windle being punched by Birmingham forward Jamison and Thames Valley guard Arena (a game in which Windle scored 13 points and was MVP I think?). No action was taken against the pair though as Finch just wanted to point out what Bam sometimes had to go through. Still Windle is no angel himself and has also been involved in a few skirmishes along his career. In many ways that has what has made him a popular team-mate as he will stand up for himself and for his team, a point made by Lynard Stewart after the season finished recently. Windle helped lead the Sharks to the to the playoff championship final in two consecutive seasons and he was one of the best Sharks players in the disappointing defeat to the Riders in 2001. After the loss to the Jets at Wembley in 2002, Windle decided to try his luck away from his home city and Tony Garbelotto, having coached him at International junior level took him to the Birmingham Bullets. Having the chance to ply his trade in European competition helped Windle make the decision. However, the Bullets struggled badly and it was not such a positive move for Richard. He played a fair bit and could certainly claim to have learned from more than a fair share of defeats. This coupled with European competition helped to make Richard a tougher competitor on the floor. Given a chance to join new coach Pete Scantlebury back in Sheffield, Windle took it and signed on a month’s contract that was eventually extended for the whole of the 2003/04 season. He helped the Sharks to the National Cup, being superb in the semi final against the Towers. He also was a key man as the Sharks went on to win their first ever Playoff championship. Along the way Windle played some very good games and helped fill in for both Lynard Stewart and Justin Phoenix, when the pair missed games. He had an MVP game at home to the Chester Jets and other excellent games where he made key three pointers, or superb no look passes. Ultimately Windle was at his best when he just came in, played good, honest solid defence, set picks, passed the ball and got the occasional score when we needed it. Windle returned for the 04/05 season and continued to offer solid play and became a starter for much of the year with the Sharks losing many of the aforementioned big men from the previous year. Windle stepped up his scoring and leadership. In the 05/06 season Windle was able to keep producing and him and fellow long term Shark Iain McKinney showed no sign of slowing down. Helping younger players like Blake Shelton and Eddie Cage, the Sharks were able to remain one of the better teams in the BBL. When Iain McKinney retired at the end of the 05/06 season there were rumours that Windle had done the same but nothing was confirmed by the team or by Bam. . When he did not play for his old mate McKinney at his testimonial on the eve of the 06/07 season, speculation increased. Rumours of a falling out with the club surfaced but nothing was confirmed. To this day no announcement was made on Windle neither leaving the club nor retiring which is sad when you consider what he gave to the club. Windle eventually wound up playing for part timers the Sheffield Sabres in EBL 3 North and pretty much dominated the league, winning player of the year honours. Now married and with a young baby into the fold, Windle seems set to continue part time with the Sabres next year which suggests he has gone into work in another area. I am unsure what Windle is doing for full time employment these days. There were rumours that he too like McKinney, was involved in lecturing/teaching at Sheffield College but I cannot confirm nor deny this. Can anyone help? Richard you out there? Richard had really progressed in his 12 years as a player in the BBL. I am sure his parents and family that watched him courtside and the many Sharks fans that have been there since the beginning will agree. Whilst at times it was easy to be critical of him, you do forget how far he came. Once a slow, bumbling big man with little touch, he became one of the better English players in the country and a dependable big man off the bench for what was the most consistent team in British Basketball. At times he still frustrated, with the sloppy turnovers, a daft three attempt (although he proved he could make the) or a travel. However, for the most part, he came in and gave solid minutes and when he stuck to the things he was good at, he was a very valuable player. Like McKinney, Cauthorn, Finch and Payne, he was a member of the Sharks that has survived much of its history and one that can stand up and be really proud of his contribution. Windle also went up in my estimation when I realised he was a big Sheffield United fan and he has been a regular attendee on the Kop at Bramall Lane over the past few seasons. I have also seen him at numerous away games and sat near him at Wigan last year. Fortunately I was not sat behind him though. A Blade and a Shark! What could be better! App/Games : 300 / 273 Points/Points per game : 1267 / 4.6ppg --- VOISE WINTERS Height : 6’8’’ Position : Forward/Centre Number : 15 Sharks career : 1996/97 (1 season) Voise Winters arrived in Sheffield towards the end of what had been a well-travelled basketball career. Born on the 10th December, 1962 in Chicago, Winters was a star at Gage Park High School in the Windy City, scoring 57 points in one game. He then played at Bradley University and had a highly impressive collegiate career being one of the all time leading scorers and rebounders in the history of the college. Winters was then actually drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1985 draft, with the 20th pick of the second round. He even made the team and played with the likes of Charles Barkley and Moses Malone in 1985/86, averaging 1.5ppg in 4 contests. He then embarked on a Basketball journey around the world for much of his professional career. He first played overseas in France for JDA Dijon in 1985/86, then moved to Spain with Valvi Girona for the 86/87 season. He was the leading scorer and best rebounder during this season in Spain. He switched between France and Spain for the next few years, playing for Eyreux in 87/88 and then with Huelva of Spain in 88/89. He actually stayed at one club for two seasons, when he played for Tours of France between 89-91. He split the 91/92 season with Breogan (Spain) and Caen (France). He remained at Caen through 92/93 before playing for Gravelines in 93/94. Towards the end of this season he was on the move again this time moving to Israel to play for Hapoel Tzafat. He continues his nomadic life when he played in Switzerland with Friburg in the 94/95 season. He played for Oyak of Turkey in 95/96 and then back to France with Chalon, in the same season. He came to England in 1996/97 when he signed for the Sharks at the age of 33. I think it had something to do with the fact that his (Spanish?) wife got a job as a nurse in Leeds but I may be wrong. This helped the Sharks land Winters. He teamed up with Roger Huggins and Todd Cauthorn in a very talented frontline. He had a well-chiselled body and was certainly very powerful inside. He was perhaps one of the best dunkers of the ball in the Sharks history and had some nasty throw downs. Clearly a superb offensive player, he could score with the jam, but he could also hit the jump shot and make several moves close to the hoop. At times he would just take over games in an instant and is only a handful of players that has played for the Sharks that could do this. He could score a lot of points and did lead the Sharks in scoring that year with 20.5ppg. The classic chant of ‘Walking in a Winters Wonderland’ would often be heard at the Forge after a big Winters basket. The remarkable thing is that Winters could have had a lot more points and a higher average if he had been a touch more consistent. He reminded me a bit of Kendrick Warren, the Bears player, in terms of type of game. Unfortunately, they also share the same troubles in motivational skills. When Winters was motivated he showed the talent that had made him such a talent in his younger days. However, sometimes he would not look interested and let games pass him by. Talent wise, when he wanted to, he was one of the best Sharks I have ever seen and one of the most skilled players to play on these shores. I shudder to think how good he was when he was at his peak years earlier and also how good he could have been if he had shown more desire. Certainly he would have had a much, longer NBA career if that had been the case but maybe I am being too harsh. He was picked to the All Star game (1997) and was also Slam Dunk champion (judged by Prince Naseem!) at this same game with a few very impressive throw downs including a superb 360º windmill that brought the house down at the Sheffield Arena. The Sharks never quite achieved what they should have done that year though and did not quite challenge for the top honours as they might have done. The speedy Deon Hames, the solid role players like Finch and Cauthorn, and the talent of Huggins and Winters really should have brought more wins and more success. In the playoffs, the Sharks were easily beaten and Winters in particular was very disappointing in the defeat to the Towers at Wembley (I nearly missed my train across London due to the late tip off of this game, the Sharks pitiful performance added to my anger!). Jimmy Brandon left the club, as did Roger Huggins. It was not thought that Winters would hang around after the season either and he didn’t. He went back to France to play for Signed for Le Mans Basket in 97/98 on and he played there till the end of the season. The following championship, 1998-99, Voise signed back in Spain (he now had a Spanish passport), with Tau Vitoria. At the start of the 1999-00 season he re-signed with Tau Vitoria, on a temporary contract, being released on early December. In March 2001 signed a one month contract with Ourense (Spain), being released when the contract expired. It seems that Winters then stopped playing at the age of 39 after playing in 7 countries (Spain, France, England, Israel, Switzerland, Turkey and of course America) and for 17 clubs (including the 76ers and Sharks!). The last I knew Winters was actually based in the United Kingdom and was living in Leeds. App/Games : 36 / 36 Points/Points per game : 738 / 20.5ppg |
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| GlennHardaker | Jul 26 2007, 08:16 AM Post #29 |
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Basketball Legend
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Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any other information about Wardle- I've tried Googling him and had no joy As for Windle, I don't think him dominating Div 3 is a great surprise- Sabres didn't make the playoffs in the end but I'm sure they'll be up there challenging again next season with Windle still playing a key role |
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Feel the (Huddersfield)Heat ! | |
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| Rob Mi | Jul 26 2007, 10:18 AM Post #30 |
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He's a bit Pikey
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I think that it was Scott Wardle but as with Glenn I can find nothing. |
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| DaveBeeden | Jul 26 2007, 06:54 PM Post #31 |
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Bench Player
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ROBERT YANDERS Height : 5’11’’ Position : Guard Number : 11 Sharks career : 2002-05 (3 seasons) Robert Yanders was born in Indiana on the 3rd July, 1979. He attended South Missouri State (playing basketball with current Rocks guard Terrance McGee) and earned a degree in community recreation. He was signed to be the Sharks ‘playmaker’ after Jeff Monaco left the club for Belgium at the end of 2001/02. Yanders was a rookie on the Sharks squad along with Jerry Williams and the pair had apparently talked about a winning a championship as early as the flight over to England in September. It was ironic that their words would be very prophetic. Yanders seemed very small when I first watched him in a friendly against the Jets. He was listed at 5’11’’ but seemed closer to 5’7/8’’. He was very quick and was an adept handler of the basketball. He had a mixed start to his career and had a few poor games where he did not get involved offensively. He also had a few unforced turnovers and perhaps did not quite fit in as well as some other Sharks newcomers have in the past. It is worth bearing in mind that playing the point guard is such a key position though and Yanders was in his first professional season and away from the country where he had lived his whole life. It is easy to see therefore why there would be a transitional period. Despite a bit of criticism from fans around the league, including some Sharks fans, Yanders did not go into his shell and began to put together some good games I remember he had 37 points against the Riders in the trophy and also he hit a memorable game winner against the Bears virtually on the buzzer at Ponds Forge. Robert got better and better as the season went on. He cut down the turnovers, began to hit the three point shot more and more and became more in tune with what Chris Finch wanted. His passing improved and the one constant in his start to the season, his on the ball defence remained consistently solid. At the end of the season he was perhaps the main man for the Sharks in their winning run that took them ahead of the Bears and to the championship. He played superbly at Brighton. The home games versus the Rocks and the Jets and then in the vital home game against the Bears that sealed the title. Yanders came back for the 03/04 season and carried on where he left off. His three point shot seemed to be dropping even more, he was delivering superb passes for easy scores (and some great alley oops) for teammates. Along with Nate Reinking, Yanders formed the best backcout in the league up to Christmas as the pair tore up teams at will. He outplayed so called better point guards in Rod Brown, TJ Walker and Randy Duck. The only point guard to get the better of him the whole season was Mike Nurse, and that was down to some amazing three point shooting rather than penetration or one on one moves. The Sharks won the National Cup and remained in the top two in the league, despite not quite doing enough to reclaim the title. When the Sharks had a dip in form late in the season, Yanders was one of the few players to keep his standards. He continued to play well as the Sharks went on to win the playoff championship with the image of Yanders clipping down the nets in Birmingham a real highlight. Yanders returned for the 04/05 season but it was a much changed Sharks line up that was missing Lynard Stewart, Justin Phoenix and HL Coleman, but Yanders continued to impress taking on more of a scoring role but also steeping up his game in other areas too, going for 16ppg, 5 rpg and 5apg. At the end of the 2004/05 season, the Sharks knew it would be tough to keep on the much improved Rob Yanders. Yanders had become one of the top 3 point guards in the league and was fielding offers from European teams. It was a major surprise when after he had told the Sharks that he would not be back, that he ended up back in the BBL at the Scottish Rocks. Yanders has had two excellent seasons with the Rocks and helped establish his standing as one of the top guards and top players in the BBL. His leadership role has increased even further season to season and he has helped the Rocks to one of the better records the past two seasons and always in the hunt for honours in most competitions. Yanders is well established in the British game and with former Shark Sterling Davis taking the helm, Yanders will be a key leader for the Rocks once again next year. At the end of this season he will gain his dual nationality I think and then I fully expect for him to head to Europe for the financial rewards that brings. Yanders was a very steady point guard who did not try and do too much, he is a real team player and was thus perfect for the Sharks. He was an excellent dribbler and ball handler, a good passer, a gritty defender and a very good shooter. He was also not scared to take it to the basket despite his size and had many spectacular ‘flip’ finishes going to the hole. He was also a very good rebounder for his size and at one stage earlier in one season he was near the top of the Sharks rebounding averages! App/Games : 116 / 116 Points/Points per game : 1701/ 14.6pg --- MOHAMMED YUSUF Height : 6'0'' Position : Guard Number : - Sharks career : 1996/97 (1 season) This is another player that I cannot remember much about. I do remember coming home from University and watching the Sharks during this season (96/97). Yusuf was a small guard if I remember rightly who seemed quite flashy in warm ups but I do not think he actually got into the games I saw. He scored 7 points and got onto the court 3 times in his 12 appearances. Indeed it seems he scored most of these points at the end of one game, a blow out against Hemel. I am unsure whether he lasted the entire season out and I have my doubts. I think he was Sharks junior player previously. I may need fellow Sharks fans to assist me on this one too? Height, number, ability etc? I may change the below ratings based on others opinions etc. Did anyone see these three games he appeared in?! App/Games : 12 / 3 Points/Points per game : 7 / 2.3pg |
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| DaveBeeden | Jul 26 2007, 06:57 PM Post #32 |
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Bench Player
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COACHES The Sharks are incredibly skilled and lucky as an organisation in the choice of coaches due to the fact that in 13 years, they have had only 3 coaches. This is quite unbelievable and a testament to the organisation’s patience and ability to make transitions from one coach to the next, appointing people who have been in the organisation. In Jimmy Brandon, Chris Finch and Pete Scantlebury, the Sharks have hit gold and had three class acts. Each has differences but have many more similarities. Their level of preparation, commitment to defence, to recruiting talent but character too, to solid fundamentals and most importantly to winning has been the cornerstone of this Sharks franchise. A special mention goes to assistants like Curtis Xavier, John Belk, Todd Cauthorn and most of all Brian Aldred who have all contributed to the success story. Aldred has been a link to all 3 coaches and his work behind the scenes should not be forgotten. JIMMY BRANDON Sharks coaching career : 3 seasons (1994-97) Honours achieved : League - Winners 1994/95, Runner Up 1995/96 National Cup - Winners 1994/96, Runners Up 1995/96 Trophy - Runner Up 1994/95 Jimmy Brandon is the man that in many ways was responsible for laying the foundations for all the success that the Sharks have had in their history. The first coach of the team, Brandon built a team that was immediately successful and built a team ethic, a run and gun style, a tenacious trapping defence and a collection of three pointers that became affectionately known as the ‘bomb squad’. Indeed, much of what the Sharks have done since and in many ways still do, has come directly from the philosophies Brandon laid down. Brandon was born in New York on the 22nd February, 1959. He attended St Peter's College in New Jersey. After a standout collegiate career he was drafted in the 8th round of the NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz but I believe he did not ever make the Jazz or the NBA. He first surfaced in this country playing for Sunderland from 1982 but I bet he did not imagine he would have stayed for as long as he did. He spent two years with the North East club and then went on a tour of Britain in his playing days, playing for Brixton for a season (85/86), then Calderdale (87/88- where he coached a young Iain McKinney and Jason Swaine), Olympic City (88/89) and Leicester (88/89). He then left Britain and played in Saudi Arabia in 89/90 before starting to coach over there for Al Ittihad and then the Saudi Arabian Military National Team and Junior National Teams between 1990-93. He returned to club coaching at Al Ahli Jeddah for a season before he returned to England to coach the expansion Sheffield Sharks for season 1994/95. Appointed by Chris Wright and Yuti Matischen, Brandon was seen as having the enthusiasm and coaching skills to lead the Sharks to a competitive season. Well what happened that year, nobody could imagine as the Sharks shocked the league and just won game after game with a superb brand of basketball that saw the team fast break with style but play lock down defence and they stunned many experienced teams and players. Helped by English players like Huggins, Gayle, McKie, Vourliotis and Smith, they had able assistance from crafty Americans in Finch and Cauthorn. The Sharks won the league, were runners up in the Trophy and won the National Cup in a stunning and most unexpected first year. The job Brandon did could not be underplayed. He did a phenomenal job of recruiting and guiding a team to Basketball glory in its first season. He was rightly named coach of the year. The year after, season 1995/96, the Sharks played European basketball and advanced the early stages to face the Champions Real Madrid in the European Cup. At times the gritty Sharks had the champs on the ropes before narrow defeats in each legs. The Sharks also played in the McDonalds Championships in London, succumbing to Madrid and Maccabi Tel Aviv, in an event that featured the NBA Champions, the Houston Rockets. Basketball fans in Sheffield were at times left rubbing their eyes at what they were seeing, such was the dramatic impact and strides that the club had made in such a brief time. Brandon’s Sharks could not quite repeat the league success and perhaps the expectation and toils in Europe took its toil but they still finished league runners up and narrowly lost the Cup Final. Brandon coached the All Star team again though, as he had the previous year as the Sharks continued to grow both in their success and fan support. The Sharks started to play games out of the Sheffield Arena the following year and signed more exciting Americans like Deon Hames and Voise Winters. However, the team did not quite hit the heights as expected and despite a third place finish and runners up in the Cup again, the expectations and the bar had been set. It is remarkable that this season was seen as so-so for the Sharks despite once again being a top team in all the competitions but Brandon had created a legacy that even he could not keep up with. After a very poor Playoff defeat to the Towers (the Playoffs was one event the Sharks could not crack – a trend that would continue for a number of years), the club and Brandon parted ways. Brandon would go onto coach the Manchester Giants for a season in 1997/98 However, he did not have the same success as he had wih the Sharks and the only highlight was a run to the Wembley Championships where the Giants put up a good performance before losing their semi-final with Birmingham 91-80. Brandon did win his final game as Giants' head coach as they defeated London in the third-place game and Brandon more significantly started an all-English team, in Matt Hogarth, Michael Bernard, Jason Swaine, Danny Craven and Ronnie Baker Brandon left the Giants just before the Nick Nurse era and the big spending began via the Cook group. Brandon headed up operations as the coach for the Edinburgh Rocks in their opening season 1998/99. He was very popular in Scotland as he guided a team with the likes of Ted Berry, John McCord, Brendan Graves (who played college ball with Steve Nash) and Joel Burns to a respectable opening season as they finished 9th. He returned for another season and the Rocks improved there win percentage and finished 3rd in the Northern Conference. Brandon left the Rocks after this season and he was involved in TV work with Sky and various other form of the media in reporting and commentating on British Basketball. I believe he returned to coach back in Saudi for a couple of seasons but I am unsure where Brandon currently resides or works. Can anyone help? Chris Finch and Pete Scantlebury did tremendous jobs in continuing the work of Brandon but without that first coach and the impact he had those first couple of seasons, the Sharks maybe would not be where they are now. Have a quick scan at the teams that were in the BBL/Bud League when the Sharks started and then look at the teams that are in the current BBL. Now count how many still play or exist in their current form. Well the Riders are one and possibly the Jets, but that is it. The Sharks have survived and always thrived, always being near the top and always being ‘a winner’. Jimmy Brandon (along with Brian Aldred who is often forgotten but was a big part of the coaching staff under Brandon and remained to assist others years after – helping continuity) effectively launched this tradition of winning and deserves a lot of credit for laying the foundations and delivering the consistency of standards, that is now expected, demanded and usually got by Sharks management and fans year in, year out. CHRIS FINCH Sharks coaching career : 6 seasons (1997-03) Honours achieved : League - Winners 1998/99, 2002/03, 2000/01 (North) Runners Up (North) 1999/2000, 2001/02 National Cup - Winners 1998/99, 1999/2000, Trophy - Winners 1997/98 Playoffs - Runners up 2000/01, 2001/02 This is a copy from the section on Chris Finch as a player (to save locating) After a subpar season in 96/97, there were rumours Chris Finch could be released as a player but what happened next probably very surprised him. Jim Brandon felt he was going stale in Sheffield and moved on to a new challenge in Manchester. His recommendation for his successor was surprisingly right under the Sharks noses; Chris Finch. The Sharks appointed him head coach at the young age of 28 but due to complications over coaching qualifications (he did not have any!) he could not take up his post. So the Sharks began the season with John Belk and Brian Aldred on the sidelines and Finch remained as a player. Eventually early into the season, the problems were resolved and Finch took up his post for the game against the Worthing Bears on the 5th October, 1997 (95-75 victory). The remainder of the 97/98 season had mixed results and despite a talented team, including John Amaechi, the Sharks underachieved somewhat. They did give Finch his first silverware as a head a coach, when they won the uniball Trophy final against the London Towers. Finch made some excellent acquisitions for the following season, in Travis Conlan, Matt Gaudio and then Peter Scantlebury. The Sharks raced out of the blocks and played superbly, winning the National Cup and then eventually winning the league in dramatic fashion in Manchester. Finch proved very quickly what a good coach he had become as his team got the better of the so called dream team of the Giants. The Sharks were always contenders for honours over the next few seasons and won the National Cup and Northern Conference. They never finished lower than second as Finch helped continue the franchise’s consistency. When the BBL returned to a single league, Finch again made some carefully planned additions in Jerry Williams and Rob Yanders. The Sharks again managed to get the better of a Nick Nurse outfit, this time the Brighton Bears, to win the league again in 2002/03. The Sharks never did win the playoffs during Finch’s time there as both a player and a coach. It is ironic that the season after he left the club, the Sharks managed to finally accomplice this goal. It was inevitable that bigger and better opportunities would come up for the talented play caller. Finch wanted to test himself in Europe. When German side Giessen came calling, Finch decided to try and test himself at this higher level. Despite signing quite a few ex BBL players, including Sterling Davis and John Thomas, Finch’s spell in Germany did not work out and when the team struggled he was dismissed. Rumours grew that Finch was going to work with Nick Nurse in some capacity at Brighton for the remainder of the season but Finch was then named coach of Belgian side Bree. He spent the next three seasons coaching Bree and with it took them to the playoff finals twice, winning the league one year and then just missing out this year, 06-07. He has brought former Sharks to Bree in Travis Conlan, Roger Huggins, Nate Reinking and Lynard Stewart. All four have contributed to the success of Bree in recent years as Finch has won the coach of the year award twice. He coached Brian Lynch, the husband of Tennis star Kim Clijsters and also two players Kelvin Torbert and Jeff Horner who both received invites to the NBA Summer League this off season. It seemed Finch’s love affair with the Belgian game was about to end in acrimony though after a game had to be re-played in the recent Belgium league finals due to an error in the scoring. Finch blasted the league, the officials and it’s future in a move reminiscent to the ones he made towards the end of his Sharks coaching tenure. However, whilst Finch has left Bree he will remain in Belgium coaching Mons Hainaut next season. Of course Finch has also been appointed coach of the Great Britain national team in recent years and his work in securing the services of many top players and putting together an excellent programme has been commended. It is true that GB are lucky to have him as a coach and his hard work will hopefully pay off with divisional promotion this summer. Like Todd Cauthorn, Iain McKinney, Richard Windle and Michael Payne, Finch will always be seen as part of the Sharks whatever he does elsewhere. He was a good player who helped to put the Sharks on the basketball map in this country, but he was an even better coach. I must admit I had my doubts whether he could make the transition to coach and thought he was too young and too inexperienced. However, Finch surpassed all expectations and in the end he was as much for his coaching ability as for his jumpers and ill advised facial growth! Finch is now a respected coach on the continent and along with his excellent work in developing the British programme at international level, it seems certain Finch will go on and be a success. PETER SCANTLEBURY Sharks coaching career : 4 seasons (2003-07) Honours achieved : League - Runners Up 2003/04, 2006/07 National Cup - Winners 2003/04 Playoff - Winners 2003/04 This is a copy from the section on Pete Scantlebury as a player (to save locating) The next step after playing was always going to be coaching for Pete Scantlebury and it seemed as is everything pointed to Scants being a success as a coach having played under so many different successful coaches and having so many ideas, concepts to draw on. However, it was a tough ask to follow Chris Finch at the Sharks at a club where success is pretty much demanded. Losing a few key players did not help but Scants made a key signing in HL Coleman and the Sharks got his coaching career off to a flying start. He seemed to have quite a relaxed attitude and returning starters like Reinking and Stewart played with even more freedom, even developing and enhancing their overall game. The Sharks did run out of steam in the league but won the National Cup giving Scantlebury his first trophy and then finally coming together after a few weeks of poor play to make it into the playoff final. Playing the Chester Jets, Scants coached the team superbly and the club, and Pete, finally won their first ever playoff title. A further reward for his superb start as coach came on the international level. After acting as assistant to Lazlo Nemeth to the National team, Scantlebury was named head coach of England and helped lead the squad to a bronze medal in the Commonwealth games in 2006. Scantlebury has continued to help the Sharks remain a top 4 team for the last few seasons and last year saw him really over achieve in my opinion as despite losing starters and experienced players, Scants helped the Sharks to a runners up finish, narrowly missing out on the league title and keeping them in contention for all other major honours. Scantlebury seems set to remain in Sheffield for the foreseeable future and hopefully it will not be long before he brings trophies back to the Sharks once again. |
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| DaveBeeden | Jul 26 2007, 07:01 PM Post #33 |
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Bench Player
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That's all folks (for now) Hope the update has been of some interest. I will try and add any new players from next season to this as we go along but if Rob Mi leaves it here, then I will try and update any of the entries if anything significant happens or I hear anything from any Sharks or ex Sharks. |
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| Rob Mi | Jul 27 2007, 01:49 PM Post #34 |
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He's a bit Pikey
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 Thanks so much for that Dave. This will remain as a sticky as it is clearly an excellent refernce library of Sharks' players which you can feel free to add to over the coming seasons should you see fit. |
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| DaveBeeden | Aug 2 2007, 07:13 PM Post #35 |
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Bench Player
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Updates as of August 2nd, 2007 to following entries : John Amaechi Jeff Bonds Eddie Cage Todd Cauthorn Travis Conlan Atiba Lyons Blake Shelton I will update at periodic intervals thoughgout the summer as and when Sharks sign players (to give a bit of a background about new signings) or current players (if any left!) leave. I will also try and keep an eye on any ex Sharks moving clubs or in the news. |
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