Archive News

26 April 2010

Brian Dobson

The Club is deeply saddened by the loss of Brian Dobson, long-serving Assistant Coach of the Manchester Magic Division One Men's team and voluntary administrator of Greater Manchester Community Basketball. He passed away on Sunday evening shortly after the team won the 2010 Playoff Final against the Derby Trailblazers. The team dedicated the win to Brian who had been in hospital for a little while.

The Club will greatly miss his immense hard work behind the scenes, especially the organisation of our major events, including the Senior Final Fours, the Haris International Tournament, the SureShot Boy's National Cup and Magic home games. His great experience and knowledge of basketball enabled the Club to become such a big influence on English basketball. He also undertook the task of arranging the appointment of referees for all youth National League games at the Amaechi Basketball Centre.

He will be greatly missed by all in the basketball community.

Our thoughts are with his family - his wife, Marjorie, daughter Mandy, and Garry, Josh and Abigail.

Details on funeral arrangements will be released in the future.

3 May 2010

Final Fours

The Club achieved something which has never been done before, but it still remained a somewhat disappointing set of results.

Of the 3 Girls Championships (Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18), we made the Final Four in 2 (Under 16 and Under 18).

Of the 5 Boys Championships (Under 13, Under 14, Under 15, Under 16, Under 18), we made the Final Four in all of them.

Thus, of the 8 possible Championships for Boys and Girls, we were in the Final Four for 7 of them - an outstanding achievement by any measure.

However, of the 7 Championships available, we only managed one first place, which is unusually poor for the Magic/Mystics Club.

Many congratulations to the Under 13 Boys who won their Championship at the Jesse Boot Arena , Nottingham, in March.

	Place
Under 13 Boys	1st
Under 16 Boys	2nd
Under 14 Boys	2nd
Under 18 Boys	3rd
Under 15 Boys	3rd

Under 18 Girls	3rd
Under 16 Girls	4th

See detailed results on here.

28 April 2010

Coaches Needed

In wishing to expand both Boys and Girls National League programmes next season, the Club is seeking extra National League Coaches. We have teams ranging from Under 13 Boys and Under 14 Girls to Senior Men and Women.

Anyone wishing to get involved at any level as either a coach or assistant coach, please email Joe Forber on j.forber@amaechibasketballcentre.comor telephone 01625-527867 or 07790-686496.

2 May 2010

Play-off Progress for Club Age Goup Teams

Our Age Group teams are making good progress in the National League Play-offs:

Under 18 Men	Manchester	S Final	Sun 2 May	EIS	Reading	65 - 78	LOSS
Under 18 Men	Manchester	3/4 Pl-off	Sun 2 May	EIS	Sheffield	65 - 60	WIN
Under 18 Women	Manchester	S Final	Sat 1 May	EIS	Haringey	52 - 57	LOSS
Under 18 Women	Manchester	3/4 Pl-off	Sat 1 May	EIS	Birmingham	71 - 58	WIN
Under 16 Boys	Manchester	S Final	Sat 1 May	EIS	London Pioneers	69 - 58	WIN
Under 16 Boys	Manchester	Final	Sat 1 May	EIS	Milton Keynes	68 - 72	LOSS
Under 16 Girls	Manchester	S Final	Sun 2 May	EIS	Eastside	50 - 51*	LOSS
Under 16 Girls	Manchester	3/4 Pl-off	Sun 2 May	EIS	Nottingham	40 - 43	LOSS
Under 14 Boys	Manchester	S Final	Sun 2 May	EIS	NASSA	68 - 66	WIN
Under 14 Boys	Manchester	Final	Sun 2 May	EIS	Cheshire	66 - 80	LOSS

15 April 2010

MANCHESTER MAGIC BOYS BASKETBALL TRIALS

If you want a chance to play for the TOP development club in England, then read on…………

Saturday 8th May 2010

Current School Year 6, 7                                 12.30pm – 2.30pm
Current School Years 8, 9                                2.30pm – 4.30pm
Current School Years 10,11                            4.30pm – 6.00pm

Selections will be made in preparation for teams representing the Magic for the 2010/11 Season.

All trials at:
Amaechi Basketball Centre
Whalley Range High School
Wilbraham Road
Whalley Range
M16 8GW
Tel: 0161 881 0090

!No charge to take part!

For further details contact:
Joe Forber: 01625-527867 or 07790-686496(M)
Richard Hill: 07833-224380(M) or Office Number 0161-881-0090

18 April 2010

Play-off Progress for Club Age Goup Teams

Our Age Group teams are making good progress in the National League Play-offs:

Under 18 Men	Manchester	Q Final	Sat 17 April	H	Medway Park	79 - 64	WIN
Under 18 Women	Manchester	Q Final	Sat 17 April	H	Sheffield	82 - 56	WIN
Under 16 Boys	Manchester	Q Final	Sun 18 April	H	Worthing	90 - 66	WIN
Under 16 Girls	Manchester	Q Final	Sat 17 April	H	Sevenoaks	53 - 42	WIN
Under 14 Boys	Manchester	Q Final	Sat 17 April	A	Sheffield	72 - 66	WIN
Under 14 Girls	Manchester	Q Final	Sun 18 April	A	Sevenoaks	38 - 53	LOSS

5 April 2010

Under 16 Girls Success

Congratulations to the 3 Under 16 girls who have been chosen to represent the England Development Squad in Toulouse. They will be involved in an International Tournament from 21 May to 24 May. Best Wishes for a successful Tournament to: Molly Campbell, Catherine Meakin and Ashley Tensel.

27 March 2010

Final Fours

Teams from Manchester at Under 13 and Under 15 level will be at Jesse Boot, Nottingham, this weekend, 27/28 March, to take part in the Final Fours:

Under 15 Boys	Play-off SF	Sat 27 March	Solent Kestrels	68 - 69	LOSS
Under 15 Boys	Play-off 3/4	Sat 27 March	Leeds	83 - 50	WIN
Under 13 Boys	Play-off SF	Sat 27 March	Sheffield Sharks	106 - 39	WIN
Under 13 Boys	Play-off Fnl	Sat 27 March	Newham	85 - 78	WIN

Congratulations to our Under 13 Boys who won the Final of the Under 13 Final Four Competition, and to Raheem Idris who was MVP of the Final game.

30 November 2009

Inaugural Magic Under13/Under14 Boys Tournament 2009

Two of our supporters, Karen Kaya and her son Kubi, kindly agreed to donate a brand new Cup and winners medals for our Tournament which was held at ABC on Sunday 29 November 2009. We took into account both the Under 13 and Under 14 results to decide the overall winner. Therefore Cheshire Jets, Northants and Manchester were the only 3 teams to qualify, as Sheffield Sharks only had one team represented, as they were unable to field a team in the Under 13 Boys.

Results are shown below:

Under 13 Boys

Manchester 1	70 - 22	Northants	Cheshire	38 - 47	Manchester 2
Manchester 1	64 - 11	Cheshire	Northants	40 - 37	Manchester 2
Manchester 1	54 - 14	Manchester 2	Cheshire	23 - 40	Northants

Under 14 Boys

Manchester	51 - 27	Northants	Cheshire	63 - 44	Sheffield
Manchester	53 - 51	Cheshire	Northants	46 - 40	Sheffield
Manchester	65 - 36	Sheffield	Cheshire	55 - 68	Northants

The scoring system used was, for each age group:
1st        5 points
2nd       3 points
3rd        2 points
4th        1 point

The overall winner to be the Club with the most points from the addition of both age groups.

Final Positions:
1st        Manchester
2nd       Northants
3rd        Cheshire

25 September 2009

Chief Operations Officer

Jimmy Quigley, formerly of Manchester City Council, has been appointed by the Board of Trustees, as 'Chief Operations Officer' of the Club from Thursday 1 October 2009.

25 July 2009

2 July 2009

Under 14 Girls at Sheffield

Last weekend, the Under 14 Girls travelled to Sheffield for a Tournament. Results were:

Sheffield 1	34 - 22	Manchester Mystics
Northampton 1	7 - 37	Manchester Mystics
Sheffield 2	10 - 33	Manchester Mystics
Northampton 2	5 - 67	Manchester Mystics

Coach Chris Straker says: ' The girls did really well and learnt a lot throughout the day, playing 4 games back-to back'.

We have a coaching vacancy for our Women's Division 2 coach, possibly to link it with our outstanding Under 18 girls squad.

Any interested coaches should contact Joe Forber by email: mmagic@tesco.net or phone: 07790-686496 as quickly as possible.

15 June 2009

Scottish Visitors

The Scottish Under 14 Boys were at ABC last weekend (13/14 June) and gave an excellent account of themselves. With a very talented and well-disciplined squad, they were a little too good for the Manchester Boys.

On Saturday, we split our boys into 2 equal teams to play the Scots, and on Sunday, we played a single select team against them.

RESULTS	UNDER 14 BOYS
Saturday	Manchester 1	50 - 82	Scotland
	Manchester 2	58 - 68	Scotland
Sunday	Manchester	45 - 66	Scotland

We would like to thank most sincerely the Scots party for coming to Manchester to compete against our teams.

The Scots girls were also competing against the Mystics:

RESULTS	UNDER 14 GIRLS
Saturday	Manchester	43 - 33	Scotland
Sunday	Manchester	66 - 55	Scotland

RESULTS	UNDER 13 GIRLS
Saturday	Manchester	53 - 31	Cheshire Jets
	Manchester	20 - 32	Scotland
Sunday	Manchester	19 - 52	Scotland

The games between the squads provided tough competition and were well contested and played in great spirit. Everyone has learnt a lot from these early season challenges. Many thanks to all those who organised and officiated throughout a great weekend of basketball.

3 May 2009

Final Fours

4, from a possible 6, of our Age-Group teams will be at RAF Cosford this weekend, 2/3 May, to take part in the Final Fours:

Under 18 Mystics	Play-off SF	Saturday 2 May	Southend Swifts	WIN	100 - 55
Under 18 Mystics	Play-off Final	Saturday 2 May	Haringey Angels	LOSS	49 - 60
Under 16 Boys Magic	Play-off SF	Saturday 2 May	Cheshire Jets	WIN	83 - 57
Under 16 Boys Magic	Play-off Final	Saturday 2 May	Sheffield Sharks	WIN	95 - 61
Under 14 Boys Magic	Play-off SF	Sunday 3 May	London Pioneers	WIN	82 - 58
Under 14 Boys Magic	Play-off Final	Sunday 3 May	Newham All Stars	WIN	74 - 60
Under 14 Girls Mystics	Play-off SF	Saturday 2 May	Haringey Angels	LOSS	56 - 78
Under 14 Girls Mystics	3/4 Play-off	Saturday 2 May	Cheshire Jets	WIN	66 - 44

Congratulations to all teams and coaches, especially the Under 16 Boys who won their Final, and John Gould who was awarded Under 16 MVP, and the Under 14 Boys who won their Final, with Greg Krippa as MVP.

Interestingly, while the U16 Boys were playing their Final and the Under 14 Girls were playing in the 3/4 play-off, 3 brothers and sisters were playing at the same time: Tom and Natalie Joyce, Luke and Catherine Meakin and Jake and Millie Campbell!

19 April 2009

Play-off Progress

The next round of play-off games for our teams are:

Div 1 Men Magic	Play-off SF	Saturday 18 April	Leopards	WIN	92 - 76
Div 1 Men Magic	Play-off Final	Sunday 19 April	Reading	LOSS	52 - 89
Under 18 Men Magic	Play-off Round QF	Sunday 19 April	Hackney	LOSS	85 - 87
Under 18 Mystics	Play-off Round QF	Friday 10 April	Wandsworth	WIN	85 - 56
Under 16 Boys Magic	Play-off Round QF	Sunday 19 April	London Pioneers	WIN	86 - 65
Under 16 Girls Mystics	Play-off Round QF	Sunday 19 April	Southend	LOSS	52 - 71
Under 14 Boys Magic	Play-off Round QF	Saturday 18 April	Leicester Warriors	WIN	95 - 54
Under 14 Girls Mystics	Play-off Round QF	Saturday 18 April	Ipswich Bobcats	WIN	104 - 34

5 April 2009

Play-off News

After all our teams' play-off games last weekend, results were:

Div 1 Men Magic	Play-off QF	Saturday 4 April	Tees Valley	WIN	77 - 68
Div 1 Women Mystics	Play-off QF	Saturday 4 April	Sheffield	LOSS	62 - 80
Under 18 Men Magic	Play-off Round 2	Sunday 5 April	Northants	WIN	94 - 58
Under 18 Men Trafford	Play-off Round 2	Saturday 4 April	Milton Keynes	LOSS	74 - 96
Under 18 Mystics	Play-off Round 1	4/5 April	Wandsworth	Home	TBA
Under 16 Boys Magic	Play-off Round 2	Sunday 5 April	Doncaster	WIN	85 - 32
Under 16 Girls Mystics	Play-off Round 1	Saturday 4 April	Exeter	WIN	86 - 47
Under 14 Boys Magic	Play-off Round 2	Sunday 5 April	Ilkeston Outlaws	WIN	158 - 26
Under 14 Girls Mystics	Play-off Round QF	18/19 April	Ipswich Bobcats	Home	TBA

For results see Results pages and Tables pages.

29 March 2009

Play-off News

All our Age Group teams have reached the play-off stages this season. Games to come are:

Under 18 Men Magic	Play-off Round 1	Saturday 28 March	Stockport	WIN	93 - 45
Under 18 Men Trafford	Play-off Round 1	Saturday 28 March	Newcastle	WIN	87 - 74
Under 18 Mystics	Play-off Round 1	4/5 April	?	Home?	TBA
Under 16 Boys Magic	Play-off Round 2	4/5 April	Doncaster/Trafford	Home	TBA
Under 16 Boys Trafford	Play-off Round 1	TBA	Doncaster	'LOSS'	0 - 20
Under 16 Girls Mystics	Play-off Round 1	Saturday 4 April	Exeter	Home	1:00pm
Under 15 Boys Magic	Semi-Final	Sunday 29 March	Worthing	LOSS	83 - 85
Under 14 Boys Magic	Play-off Round 1	Sunday 29 March	Barnsley Leaders	WIN	150 - 28
Under 14 Girls Mystics	Play-off Round 1	Sunday 29 March	Hatfield	WIN	90 - 28
Under 13 Boys Magic	Semi-Final	Saturday 28 March	Ipswich	LOSS	65 - 89

See results pages for results of these games.

Manchester Magic and Manchester Mystics are also on course for making the Play-offs: Magic should be at home on Saturday 4 April, and Mystics look like being away on 4/5 April. Opposition still unknown!

5 January 2009

Under 15/16 Boys Tournament

Saturday 3 January 2009

2:00pm	Manchester U15/16 40 - 41 Birmingham U16	Trafford U15 74 – 50 St Mirren U16
3:30pm	Manchester U15/16 65 - 43 St Mirren U16	Trafford U15 37 - 77 Birmingham U16
5:00pm	Manchester U15/16 53 - 30 Trafford U15	St Mirren U16 31 – 109 Birmingham U16

25 November 2008

Mystics Success

Despite two of the squad being struck by illness and being unable to play a number of the games, the North West girls produced some outstanding performances to finish a creditable 3rd in the Lilleshall competion this weekend.
Every one of the Mystics girls played out of their skins, and delighted us with some wonderful basketball.
With a full strength team, the result could have been even better, but we were so proud of how the girls responded in the face of adversity.

Their behaviour on and off the court was exemplary, and they were a credit to themselves, the North West Region and the Amaechi Basketball Centre.
All the girls have now been invited to attend regional APCs .
Ashey Tensel received special recognition for her performance over the weekend, and will now join the England development programme and Leah McDerment has been promoted to train with the England Under 16 squad.
This was a great experience for all the girls and hopefully they will all go on to bigger, better things.

11 November 2008

Message From Duncan Ogilvie

Dear Manchester Magic Family.

I hope all is well and the new season is starting well for all the teams and players. I wanted to write to you all and say thank you for the great season that i had last year. Being in Manchester was a very positive experience for me and enabled me to accomplish some things that I did not think I would get the chance to, like gaining my masters, winning the Cup, League and Playoffs as well as the MVP.

I had the opportunity to get back to Spain and play again, with the added incentive to be close to my girlfriend. This was not an easy decision as i would have loved to come back to the Magic and build on last year's success. However, it was a great chance for me and i could not turn it down. I hope that one day I will come back to Manchester and spend some more time with all you guys. It was a great time and you all treated me so well and were so accommodating to all my needs, so thank you so much.

Please stay in contact, and rest assured I will be keeping my eyes on the progress of the teams throughout the season. Best of luck.

All the best
Duncan

23 September 2008

Mystics Under 14 Girls

Seven of the current Mystics Under 14s squad have been selected to represent the North West of England at Lilleshall in November.
They are Leah McDerment (Captain), Ashley Tensel, Mollie Campbell, Catherine Meakin, Danielle Johnson, Elisabeth Farley and Hannah Alty.
All the girls are thrilled and are looking forward to a great weekend of basketball. Congratulations to all these girls.

16 September 2008

Saturday Morning at ABC

The Primary School Saturday morning coaching/games has now re-started. It is available to School Years 3 - 6 at Primary School.

TIME:	10:30am - 11:30am
COST:	£1.50

Just turn up and play!

15 September 2008

Monday Coaching Starts Today

Primary and Secondary Coaching Starts today!

5:30pm - 6:30pm at the Amaechi Basketball Centre.

Cost £1.50

15 September 2008

Magic v Jets

Manchester Magic will have their first home friendly game of the season at ABC on Wednesday evening, 17 September.

Watch this space for further details! Game will be played at 8:15pm

12 September 2008

FAMILY FUN DAY


Sunday 21 September at ABC
3:00pm - 6:00pm
3-on-3 Family Challenge
Quiz
Shoot outs
5 v 5 All Star Game
Lots of prizes
Beat the Pro
etc. etc.

A great day of basketball for basketball nuts. Only £5 per family.

Pre-book on-line by emailing magicfamilyfunday@yahoo.co.uk

Amaechi Basketball Centre, Whalley Range High School, Wilbraham Road, Whalley Range, Manchester M16 8GW

Telephone 0161-881-0090

16 August 2008

James Jones

After some sterling performances for the highly successful Guildford Heat last season, James has decided to play closer to home this coming season.

He has signed a contract to play for Everton Tigers which will enable his family to see him play much more often. James was a surprising omission from the GB Men's squad and he will be trying hard to prove the selectors wrong with his performances on Merseyside.

James' brother, Callum, enters his third year at Pace University (Division 2 NCAA) whilst Jack Minister does the same at Clark University (Division 3 NCAA). Andy Thomson returns to Spain to play at a much higher level than last season, whilst Andrew Lovedale tries to fulfil his NBA ambitions by continuing his outstanding progress at Davidson College (Division 1 NCAA) in his final year.

26 July 2008

DANIEL WHELAN

It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Daniel Whelan, who was a valued member of our highly successful Junior team last season.

Daniel was taken ill a few days ago whilst visiting friends in Spain and died shortly afterwards of meningitis.

Daniel somehow managed to play 2 sports to a high level, rugby and basketball, whilst studying for his A levels at Bolton School.

He came late to our National League programme but made rapid progress, due to his determination to succeed and his enthusiasm for the game. Highly popular with his team mates, he will be sadly missed by all at the Club.

His family, father Mike, mother Cathy, brothers Jordan and Patrick and sister Julia are all intimately involved with our Club and Centre. We send our heartfelt condolences to them all at this sad time.

16 July 2008

MANCHESTER YOUTH GAMES

Manchester Boys (Under 13s) won the Trophy at the Youth Games held last Saturday at Sport City. They beat Trafford in their Semi-final and Rochdale in the Final. Pictures of the event are on www.flickr.com/photos/28586563@N06

Manchester Girls were runners-up in their event.

Congratulations to both teams.

Greater Manchester now have a Boys' team and a Girls' team in the North West Tournament at Ellesmere Port on Sunday 20 July.

9 July 2008

YOUNG MYSTICS SUCCESS

Rosie Hynes (Mystics U16s) got her first taste of international duty when she represented England Under 16s development squad in Belfast. Full details of this are shown on Basketball Ireland link - www.basketballireland.ie

Holly Rush and Ashleigh Woodacre (Mystics U16s) were part of the team that won the Division 3 English Schools Basketball finals at the Nottingham Wildcats arena last weekend, playing for Wentworth School, Salford. Both girls contributed greatly during the games and were a credit to their club.

Congratulations to all these girls representing the Mystics.

12 May 2008

KORNEL TOBER

It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Kornel Tober. Kornel died on May 3, 2008 at the age of 78. He was a founder member of our Club and our most fervent supporter. Kornel has been an ever present in the Manchester Basketball scene for over 55 years from the very beginning of basketball at the Y.M.C.A. in the early 1950’s, until the present day.

Kornel was still to be seen, in very recent days, to be on the floor at ABC helping our players to improve their game.

His wisdom, both in life and in basketball, was a great support to many Club members who approached him for advice and counsel.

We shall all miss him.

The funeral arrangements are St Annes Church, Chester Road, Stretford, Manchester, M32 8LF 12:30pm on Tuesday 13th May.

11 May 2008

HONOURS FLOW IN

After the excellent season enjoyed by both Magic and Mystics Senior teams, due reward has been given to 3 members of the Club for their outstanding contributions towards our success:

Div 1 Men's Player of the Year	Duncan Ogilvie
Div 1 Men's Coach of the Year	Jeff Jones
Div 1 Women's Coach of the Year	Sergio Lara-Bercial

Heartiest congratulations to these individuals and to the teams' success as well.

21 April 2008

Play-off Progress

Manchester Magic

Manchester	113 - 63	Taunton	H	Play-off QF	WIN
Manchester	88 - 67	Bristol	A	Play-off SF	WIN
Manchester	94 - 82	Reading	A	Play-off Final	WIN

Manchester Mystics

Manchester	79 - 71	Nottingham	H	Play-off QF	WIN
Manchester	63 - 88	Sheffield	A	Play-off SF	LOSS

Under 15 Boys

Manchester	102 - 38	Leeds	H	Play-off R1	WIN
Manchester	121 - 27	Notts Nova	H	Play-off R2	WIN
Manchester	70 - 67	Birmingham	A	Play-off QF	WIN
Manchester	78 - 51	East London	A	Play-off SF	WIN
Manchester	64 - 71	Sheffield	A	Play-off Final	LOSS

Under 18 Boys

Manchester	107 - 41	East Durham	H	Play-off R1	WIN
Manchester	108 - 51	Milton Keynes Lions	H	Play-off R2	WIN
Manchester	72 - 57	West London	H	Play-off QF	WIN
Manchester	95 - 54	Derby Trailblazers	A	Play-off SF	WIN
Manchester	99 - 75	TASIS	A	Play-off Fnl	WIN

Under 14 Boys

Manchester	107 - 41	Leeds	H	Play-off R1	WIN
Manchester	20 - 0	Shropshire	H	Play-off R2	'WIN'
Manchester	33 - 59	Milton Keynes	H	Play-off QF	LOSS

Under 16 Boys

Manchester	99 - 25	Doncaster Danum Eagles	H	Play-off R1	WIN
Manchester	69 - 34	Solent Kestrels	H	Play-off QF	WIN
Manchester	70 - 71	Hackney	A	Play-off SF	LOSS
Manchester	73 - 76	Southampton T'blazers	A	Play-off 3/4	LOSS

Trafford

57 - 63

Preston Pride

Play-off R1

LOSS

Under 16 Girls

Manchester	68 - 42	Northants Lightning	H	Play-off R1	WIN
Manchester	95 -22	Reading	H	Play-off QF	WIN
Manchester	36 - 76	Southend	A	Play-off SF	LOSS
Manchester	78 - 77	Sevenoaks	A	Play-off 3/4	WIN

Under 14 Girls

Manchester	72 - 39	Northants Lightning	H	Play-off R1	WIN
Manchester	31 - 53	Haringey	A	Play-off QF	LOSS

19 April 2008

Under 16 Boys at Cosford

(Peter Jacques' reports on games at Cosford. Others appear on Pawprint website www.pawprint75.co.uk/index.html)

Semi-Final

Hackney White Heat (22, 48, 61) 71

Manchester Magic (17, 29, 51) 70

Hackney snatched victory in the last second of an incredible match which saw a huge swing in fortunes.

The Londoners raced into an early 12-5 lead, before Manchester pegged them back to 19-17, only for Helio Sampaio (who had eight of Hackney's last ten points) to give the White Heat a five point margin at the end of the quarter.

The teams exchanged baskets to 26-21, but then an incredible 18-3 spurt by Hackney put them 20 points ahead, and, with Ryan Martin in fine form, with eleven points in the quarter, they stretched away to 48-26, before settling for a nineteen point interval lead.

Manchester still trailed by sixteen (59-43) going into the last three minutes of the third, but an eight point run pulled the margin back to single figures, and at the end of the period they were just ten behind.

The first five minutes of the final quarter belonged exclusively to the Magic, as an 0-11 run, including six from Daniel Pilkington, gave them their first lead, 61-62, since early in the first!

A brief spurt from Hackney took them back ahead, 66-64, but the momentum was now with Manchester, and going into the final minute they had their biggest lead of the game, 66-69. Strong defence then kept Hackney away from the basket, and there were only 28½ seconds remaining in the game when Sampaio found the net to make it a one-point game. A foul on Kaphel Ulett-Waul enabled Manchester to increase the pressure on their opponents, as 1 of 2 from the stripe made it 68-70 to the Magic, and when Sam Oleyemi stole the ball and fed Jack Bedford, the foul on the latter gave him the chance to seal the win from the stripe with just 9 seconds remaining.

Though Beckford spurned both shots, under what must have been incredible pressure, the odds still favoured Magic, as they kept their opponents at a distance from the basket, but with just 1 seconds remaining on the clock Manchester's anguish was matched only by White Heat's ecstasy, as a long-range "3" from Sampaio found the net to clinch a remarkable victory.

Hackney: Martin 20; Inacio 14; McLean-Salmon 12; Sampaio 11; Taylor 6; Reid 2; Oladuji 1; Wilkinson [dnp]; Buchschacher [dnp]; Chin [dnp].

Manchester: Pilkington 22; Townley 15; Olayemi 11; Clark 9; Ulett-Waul 5; Gardner 5; Taylor-Bell 3; Banks; Stainton [dnp]; Abbott [dnp]; Throup [dnp]; Bedford [dnp].

14 April 2008

Another Honour For Georgia

Despite the Mystics falling to Sheffield in the National Championships Semi-Final, there was some good news during the weekend for the Mystics. Georgia Jones was presented with the Under 18 Player of the Year award - fully deserved for her performances for the Mystics and Great Britain. She has been an outstanding representative of our Club, on and off the floor, and we can all be proud of her achievements. Georgia is considering several options for next season which will become clearer in the next few weeks.

More news to follow.

For Mike Arnfield's photos of the presentation, click here at the end of the Mystics Semi-final set.

24 March 2008

Amazing Lovedale

Andrew Lovedale has been instrumental in 2 amazing performances by Davidson College (North Carolina) in the NCAA Tournament. Davidson are now in the Sweet Sixteen, with the ambition and confidence to go much further.

The first round saw them defeat the highly-rated Gonzaga by 82 - 76, with Andrew producing a sterling performance with 12 points and 13 rebounds in 29 minutes of action.

The team remained underdogs in the last 32 as they came up against the second-seeded Georgetown who made the Final Four last year. Despite being 17 points down at one stage, a brilliant come-back enabled them to win by 74 - 70. Andrew's 11 points and rugged rebounding were a major factor in the victory.

Davidson now go to Detroit, knowing that 2 more victories will get them to the Final Four. They meet the Wisconsin Badgers on Friday 28 March.

Andrew is being recognised nationally for his performances so far and for being a tough competitor who backs down from no-one.

We will continue to follow his progress.

3 August 2007

Graham McCargo

Graham McCargo, one of most staunch Club supporters and volunteers, sadly died suddenly, on Sunday 29 July. Graham was responsible for the writing of reports on the Senior Magic and Mystics games for our website for many years.

He held the Club's principles in the highest regard at all times, and will be sadly missed by all. He was 68.

We send the Club's condolences to his wife, Gloria, and his children, Duncan, Wendy and Ian, and their families.

His funeral has been arranged for Thursday 9 August at Macclesfield Crematorium, at 2pm.

19 November 2007

Magic Games Live!

From next Saturday, supporters should be able to follow the Magic games live. Just click the live logo below:

9 November 2007

MANCHESTER MAGIC BOYS BASKETBALL TRIALS

If you want a chance to play for the top development Club in England, then read on.....

WHO FOR:		School Year 9
WHEN:		Saturday 17 November
WHERE:		Amaechi Basketball Centre, Whalley Range High School, M16 8GW
TIME:		1:00pm - 3:00pm
COST:		Free

Just turn up on the day; you do not need to register before this. Please be on time.

Those selected will be invited to join the Magic Under 14 squad.

For further details contact Joe Forber 01625-527867 or 07790-686496(M) or email: mmagic@tesco.net

8 November 2007

YOUNG MYSTICS PLAYERS SELECTED

After the recent regional tournament at the Jesse Boot Arena in Nottingham, Leah McDerment Mystics U14s/16s, and Rosie Hynes U16s, were selected to join the England U16s Development Squad.

Three girls from the Under 14s team will represent the North West in the forthcoming Inter Regional Tournament at Lilleshall - Holly Rush, Danielle Johnson and Leah McDerment.

9 October 2007

The Haris Memorial Fund Awards

Each month "THE HARIS STAR OF THE MONTH" award is presented to a player from the Under 14 Boys and a player from the Under 15 Boys National League teams. The awards are made to encourage youngsters to work hard in training sessions and the presentation of the awards is certainly having the desired effect. All the players are working really hard to impress their coaches in the hope of winning an award. Last Saturday the Awards for were made to:

	Luke Meakin	Under 14
	Adam Graham	Under 15

Congratulations to both boys.

Presenting the Awards is a perfect way to remember the outstanding qualities of Haris in his playing days, and we remember especially that today is the anniversary of his death in 2006. Our thoughts are with the family at this time.

Haris` father presented Luke's trophy at the game. Adam will receive his later.

23 September 2007

GB Women v Netherlands

Great Britain 68 - 32 Netherlands

For Pawprint Match report, click here

For Mike Arnfield's Photos of the game, click here

The Ladies now go to Amsterdam to play the Netherlands in the second leg on Wednesday - the winners, on aggregate, will go through to the European 'A' Division in 2008.

18 September 2007

GB Ladies - Win or Bust

fter a lengthy and tiring summer schedule, the highly successful GB Ladies team will meet their final test on Saturday 22 September at ABC. They play the Netherlands in the first home leg to decide which team goes through to the European 'A' Division in 2008.

Tickets will be at a premium and a sell-out crowd is expected. Please arrive early at the box office to ensure entry. Entry cost is £5.

Kristy Lavin and Georgia Jones represent the Club and are expected to make a big contribution to the team.

The return leg will be on Wednesday 26 September in Holland, so a good lead in the first leg would be a great start.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE TIP-OFF TIME AT ABC IS 7:00pm

16 September 2007

GB Women at ABC again

Congratulations to the GB Women who won their game against Portugal yesterday afternoon, by 49 - 60, Kristy Lavin scoring an outstanding 18 points.

This means that they will now play the Netherlands in a home/away match for promotion to Division A.

The Home leg is at the Amaechi Basketball Centre next Saturday, 22 September, at 7:00pm, where all supporters will again be welcome.

For further details, ask for Freda Jones, Jane Thomas-Johnson, Tony Middleton or Brian Dobson at the ABC on 0161-881-0090.

13 September 2007

Georgia and Kristy Star

Georgia Jones and Kristy Lavin made great contributions to an outstanding team performance by GB Ladies in their European qualification game v Bosnia & Herzegovina. The final score of 66 - 44 represents a tremendous defence performance to upset the Bosnians.

The team now goes to Portugalto play on Saturday 15 September needing to win the game to go to the final promotion games which will determine whether the team goes to the 'A' Division of the European Championships.

Amaechi Basketball Centre has again been chosen to host the home promotion game if it goes ahead. Saturday 22 September has been pencilled in, so watch this space for further news.

In particular, best of luck to Georgia and Kristy for the games to come. Both players are excellent ambassadors for our Club, both on and off the floor.

10 September 2007

GB Women at the Amaechi Basketball Centre

After the success in their first game, Great Britain v Estonia, and victory over Luxembourg at the weekend, the GB Ladies are to play the top of the league, Bosnia & Herzegovina, on Wednesday 12 September at 7:30pm at the Amaechi Basketball Centre. Doors are open at 6:30pm.

Come and support the ladies at this very important match for the GB Women's team. Tickets are again £5 and are available at the door.

For further details, ask for Freda Jones, Jane Thomas-Johnson, Tony Middleton or Brian Dobson at the ABC on 0161-881-0090.

24 August 2007

GB Women at the Amaechi Basketball Centre

Tickets for the first game, Great Britain v Estonia are now available from the Office at ABC. Ask for Freda Jones, Jane Thomas-Johnson, Tony Middleton or Brian Dobson.

Game is on Saturday 1 September: 7:00pm tip-off. Doors open at 6:00pm.

Remember, tickets for each game are £5 each, with a special deal of £8 to get tickets for both games.

17 August 2007

GB Women at the Amaechi Basketball Centre

There are 2 great games scheduled for ABC as part of the European qualification process for Great Britain Women:

1. Great Britain v Estonia

Saturday 1 September: 7:00pm tip-off. Doors open at 6:00pm.

2. Great Britain v Bosnia & Herzegovina

Wednesday 12 September 7:30pm tip-off. Doors open at 6:30pm.

Tickets for each game are £5 each, with a special deal of £8 to get tickets for both games.

Bookings can be made at the Centre on 0161-881-0090. Ask for Tony Middleton, Jeff Jones or Freda Jones.

3 August 2007

Graham McCargo

He held the Club's principles in the highest regard at all times, and will be sadly missed by all. He was 68.

We send the Club's condolences to his wife, Gloria, and his children, Duncan, Wendy and Ian, and their families.

His funeral has been arranged for Thursday 9 August at Macclesfield Crematorium, at 2pm.

20 June 2007

Georgia Repeats

For the second year in succession, Georgia Jones has been voted the Most Valuable Under 16 Girls player in England. This adds to the Division 1 Men's Coach of the Year trophy won by her father, Jeff, so there is much rejoicing currently in the Jones' household.

Georgia rejoins the GB Ladies' Squad this summer to prepare for the continuation of the European qualification process.

Congratulations to everyone concerned.

4 June 2007

Honour for Jeff

Magical news was received late last week when Jeff Jones, the EBL Division 1 Magic Coach, was awarded Coach of the Year honours.

A Cup victory, play-off runner-up and League 3rd place was enough for Jeff's EBL Div 1 coaching colleagues to vote for him.

Many congratulations to Jeff, Brian and all the players for a much deserved honour.

16 May 2007

Two More National Titles For Young Manchester Basketball Players

Under 18 Women

Manchester Mystics 60 – 66 Haringey Angels

After winning their semi-final in a close game with the Sevenoaks Suns, the Mystics met the Angels in the Final of the play-offs at the Final Fours at RAF Cosford. This was a very close and hard contest against strong and well-organised opponents who led through most of the game. The Mystics were down by 4 at half-time and by 5 at the end of the third quarter. Overall they had played well, containing the Angels. Verity Peets and Charlotte Stoddart battled well under the boards and Kelsey Bardsley in particular kept the score moving at crucial times, but in general their shooting was not as good as it had been against the Suns. In the second half a hard fall kept Kristie Sheils out of the game for some time but she came back to play out the last minutes. In the last quarter, the Mystics stepped up their game and came very near to winning it. Georgia Jones did a very good job of holding the team together and the whole team tried hard and came back to finish strongly, but on the day they were beaten by a better team. Most Valuable Player was the outstanding Mrashi Karumba with her 19 points and 6 rebounds. Oddly, her whole team had not attempted one 3 point shot.

Mystics Top Scorers: Kelsey Bardsley/Verity Peets: 13 Georgia Jones/Charlotte Stoddart 12 Jessica Tensel: 8

Under 16 Girls

Manchester Mystics 71 – 52 Haringey Angels

Seven of the Under 18s who were so disappointed to lose on Saturday were delighted to win on Sunday, again against the Haringey girls. Down by a point after one quarter, they stepped up the pace and led at the half by 37-28. From then on, they cruised to 34-24 in the second half and an easy win. Kelsey Bardsley followed her sterling efforts of the previous day with 22 points and the Most Valuable Players award. Charlotte Stoddart had 11 points and was the game's top rebounder with 7 and Kristie Sheils showed she was fully recovered from her injury with 13 points, the same as Millie Reynolds. This time the Mystics out-rebounded the opposition and outscored them from all parts of the floor, to become well-deserved National Play-off champions.

Mystics Top Scorers: Kelsey Bardsley: 22 Kristie Sheils:/Millie Reynolds: 13 Charlotte Stoddart: 11

Under 14 Boys

Manchester Magic: 95 – 50 Birmingham

The Under 14 Magic boys had beaten a tall and skilful Westminster Warriors team in a very close game to reach the Final of the National play-offs. John Gould was top scorer with 27 points. Josh McGinn had 11 and Shomari Simmonds had 10.

Birmingham had beaten a very good Sheffield Sharks team by 5 points.

A good deal of the Manchester boys' success in the Final was down to their excellent start. By the end of the first quarter they led by 27-7 and never looked back. They played basketball of a quality rarely seen at this level, with John Gould again outstanding. He fully deserved his MVP award for his all-round game and his 28 points. By half-time they were 53-23 ahead and they went on to win comfortably. Assistant Coach Paul Wolfenden was able to use all his players and praised not only his top scorers but also Dujon Latti and Josh McGinn for their hard work and Shomari Simmonds for his rebounding. Tom Joyce also had an impressive 23 points.

In the end it seemed like an easy win, but the whole squad had worked very hard to become National Champions. Coach Graham Williams also commended the work of Paul Wolfenden who took over the team at Christmas, and the wholehearted support of the parents.

His own team, the Under 15s, had won the National Title at Cranwell a few weeks before, beating Southampton by 32 points. At all these games, the support from the parents and friends had been a crucial factor in the teams' success.

Once again, the Manchester club has shown itself to be overall the strongest in the country, but the standard is rising all the time and no-one can afford to relax.

Magic Top Scorers: John Gould: 28 Tom Joyce: 23 Shomari Simmonds: 11

25 April 2007

MANCHESTER MAGIC BOYS BASKETBALL TRIALS

If you want the chance to play for the top development Club in England, then read on….

SUNDAY 20 May

Present School Years 7, 8		12:00pm - 2:00pm
Present School Years 9, 10		2:30pm - 4:30pm
Present School Year 11		5:00pm - 6:30pm

Selections will be made in preparation for teams representing the Magic for Season 2007/08.

All Trials at the Amaechi Basketball Centre, Whalley Range High School, Wilbraham Road, Whalley Range. M16 8GW

Tel: 0161-881-0090

No charge to take part.

For further details contact Joe Forber 01625-527867 or 07790-686496(M)

22 April 2007

Under 15 Boys are National Champions

Today at RAF Cranwell, our Under 15 Boys took part in the National Final Fours. They beat Hackney in the first Semi-Final and then beat Southampton Trailblazers in the Final. Congratulations to the team, Coach and Assistant Coach, who have brought another National Trophy to the Club. Well done!

Semi-Final 1
Manchester Magic	69 - 64	Hackney White Heat
Semi-Final 2
Southampton Tailblazers	71 - 70	Sheffield Junior Sharks
Third Place Play-off
Hackney White Heat	86 - 70	Sheffield Junior Sharks
FINAL
Manchester Magic	90 - 58	Southampton Trailblazers

21 April 2007

Magic Win Semi

Manchester Magic have beaten Reading Rockets, at Reading, in the second leg of the Play-off Semi-Final. So, they go into the Final with an aggregate score of 179-170. They will meet Worthing in the Final at MetroRadio Arena, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7NA on Sunday 29 April at 1:00pm.

14 April 2007

The Haris Memorial Fund Awards

	Tom Joyce	Under 14
	Sam Olayemi	Under 15

Congratulations to both boys.

Presenting the Awards is a perfect way to remember the outstanding qualities of Haris in his playing days.

Haris`s parents will be at the game to present the trophies.

9 April 2007

Play-off News

11 of our Club teams have reached the play-off stages this season. Games to come are:

Division 1 Men Magic	Semi Final 1	Saturday 14 April	Reading	Home	7:30pm
	Semi Final 2	Saturday 21 April	Reading	Away	6:30pm
Division 1 Women Mystics	Quarter Final	Saturday 14 April	Nottingham	Away	5:00pm
Under 18 Men Magic	Play-off Round 1	Sunday 15 April	Sefton	Away	2:00pm
Under 18 Mystics	Play-off Round 1	Sunday 22 April	Essex & Herts	Home	4:00pm
Under 16 Boys Magic	Play-off Round 2	21/22 April	Coventry/Essex & Herts	Away	TBA
Under 16 Girls Mystics	Play-off Round 1	Sunday 22 April	Chiltern Pumas	Home	2;00pm
Under 16 Girls Trafford	Play-off Round 1	Sunday 22 April	Southend	Away	1:00pm
Under 15 Boys Magic	Semi-Final	Sunday 22 April	Hackney	RAF Cranwell	10:00am
Under 14 Boys Magic	Play-off Round 1	Saturday 21 April	Leicester Warriors	Home	2:00pm
Under 14 Girls Mystics	Play-off Round 1	Sunday 15 April	Birmingham	Home	2:00pm

See results pages for results of thesse games.

12 March 2007

The Haris Memorial Fund Awards

On Saturday 10th March at the Magic game, Dujon Lattie from the U14 team, and Kaphel Ullet-Waul from the U15 team, were presented with "THE HARIS STAR OF THE MONTH" award. The awards were for outstanding performances in practice sessions. Haris`s parents were at the game to present the trophies. The intention to make further awards for the months of March and April to encourage the youngsters to work hard in training sessions, is certainly having the desired effect. All the players are working really hard to impress their coaches in the hope of winning an award.

Coach Graham Williams was equally impressed. "I feel that it is a great way to remember the outstanding qualities of Haris in his playing days at Manchester. The youngsters have responded excellently and I am very pleased to be part of this award".

Congratulations to both boys.

25 February 2007

U16 Boy's Sureshot National Cup Final	Hackney White Heat	75 - 84	Team Spirit Sheffield Jnr Sharks
U18 Men's Sureshot National Cup Final	Ellesmere Port Panthers	66 - 87	Reading Rockets
Men's National Shield Final	Leeds Met Carnegie	82 - 56	UH West Herts Warriors II

The Club would like to thank, most sincerely, all volunteers for their services on the day - a great job by all concerned.

19 February 2007

Amaechi Basketball Centre Hosts National Finals

Sunday 25 February 2007

U16 Boy's Sureshot National Cup Final - 11:15 am

Hackney White Heat vs. Team Spirit Sheffield Jnr Sharks

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U18 Men's Sureshot National Cup Final - 1:15 pm

Ellesmere Port Panthers vs. Reading Rockets

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Men's National Shield Final (D3/4) - 3:15pm

Leeds Met Carnegie vs. UH West Herts Warriors II

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Tickets available from the centre - 0161 881 0090: Adult £4, Under 18 £2

18 February 2007

Cup Winners

Congratulations to the Manchester Mystics Under 18 and Under 16 teams who won both Sureshot Cups yesterday at Nottingham.

The Under 16 beat Haringey Angels by 74 - 40 and the Under 18 Girls followed up that win by beating Sevenoaks Suns by 75 - 61.

Well done girls!

27 October 2006

Haris Charalambous

Haris' parents, Polly and Kypros, asked that we set up the Haris Memorial Fund in Haris' memory. They would like to thank all who have made a contribution to the Fund, both from inside and outside the Club. The current total is in excess of £5,000 and will be used for any special requirements as deemed suitable to Polly and Kypros.

Polly and Kypros would also like to thank the many people who attended Haris' funeral (600+), and to all who have given their support to the family in any way at this time.

Let us hope that the Magic can have the kind of season which would be a special tribute to Haris.

16/18 October 2006

Haris Charalambous

The funeral service for Haris will be held on Thursday 19 October at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Manchester.

Address:	405 Bury New Road, Salford M7 4EY
Telephone:	0161-792-2694
Time:	12:00noon
Reception:	3:00pm at the Amaechi Basketball Centre

In memory of their son, the family have set up the Haris Memorial Fund. Kypros and Polly have asked that no flowers be sent, but if people so wish, donations can be made to the Fund.

Please send any donations to Joe & Maggie Forber:

6 Campden Way, Handforth Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 3JA, making cheques payable to the 'Haris Memorial Fund'.

£320 was collected for the Fund during the Magic and Mystics games last weekend. Many thanks to all who contributed.

10 October 2006

Haris Charalambous

Haris

It is with great sadness that the Club have to announce the death of Haris Charalambous who was a young player with us between the ages of 13 - 18 years. Haris made such excellent progress that he was able to accept a scholarship at the Hun Prep School in New Jersey from 2003-04. Despite a serious foot injury keeping him on the sidelines for most of the season, he was recruited by Toledo, a Division 1 NCAA College in Ohio.

Haris was entering his third year at Toledo and much looking forward to the season. He collapsed and died in training yesterday (Monday 9 October). He represented our Club impeccably on and off the floor during his 6 years with us, and earned the respect of team-mates and opponents alike. He was the finest of young men and his family can be truly proud of his achievements.

Our thoughts are with his parents, sister and friends at this sad time.

Anyone wishing to contact Haris' family, please direct any mail to Joe Forber at the Amaechi Basketball Centre, Whalley Range.

5 September 2006

U15 Manchester Magic in Edinburgh

Phil McLoughlin (U15 head coach) writes:

Last weekend our U15 team travelled to Scotland for a trip to prepare for the forthcoming season.

The team played four games over three days; competition was provided by U16 Club sides Boroughmuir Blaze and Edinburgh Kings and the final two games were played against the Scotland U16 Boy's team. The scores do not reflect the hard work the boys put in all weekend; they played above their fighting weight throughout the trip.

The scores of all matches were as follows:

Manchester	92 - 44	Boroughmuir Blaze
Manchester	64 - 70	Edinburgh Kings
Manchester	38 - 67	Scotland U16
Manchester	43 - 69	Scotland U16

The coaching staff wishes to thank all the boys for their fantastic efforts, not only on the court, but also for the excellent way in which they behaved and represented the Club off the floor.

28 July 2006

Camp Photos (taken by Mike Lacey)

Camp 1

Camp1

Camp 2

Camp2

13 July 2006

COACH OF THE YEAR

Club congratulations to Neil Bradley, our Division 3 Men (North) Coach, who has just been voted the Coach of the Year in that Division by England Basketball.

Neil has been with the Club for many years and is a much-valued member of our Coaching Staff.

Also, congratulations to his long-serving manager, Tony Middleton, and thanks for all his time and efforts on behalf of the boys.

25 April 2006

Age Group Teams all Progress to Finals Weekend

Manchester Magic Basketball Club is grateful to be loyally and enthusiastically sponsored by Manchester City Council. On the National scene, the RAF gives similar support to the game. One of its key activities in this area is the annual promotion of the Final Fours weekend at RAF Cosford, where the top four National League teams in three age-groups, boys and girls, play a semi-final and final to decide the best in England. The Manchester Club has always done well in this competition, and so far, this year is no exception. In the 6 categories to be decided, Manchester have teams in 5. They did not enter an Under 18 Women’s team in the League this year.

Last weekend the quarter-finals took place and all the Manchester teams won convincingly. The results were:

Under 18 Men	Manchester	90 – 50	Taunton
Under 16 Boys	Manchester	79 – 56	East London
Under 16 Girls	Manchester	85 – 48	Nottingham
Under 14 Boys	Manchester	125 – 57	Northants
Under 14 Girls	Manchester	66 – 51	Ellesmere Port

This means all these teams go to Cosford. Manchester Under 15 Boys have already won their equivalent Final at RAF Cranwell recently and are National Champions.

The Final Fours take place at RAF Cosford on Saturday, 6th and Sunday, 7th May. No other Club in the country has so many teams at this stage, but the young players will have to be at their best to come home with the trophies.

3 April 2006

Another Championship!

After doing so well to win the Under 16 and Under 18 Boys and Girls National Cups, Manchester youngsters came good again at the weekend when the Under 15 Boys triumphed in the Final Four at RAF Cranwell.

This time it was a much closer affair, when the Magic met traditional Northern rivals, Sheffield Sharks in the Final, after a convincing Semi-Final victory over London Towers by 81 - 61.

The Final game was close throughout, with the lead swaying backwards and forwards throughout the contest. The Magic managed to maintain their discipline and composure in a tense last few minutes and were up by two when the buzzer sounded.

Many congratulations to all players, coaches and supporters who have been involved with the team throughout the season.

Results:

Semi-Final 1	Manchester	81 - 61	London Towers
Semi-Final 2	Sheffield	75 - 57	Reading
3/4 Play-off	Reading	92 - 85*	London Towers
Final	Manchester	59 - 57	Sheffield

21 March 2006

Honours for Girls

Four Manchester girls have been selected to join he initial Under 18 squad in preparation for this year's European Championships:

Jamie Curtis

Emma Macready

Verity Peets

Jessica Tensel

Lauren Thomas-Johnson will also be a member of the squad, but her commitments in the USA prevent her from attending this particular camp.

Congratulations to all 5 girls for their selection and best wishes to them for their future International careers.

15 March 2006

Unprecedented Achievement by Manchester Teams

For the first time ever in the history of English youth Basketball, one club, Manchester Magic, had a team in each of the four National Cup Finals last weekend. Even more amazing, all four teams won, and won convincingly. Everyone in the sport knows this shows a tremendous strength in depth in the Club, produced by a massive degree of dedication and hard work on the part of the players, the coaches, the parents and their supporters.

The girls’ Cup Finals were played on the Saturday at the Jesse Boot Arena in Nottingham.

Manchester Mystics U16 70 – 53 Haringey Angels U16

The young Mystics played a full-court pressing defence from the outset in this game and quickly established their superiority. By half-time they were 20 points in the lead and looked to be coasting to an easy win, but the Angels had other ideas and went on a run in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 13 points. The Mystics held their nerve and led by their point guard, Georgia Jones, they regained control of the game, ending it as comfortable winners. Georgia was the game’s top scorer with 28 points and was named as Most Valuable Player.

Manchester Mystics U18 63 – 44 Northants Lightning U18

This game very much followed the pattern of the earlier one. Six of the U16 girls played in the senior game. The early pressure was the same, with the same result: a Mystics half-time lead of 20 points which the Lightning could never make up.

They tried very hard in the third quarter and reduced the lead to 8 points, but the Mystics pulled away and won without too many problems. This time it was point guard Jessica Tensell who was Most Valuable Player and top scorer with 17 points.

The girls were then interested to know if the boys in the Club could match their splendid day’s work, on the Sunday at ABC.

Essex and Herts Leopards Cadets 70 – 84 Manchester Magic Cadets

Unselfish team play was the key to this wonderful win. A team without stars and given little chance of success at the start of the season, the Magic players got off to a flying start and took an early lead. An up-tempo half saw them leading by 15 points against dogged and determined opponents, for whom young Levi Noel had an outstanding game.

Despite several runs by the Southern team, Magic managed to hold on for a victory by 14 points. The Most Valuable Player award went to the Magic’s Curtis Hadley for his 14 points and excellent defence. The main differences between the teams had been the Magic’s defence and the strength of their bench, which produced 38 points compared with their opponents 6.

One pleasing feature of the game was the presence of a large contingent of Leopards supporters whose vocal encouragement made it sound as if it was a home game for them. The whole party also stayed to watch and enjoy the Under 18 game that followed.

The Magic team are now hoping to make a strong challenge for the National Championships to be held at RAF Cosford in two months time.

Top Scorers:

Leopards. Levi Noel: 28 Nathan Watson: 16 Greg Harvey: 11

Magic. Ryan Beeley: 16 Curtis Hadley/Nic Opacic: 14

East London Royals Juniors 53 – 94 Manchester Magic Juniors

The London team opened strongly, showing plenty of skill and athleticism, but the Magic held firm, with Matt Williams in particular showing a lot of determination under both baskets. At the end of the first quarter, the Royals were very much in the game, trailing by only 6 points.

From then on, they seemed to lose their composure, as the Magic scored freely from inside and outside and defended stoutly. By half-time, in spite of some spirited play, especially from J.Ikinmwin, their top-scorer, the Royals were down by 56-30.

Coach Peter Minister was able to use his strong bench in the second half to maintain and increase the Magic’s lead. His team ran out comfortable winners to round off a magnificent display of Youth Basketball for the Manchester club Once again, the points off the bench tell the story. 36 for the Magic and 6 for the Royals. Matt Williams was deservedly named Most Valuable Player as the game’s top scorer in points, rebounds and assists, but all had played well.

Top Scorers:

Royals. J. Ikinmwin: 20 M. Jouiaw: 12 J. Da Silva: 7

Magic. Matt Williams:23 Stuart Thompson: 16 Devan Bailey: 13

12 March 2006

Unprecedented Success

A massive achievement by the boys and girls of the Club on 11/12 March weekend, with the winning of all four major National Cup Finals - Under 16 Boys and Girls and Under 18 Boys and Girls.

It was a first time ever when all 4 teams reached the Cup Finals and an even bigger success story with the victories.

Many congratulations to all at the Club who have been a part of this - players, coaches, managers, parents and supporters.

U16 Girls	Manchester Mystics	70 - 53	Haringey Angels
U18 Girls	Manchester Mystics	63 - 44	Northants
U16 Boys	Manchester Magic	84 - 70	Essex & Herts Leopards
U18 Boys	Manchester Magic	94 - 53	East London Royals

28 February 2006

NATIONAL FINALS 26 FEBRUARY

We were honoured to be asked to host 3 National Finals at Amaechi Basketball Centre last weekend. A great day was had by all, with many, noisy supporters giving great encouragement to their teams. The final game between Liverpool and West Herts went to overtime, before underdogs Liverpool stole the show.

Men's National Shield	Team Northumbria	84 - 64	East Kent Crusaders
Women's Trophy	Team Northumbria	74 - 54	Sheffield Hatters 2
Patron's Cup	Liverpool	85 - 83	UH West Herts Warriors

The Club would like to thank, most sincerely, all volunteers for their services on the day - England Basketball have already commented on the superb organisation by the voluntary help - a great job by all concerned.

26 February 2006

National Finals Results
Men's National Shield	Team Northumbria	84 - 64	East Kent Crusaders
Women's Trophy	Team Northumbria	74 - 54	Sheffield Hatters 2
Patron's Cup	Liverpool	85 - 83	UH West Herts Warriors

13 February 2006

Unprecedented Success

For the first time ever, in the history of basketball in England, a Club has reached the Final of all four of the major Cadet and Junior Competitions.

Manchester finally achieved this after the Under 16 weekend's win over a plucky Brighton team. On the previous weekend, the other three Manchester teams won big games on the road.

Many congratulations to all players, coaches, parents and supporters for this magnificent achievement.

Results:
U 18 Men	Manchester Magic	84 - 62	Newcastle College, Benfield	Away
U 16 Men	Manchester Magic	99 - 48	Brighton Bears	Home
U 18 Women	Manchester Mystics	62 - 59	Sevenoaks Suns	Away
U 16 Women	Manchester Mystics	62 - 42	Hatfield	Away

2 November 2005

Marvellous Mystics

The Mystics are well on their way to an outstanding season. All the girls are working towards making this the best-ever season for the Women's programme.

This weekend gives them 2 massive games, with a League game against the powerhouse Sheffield Hatters on Saturday at the Amaechi Basketball Centre with a 7:30pm tip-off. A win would mean a first-ever victory for Mystics over the Hatters.

On Sunday, the girls travel to Nottingham for a Quarter Final National Cup game which has the makings of an epic encounter. Nottingham have already beaten us by at ABC, so we will be looking for revenge.

Saturday ABC Mystics v Sheffield Hatters 7:30pm

Only £1 entry fee - come and support the team.

25 October 2005

CUP NEWS

A great weekend for the Boys Junior and Cadet teams in their respective National Cups.

The Under 18 Manchester (A team) had a close one against a strong Barrow team and prevailed by 3 points. Good performances by Matthew Williams (19 points) and Stuart Thomson (13 points) just saw us home. Score 65 - 62.

The Under 18 Trafford (B team) finished off a plucky Sefton team in a game which was close for three quarters. Final score was 90 - 55 with excellent performances from Greg Steele (15 points) and Ryan Beeley (19 points).

In the Cadet Under 16 Cup, the Manchester (A) team convincingly dispatched Teesside Mohawks by 139 - 62. Sterling work by Dean Williams (30 points) and Ben Ralph (16 points) led the team to a convincing victory.

The Trafford (B team) were convincing winners against Ellesmere Port by 104 - 77. Led by Josh Houghton and Jamie Glen, this team is playing very well and surprising all-comers with their all-action style and intensity. Coached by the inimitable and irrepressible Phil McLoughlin, they will give a lot of teams some surprises before season's end.

Round 3 of these Competitions will be played on the weekend of 3/4 December. In the Junior Cup, Manchester will play City of Birmingham Away, and Trafford will play Sheffield Sharks at home. In the Cadet Cup, Manchester will play Tameside Away and Trafford play Sheffield Sharks at home.

20 October 2005

FANS FORUM

Have Your Say - Speak your Mind

If there is anything that you wish to comment upon concerning the Magic/Mystics teams who play at the Amaechi Basketball Centre, this is your chance to do so.

It is YOUR Club and you may wish to express your views - please let us know.

Can we do better, and if so, how?

Please email info@amaechibasketballcentre.com and express your view.

We may be able to put your comments on the website or in the following week's programme.

18 September 2005

Sunday Morning Coaching

Starts Sunday 25 September 2005 at ABC

9:30am - 10:30am	All Primary Years Years 3 -6	Cost £1.50
10:30am - 11:45am	All Secondary Years and older	Cost £1.50

All abilities welcome

Boys and Girls welcome

Just come along and make yourself a better player

Top coaching from National League staff

11 September 2005

The Manchester Club had a very successful weekend, winning both the Under 18 Boys Tournament and the Ladies Tournament after some very exciting games. We are grateful to Manchester Sport Leisure for their sponsorship.

Under 18 Boys

After the crossover play-offs, final playoffs for placings resulted in:

7/8	Greater Manchester	53 - 57	Liverpool
5/6	Tamar Valley	67 - 54	Birmingham
3/4	Trafford	66 - 61	Killester
1/2	Manchester	57 - 42	Reading

Women's Tournament

The Round Robin was continued today with final placings:

1	Mystics Seniors
2	Solent
3	Killester
4	Sevenoaks
5	Mystics Juniors

10 September 2005

TOURNAMENTS

The Under 18 Boys had 8 evenly matched teams in 2 Pools.

After Saturday's Pool games Results were:

	Pool A	Pool B
1	Killester	Reading
2	Trafford	Manchester
3	Birmingham	Tamar Valley
4	Liverpool	Greater Manchester

Sunday's cross-over games will be:

Killester v Manchester	Trafford v Reading
Birmingham v Gtr Manchester	Liverpool v Tamar Valley
5/6 Place	7/8 Place
1/2 Place	3/4 Place

The Women's Tournament had 5 teams, Mystics 1, Mystics 2, Killester, Solent and Sevenoaks, and they are playing a Round Robin.

Final Placings will be here tomorrow.

23 August 2005

TOURNAMENTS on 10/11 September 2005

10/11 September is the weekend for out pre-season tournaments. We have 3 Tournaments:

Under 18 Boys

Under 18 Girls

Senior Women

Games are due to start at 10:00am on Saturday and finish at approximately 7:00pm.

Some teams involved in the tournament will be:

Solent (Southampton)	Liverpool
Reading	Birmingham
Plymouth	Nottingham
Killester (Ireland)	Possible Foreign teams

All games will be played at the Amaechi Basketball Centre, Whalley Range, Manchester.

12 August 2005

Girls wanted for cheerleading squad

Must be aged between 18 - 25

Training takes place at ABC on a Friday night 7:30pm - 8:30pm

Cheerleaders will perform at Magic game nights (Saturday evenings)

Anyone interested, please contact either Paul Middleton or Phil McLoughlin on 0161-881-0090

17 July 2005

Manchester Junior Awards

After player votes, the following awards were given to the Under 18 Manchester players for last season.

MVP Regular Season	Ben Murray
MIP	Nat Akins
MVP Championships/Post Season	Keith Page

Congratulations to these players and also to all members of the Manchester squad who had such a successful season and decisively won the Final four at RAF Cosford in 2005.

19 May 2005

Magic & Chester Jets

Chester Jets play at the Northgate Arena in Chester. As a Club, they have to be responsible for getting the bleachers out and putting them away for all their BBL games.

They have a crew of 10-12 people who do this on behalf of the Club on a voluntary basis. These people get to see the game free.

We would like to do something similar at Magic/Mystics games. Do we have enough volunteers to form a 'court crew'?

Anyone wishing to volunteer or who needs further information can contact the Club on 01625-527867 or email: gmybc@tesco.net

Joe Forber

29 April 2005

Astonishing Success for Manchester Junior Teams

On Saturday and Sunday, 23/24 April, 24 teams of young National League Basketball players met at Cosford, near Telford, Shropshire, to contest the Semi-Finals and Finals of the League Championships. Excellently hosted as usual by the Royal Air Force, this is one of the most amazing weekends of Youth Sport to be found anywhere. The standard of play was truly exhilarating, with all the players showing sound fundamentals and tremendous commitment to both defence and offence.

Manchester Magic and Mystics teams were in action on both days. First on court were the Under 16 men, coached by Joe Forber, and they comfortably beat a powerful and athletic London Towers side to move into the Final. Again, they won without exerting themselves overmuch by 101 - 67. Matt Williams won the Most Valuable Player award for his 27 points, and 9 rebounds.

It was then the turn of the Under 14 Girls, coached by Javi Arguelles to take on Shropshire Warriors from nearby Telford and they managed to beat them by 72-51 to move into the Final against Haringey Angels. A win here by 82-33 meant they were also Champions, with Charlotte Avery judged to be the MVP.

Sunday started with the Mystics Under 16 girls, coached by Jim Carnegie, taking on the Haringey Angels and coming out winners by 61-44. In the Final they carried on their winning ways, 100-65 over Brighton Bears. Jessica Tensel was a well-deserved MVP but all the girls played and all played well.

The Magic Under 18 Men, coached by Peter Minister, were the last of the four teams to play. They coasted to an easy Semi-Final win over East London by 89 - 59. A tough game was expected in the Final versus a strong London Towers team and that is the way it turned out. Three rapid-fire 3-pointers from Keith Page split the game open in the third quarter and his subsequent running of the game a gave him the MVP honours. Final score was 78-68 to the Magic Boys after a gutsy performance.

It had been four Finals contested and four won. Only one other club won more than one Final at Cosford.

The coaches and players have done another tremendous job and the parents can be proud of the part they have played in this achievement. In English Youth Basketball, Manchester contested 10 League and Cup competitions and won 7. No other Club came close to this.

25 April 2005

Trophy Scoop

After the National Finals at RAF Cosford last weekend, Manchester have again showed their dominance in the development of home-grown players. There are 12 main National titles at stake each year and the Manchester tally is:

Won 7, Lost 3, and did not enter 2. (Only Haringey of other Clubs won more than one title - Under 18 Girls Championship and Under 16 Girls Cup).

CUPS

Won:

Under 20 Men	Manchester Magic	91 - 71	London Towers
Under 16 Boys	Manchester Magic	84 - 43	London Towers
Under 18 Girls	Manchester Mystics	63 - 55	Haringey Angels

Lost:

The Under 16 Girls lost by 39 - 55 to a very fine Haringey team in the Semi-Finals, and the Under 18 Boys lost to a top quality Solent team by 77 - 78 in the Semi-Finals.

FINAL FOURS

Won:

Under 18 Boys	Manchester Magic	78 - 68	London Towers
Under 16 Boys	Manchester Magic	101 - 67	East London
Under 16 Girls	Manchester Mystics	100 - 65	Brighton Bears
Under 14 Girls	Manchester Mystics	82 - 33	Haringey Angels

Lost: The Under 14 Boys Manchester team lost to a strong Tameside team in the last 16 by 56 - 67.

Because the entry requirements did not suit our Club, we decided not to enter the Under 20 Men's League and the Under 18 Girls League. This disbarred us from entry to the Championships in these 2 age groups. Many congratulations to all concerned at Manchester - the coaches, parents, volunteers, spectators, and, particularly, to the fine group of players we are privileged to have at our Club.

14 March 2005

Another Cup Win

Congratulations to our Under 18 Girls who beat Haringey in the Cup Finals on Saturday by 63 - 55.

Before a packed Jesse Boot crowd, the Haringey girls made life tough, using their height advantage to great effect. A 10-point half-time lead to Manchester was maintained throughout the second half with a very determined defensive effort.

Verity Peets (19 points), Georgia Jones (17 points) and Jade Lucas (14 points) were the top scorers, and a great game from Jamie Curtis enabled her to share MVP honours with Verity

This Cup win gave Manchester three of the five trophies this year with the Under 16 Boys and the Under 20 Men also winning.

Other Cup Winners were Solent (Under 18 Boys) and Haringey (Under 16 Girls).

5 March 2005

Cup Final Success

Two of the three Boys cups came to Manchester after the Finals at ABC on Saturday 5 March.

The Under 16 Magic dominated proceedings against London Towers from the opening whistle and went on to record a resounding victory by 84 - 43.

MVP was the point guard, Tom Bowen, who gave a clinic in how to handle the ball. He topped all scorers with 25 points and was ably supported by Matt Williams (15 points, 13 rebounds), Ryan Beeley (12 points, 5 rebounds) and Devan Bailey (12 points). The victory meant that the Under 16 Cup has now been won by Manchester for the past 5 years, a feat never achieved before, by any Club.

The Under 20 Men's Final matched the same two Clubs, and was a much closer affair. A plucky Towers team led at the quarter (22 - 15), the half (43 - 43) but the Magic pressure wore them down in the second half. The final score to Magic was 91 - 71 and brought the Cup to Manchester for the second time.

An out standing performance by Keith Page deservedly earned him MVP honours and other top performances came from Andrew Lovedale (10 points, 8 rebounds) and Ben Murray (12 points).

Congratualtions also to Solent who won the Under 18 Men's Cup by beating Conference team, Doncaster, by 85 - 68.

The Mystics Under 18 Girls will play Haringey next week at Jesse Boot, Nottingham, to try to bring a third National Crown to Manchester.

The Sure Shot National Boys Cup Finals were held at the Amaechi Basketball Centre on Saturday 5 March:

Under 16 Men	11:30am	Manchester Magic	84 - 43	London Towers
Under 18 Men	1:45pm	Doncaster Danum Eagles	68 - 85	Solent Stars
Under 20 Men	4:00pm	London Towers	71 - 91	Manchester Magic

The Girls Finals will be at Jesse Boot Arena, Nottingham on Saturday 12 March:

Under 16	1:00pm	Croydon Flyers	-	Haringey Angels
Under 18	3:15pm	Haringey Angels	-	Manchester Mystics
Women's All Star	5:30pm	North All Stars	-	South All Stars

Your support at these events will be most welcome for our teams.

21 August 2002

Opening Ceremony a Roaring Success

The attendance at the ABC Opening Ceremony on Wednesday 14 August exceeded all expectations.

300 people attended, including top basketball officials, renowned sports people, sponsors, local City council dignitaries and the Lord Mayor.

After short speeches from Joe and Maggie Forber, the RAF gave a short presentation to indicate their continued support for National Cadet/Junior basketball - their sponsorship has been extended for another 3 years.

The new main sponsor, Bruntwood Estates, then outlined the details of their sponsorship fro season 2002/2003 which will give support for the community programme at the Amaechi Basketball Centre. Bruntwood would like to give local youngsters the opportunity to achieve personal success in the sporting field and see ABC as an ideal opportunity to do this.

The evening was rounded off with a speech by John Amaechi of the Utah Jazz in the NBA, who eloquently indicated his philosophy and support for GMYBC. He has shown a long-term commitment to help the community and all at the Club are most grateful for all his efforts.

Photo by Chris Tofalos. www.ctp-photo.co.uk

John

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