News

6 May 2013

Magic Scoop the Titles

 

Manchester Magic remained the dominant force in England Boys basketball by taking the 2 most prestigious National titles in Sheffield last weekend. 

 

After scraping through a 52 – 51 victory over Birmingham in the Semi-Final, the Under 16 Boys came good with a 83 – 63 win over Nottingham in the Final game.  A magnificent performance by Hamad Ali in the title game earned him the Most Valuable Player award.  Hamad, a 6’5’’ forward, came up with 29 points and 15 rebounds.  He only began playing at the Magic 3 years ago and has astounded the coaching staff with his progress.

 

In the Under 18 Boys competition, the Magic comfortably defeated London United in the Semi-Final by 83 – 64, but were then tested in the Final by a gutsy Barking/Dagenham team which refused to lie down.  Excellent 3-point shooting by the eventual MVP, Patrick Whelan, pulled the Magic through in the closing minutes of the game to complete the weekend for all the boys.  Patrick finished with 23 points and 8 rebounds.

 

Magic trials for the boys and Mystics trials for the girls are now to be held over the next 2 weekends at the Amaechi Basketball Centre. 

 

 

 

 

3 May 2013

 

Magic Senior Men's Trials

 

Manchester Magic Senior Men have been promoted to EBL Division 1 for Season 2013/14.  Any players who would like the opportunity to play for the Magic in September can attend our Open Trial:

 

Saturday 18 May 3:00pm

Venue: Amaechi Basketball Centre, M16 8GW

 

No charge will be made for the trial.  All comers are welcome.

 

 

28 April 2013

 

Magic Do It Again

 

Joe Forber Speaks:

 

"The Magic have just received the great news that they have secured promotion from Division 2 to Division 1.  The 3-year plan put in place 2 years ago is one year ahead of schedule, due to back-to-back promotions from Div 3 to Div 2 to Div 1.

 

Moving down to Division 3 from Division 1 was the best decision we've made at the Club since we began 15 years ago.

 

We are now back where we were 2 years ago, playing at the top level of basketball in leagues run by England Basketball.  The big difference is that we now have a much more solid foundation to move forward with the outstanding progress being made by the excellent young players being produced at Amaechi Basketball Centre and the new focus on the student athlete system. Magic players next season will be attending the University of Salford, Manchester University and Bolton University.  We have a particular emphasis on the very close partnership with the University of Salford and a high percentage of our players will attend there. The days of using a multitude of foreign players are now gone’.

 

‘All the current players who have done such a great job in the last 2 seasons, will be invited back and given every chance to play at the higher level.  I believe that, if we can add a couple of big guys to our roster, we will prosper in Division 1’.

 

‘Particular credit for our success should go to Paul Middleton for an outstanding coaching job over a 2-year span.  Paul has been totally on board with our concept of developing our younger, home-grown players and they have developed excellently under his tutelage.  There are more young players in the pipeline and, if they are good enough, they will get the chance to represent the Magic at Senior level’.

 

‘I would also like to thank Manchester City Council who have been tremendously supportive of our development programme at Amaechi Basketball Centre since it was built, with the generous support of John Amaechi, in 2002". 

 

 

22 April 2013

 

Senior Mystics Trials

There will be a Open Senior Women’s Trial at Amaechi Basketball Centre on Sunday 12 May at 2:00pm for anyone who would like to be considered for Manchester Mystics Division 1 in Season 2013/14.

 

All comers are welcome. 

No charge for the trial.

 

 

22 April 2013

 

Manchester Magic and Manchester MysticsTrials

 

The trials for the Magic/Mystics teams will be at ABC on Saturday 11 May at the following times:

 

Saturday 11 May 2012

Current School Years 6/7                   1.00pm – 2.30pm

Current School Years 8/9                     2.30pm – 4.30pm

Current School Years 10/11/12            4.30pm – 6.00pm

 

Just turn up.  No charge.

 

See poster on Home page for more details.

 

 

18 April 2013

 

Mollie Campbell

 

Congratulations to Mollie Campbell on signing letter of intent to join NCAA Div 1 College University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in the SWAC conference. The Club wishes her every success.

 

 

21 April 2013

 

Magic/Mystics Play-off Progress 2013

 

Magic/Mystics teams are making progress in the National Play-offs:

 

Under 13 Boys
Manchester 1	129 - 31	Notts Nova	Play-off R1
Manchester 1	47 - 63	NASSA	Play-off QF
Under 15 Boys
Manchester	104 - 38	Trafford	Play-off R1
Manchester	95 - 44	Birmingham	Play-off R2
Manchester	56 - 58	Haringey Hawks	Play-off QF
Div 2 Men
Manchester	93 - 54	Glamorgan Gladiators	Play-off QF
Manchester	85 - 67	Eastside	Play-off SF
Manchester	66 - 85	NASSA	Play-off Final
Under 18 Men
Manchester 2	63 - 80	Tees Valley	Play-off R1
Manchester	98 - 48	Tees Valley	Play-off R2
Manchester	71 - 56	Worthing	Play-off QF
Manchester	83 -64	London United	Play-off SF
Manchester	74 - 67	Barking & Dagenham	Play-off Final	National Champions
Under 16 Boys
Manchester	85 - 52	Derbyshire Arrows	Play-off R2
Manchester	95 - 78	Hertfordshire	Play-off QF
Manchester	52 - 51	Birmingham A	Play-off SF
Manchester	83 - 63	Notts Nova	Play-off Final	National Champions
Under 14 Boys
Manchester	59 - 71	Sheffield Saints	Play-off R1
Under 18 Women
Manchester	68 - 27	Cheshire Panthers	Play-off R1
Manchester	58 - 85	Haringey	Play-off QF
Under 16 Girls
Manchester	20 - 0	Bristol Storm	Play-off R1
Manchester	66 - 41	Northants Lightning Too	Play-off QF
Manchester	79 - 74	Sheffield	Play-off SF
Manchester	62 - 98	Haringey	Play-off Final
Trafford	45 - 55	Northants Lightning	Play-off R1
Under 14 Girls
Manchester	92 - 24	Newcastle	Play-off R1
Manchester	64 - 44	Nottingham	Play-off QF
Manchester	56 - 59	Haringey	Play-off SF
Manchester	65 - 48	Southend	Play-off 3/4

 

 

 

 

12 March 2013

 

Amaechi Basketball Centre & University of Salford Join Forces

 

After highly successful collaboration in 2012/13, the University of Salford and the Amaechi Basketball Centre have committed to a long-term partnership through the funding of Sports Excellence Scholarships for Amaechi Basketball Centre members studying at the University of Salford who will represent the Manchester Magic Men’s team.

 

In September 2013, four Basketball Scholarships will be offered to suitable student athletes:

• One Gold Scholarship worth £5,500 per year for 3 years.

• Two Silver Scholarships worth £3,500 per year for 3 years.

• One Bronze Scholarship worth £1,000 per year for 3 years.

 

Likewise, 4 more Scholarships will be available for students beginning their studies in September 2014 and 4 more in September 2015.

 

The scholarship packages also include a range of support including performance coaching, physiotherapy and massage therapy provided by the University, and nutritional support and subsidised accommodation.

 

The Amaechi Basketball Centre is a model for other basketball programmes around the UK. Originally financed by international basketball star John Amaechi OBE, the Centre has 18 National League teams in the current season, an unprecedented number in the history of the game in this country. The Scholarships will be available to students who meet academic and sporting criteria.

 

In addition, two more new Scholarships are available for student athletes in the Manchester area, for Manchester Magic or Manchester Mystics players, beginning in September 2013. These students may or may not be attending the University of Salford, but will be in further or higher education in the Northwest.

 

1. The John Amaechi Award - £2,500 for each of 3 years.

2. The Joe and Maggie Forber Award - £2,500 for each of 3 years.

 

John Amaechi OBE, Patron and Board Member, has been a main driver in this development “I’ve watched the reality of today’s difficult economic climate translate into young people stifling their dreams and aspirations. As an individual and as a founder of the Amaechi Basketball Centre, I want young people to realise that their effort and commitment in education and in sport will be rewarded, allowing them to continue to follow their dreams. With the legacy rhetoric fading fast post the Olympics, we wanted to do something tangible to recapture the spirit of the games and reignite the aspirations of young people in the Northwest, and around the country.

 

”This generous support from the University of Salford will create opportunities for young people to carve out a potential new future through education and lessons learned through sport.”

 

Joe and Maggie Forber have been instrumental in the success and growth of Amaechi Basketball Centre which is used by over 1,000 youngsters each week. Joe said “The Club began in 1998; the Centre was built in 2002. As Maggie and I are retired teachers, we appreciate the value of education and welcome the partnership with the University of Salford. We are also happy to have a separate Scholarship in our name which values both education and sport”.

 

Professor Martin Hall, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salford, warmly welcomed the scheme. “The University of Salford is committed to creating educational opportunities for everyone with the potential to succeed” he said. “The discipline and commitment required to excel in sport are needed equally for success in higher education, and we welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with the Amaechi Basketball Centre to offer these exciting opportunities to talented basketball players.”

 

The University is also developing similar scholarships linked to other sports in the region.

 

For more information on the University of Salford Scholarships Click here

 

For more information on The John Amaechi Award and The Joe and Maggie Forber Award Click here

 

13 February 2013

ABC Community Sessions and Community Leagues Re-start Dates

 

Friday 15 February is the last day of Community sessions before half-term. Sessions will re-start on:

 

Monday 25 February

Friday 1 March

Saturday 2 March

 

See poster on Home Page for full details.

 

18 February 2013

ABC Hosts the Sureshot National Cup Finals

 

Click here for Tom Platt's photograhs of the Event

 

Amaechi Basketball Centre hostedt the Under 18 and Under 16 Boys and Girls Sureshot National Cup Finals, on Saturday 16 February:

 

11:00am	Under 16 Girls Final	Southend Swifts	52 - 55	GCA - Haringey Angels
1:15pm	Under 16 Boys Final	Newham All-Star Sports Academy	95 - 64	Derby Trailblazers
3:30pm	Under 18 Women's Final	GCA - Haringey Angels	45 - 55	Sevenoaks Suns
5:45pm	Under 18 Men's Final	Lewisham Thunder	58 - 64	Bristol Academy Flyers

 

Tickets for the event are priced at £7 for adults and £3 for concessions.

 

These can be ordered by contacting Freda Jones at the Amaechi Basketballl Centre on 0161-881-0090 or can be bought on the door on the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15 November 2012

Pure Magic to make Debut on Saturday

 

Our new cheerleaders Pure Magic (pictured below) will be making their debut at Saturday's Magic game against London United.

 

5 November 2012

 

Vacancy for Centre Manager

 

The Club is now advertising for the full-time post of Centre Manager at Amaechi Basketball Centre. Expressions of interest to the

CEO, Joe Forber, on 07790-686496 or at j.forber@amaechibasketballcentre.com

 

 

 

13 October 2012

 

John Amaechi – Post Olympics

 

A view from John about his Olympic experience.

 

 

13 October 2012

John Amaechi  - In the Park

 

John was recently taken back to his former haunt – Fog Lane Park in Manchester – where he practised his skills in his formative years.

 

 

12 October 2012

 

Mystics Cup Game on Sunday is OFF

 

The Senior Women's Cup game on Sunday against Sefton has been cancelled. Sefton has conceded so we hope to have a game in

Round 2 on sunday 28 October againsr Loughborough or Birmingham Mets (Away).

 

 

 

11 October 2012

 

Magic Saturday Game Free to all Spectators

 

The Club has decided that, in the short term, entry to Magic games will be free for ALL spectators. So the 6:30pm game on

Saturday 13 October v London United, will be free. We hope that we will have lots of support from you all.

 

 

5 October 2012

 

Magic U13/U14 BoysTrials

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 October 2012

 

North West Under 15 Girls

 

Last weekend saw 6 of the Manchester Mystics representing their region in the Under 15 Girls Regional Development Tournament at Medway Park in Kent.

 

The North West were drawn in Group 1, along with South East and London, many believing they were 3rd best in the group and 5th best overall behind Yorkshire and East from Group 2.

 

Arriving at the venue it was noticeable that the North West were one of if not the shortest team in the competition. We were scheduled to play our opening game against the South East featuring 7 of last year's U15 England squad, followed by defending champions, London.

 

The opening game would prove to be a tough test, and seemed to be going the way it should on paper, with the South East leading at half time despite the North West girls battling hard. However the second half showed an amazing turnaround, the outsized and arguably out-skilled North West took control of the game through their rugged play and managed to hang on for an unlikely win causing the first upset of the weekend.

 

The second game was more disappointing. The same intensity that was previously shown was now lacking against London and resulted in an 11 point loss.

 

The next 2 games were 20-point wins for the North West, who by day's end, found themselves in an unlikely 2nd place and through to the Semi-Finals versus the odds on favourites, East.

 

East had won all their games by at least 20 points, and were very good physically with the smallest girl being around 5’8. For all concerned they were the team to beat. The North West game plan was simple, ‘no regrets’. They had exceeded all expectations and had nothing to lose. What followed was one of the gutsiest performances of the weekend.  The East were never allowed to settle, North West won every loose ball and somehow, despite being severely undersized, controlled the rebounds on both ends of the floor. Easts defence couldn’t contain the spirited guards from getting to the Basket and even thought the East won 3 of the 4 quarters, a huge 2nd period was enough to allow the North West to hang on to a 5-point  win. It meant that the spirited North West team had caused the 2nd upset of the weekend.

 

Another win that was deemed unlikely saw the girls rewarded with a Final re-match versus London. Even though most of the girls had spent their rest time on the physio’s bench after their heroic effort in the Semi-Ffinal assured us that they had one more upset in them. However despite a bright start and an early lead, they simply had nothing left to give, and London were able to take advantage in the second half and ran out to a convincing 30pt win.

 

The girls should be proud of their effort and I lost count of the number of coaches, parents and organisers who came to me to praise the team spirit, determination and unity that the girls showed. They were a pleasure to coach and proved that the right attitude is so important and can achieve so much. The girls were fantastic and proved everyone wrong by finishing a respectable second and the North West’s Keani Potter finished 3rd in the shooting competition. Thanks to all the parents for their support and a special thanks to team manager/organiser Allison for making the trip possible!

 

Rob Fairley

 

North West Girls team

Manchester Mystics- Gina Brierley, Francisca Akinsulie, Blayze Branford, Freya Kelshaw, Princess Olayemi, Keani Potter

Barrow Thorns- Emily Duerden, Emily Cox, Ella Brocklebank

Cheshire Juniors- Elise Middleton, Nicole Taylor

Bury Blue Devils- Keira Watkins-Wild

 

 

2 October 2012

 

Real Nutrition Partnership

 

It is with great pleasure that Manchester Magic announce a new and exciting partnership with Real Nutrition.  This heralds a whole new approach for the future, bringing together the most successful National League programme in the UK with a new and innovative Supplement and Nutrition company.

 

Joe Forber, Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Amaechi Basketball Centre, saw it as a great step forward in the professionalism of the Club, 'Everyone at the Amaechi Basketball Centre is excited about the potential of this partnership, which, alongside the partnership with the University of Salford, will augment the opportunities and development of all the young people who participate in our programme.’

 

Kevin Milnes, Managing Director of Real Nutrition Co., on the link with the Magic, was very pleased to get involved with the Magic, ‘We will be holding regular seminars at the Centre to educate the athletes on the importance of eating correctly to improve performance.  Both Senior and Academy players will receive specific sports supplement support to enhance their training and recovery regime’.

 

These are exciting times for Manchester Magic, playing at the Amaechi Basketball Centre, and this partnership will strengthen Magic's ambition to play at the top level of English basketball .

 

 

 

23 August 2012

 

Start of Community Season at ABC

 

Monday 10 September
4:45 - 5:30pm	Tiny Tots	Reception to Year 2	Boys and Girls
5:30 - 6:30pm	Primary	Year 3 -6 Coaching/Games	Boys and Girls
6:30 - 7:30pm	Secondary	Year 7 -11 Coaching/Games	Boys and Girls
Saturday 15 September
9:30 - 10:30am	Primary	Reception to Year 6	Boys and Girls

MONDAY LEAGUES re-start on Monday 10 September

 

FRIDAY LEAGUES re-start on Friday 14 September

 

 

20 August 2012

 

National League Camp starts Wednesday 22 August

 

 

 

 

9 August 2012

 

Website to be Re-vamped

 

20 July 2012

 

John to Carry the Olympic Torch

 

 

 

 

 

3 May 2012

 

Promotions for Magic and Mystics

 

EB has confirmed that our applications for Senior team promotions for 2012/13 have been accepted. The Magic Senior team will play

in Division 2 and the Mystics Senior team will play in Division 1. All at the Club now have much work to do, on and off the floor, to justify

these promotions.

 

We will now continue our policy of promoting our young players to the Senior teams when they leave the Junior

ranks. We hope that the players will respond by targetting a Senior career with our own Club, rather than looking to move to other

situations where the grass is not always greener.

 

 

 

24 April 2012

 

Final Fours - Boys and Girls

 

For the second year in succession, we have been able to qualify for all 8 Final Fours - 5 Boys and 3 Girls. This is unprecedented in

English Basketball and a great credit to all players, coaches, parents and supporters. No other team in the country has been able to

qualify more than 3 teams.

 

Unfortunately, we have already been losing finalists in the Boys Under 13 and Under 15 competitions, with 2 fine NASSA teams just

getting the better of us on the day.

 

Under 13 Boys NASSA 75 - 68 Manchester

Under 15 Boys MASSA 90 - 87 Manchester

 

We go to the EIS in sheffield on 5/6 May with high hopes in the Boys and Girls Under 14/16/18, but, as ever, the competition will be

tough and will demand the very best from our young players. They will not let us down!

 

 

23 April 2012

 

Manchester Magic Boys Trials

 

The trials for the Magic teams will be at ABC on 12 May at the following times:

 

Saturday 12th May 2012

Current School Years 6/7                   12.30pm – 2.30pm

Current School Years 8/9                     2.30pm – 4.30pm

Current School Years 10/11/12            4.30pm – 6.00pm

 

Just turn up.  No charge.

 

See poster on Home page for more details.

 

 

20 April 2012

 

Player/Coach of the Year Awards

 

The Club is delighted to announce that both our Senior team coaches have been awarded Coach of the Year, and that Nicky Blakeway has been awarded the Player of the Year in Division 2 Women North. Congratulations to all.

 

Paul Middleton, Nicky Blakeway and Jim Carnegie received their awards at the Final Fours.

 

LEAGUE	PLAYER OF THE YEAR	COACH OF THE YEAR
Division 1 Men	Vernon Teel BA London Leopards	Dejan Mihevc BA London Leopards
Division 1 Women	Stephanie Gandy City of Sheffield Hatters	Mark Clark Barking Abbey Leopards
Division 2 Men	Greg Hernandez Glamorgan Gladiators	Marc Steutel Team Northumbria
Division 2 Women (North)	Nicola Blakeway Manchester Mystics	James Carnegie Manchester Mystics
Division 2 Women (Midlands-South West)	Rebecca Lear Reading Rockets	CJ Lee Solent Suns
Division 2 Women (Midlands-South East)	Maaja Bratka Loughborough Students Riders	Matthew Harber Loughborough Students Riders
Division 3 Men (North)	Tom Ward Loughborough Students Riders	Paul Middleton Manchester Magic
Division 3 Men (South)	Ladi Brown Newham Neptunes	Sam Stiller Newham Neptunes
Division 4 Men (North)	Steven Gayle Rossendale Raptors	Malcolm Leak Burnley College Blaze
Division 4 Men (Midlands)	Daniel Belgrave Worcester Wolves II	Chris Lowe Worcester Wolves II
Division 4 Men (South)	Joel Henry Uxbridge College Emperors	Matthew Johnson Reading Rockets II

 

 

 

6 May 2012

 

Magic/Mystics Play-off Progress 2012

 

Magic/Mystics teams are making good progress in the National Play-offs:

 

Under 13 Boys
Manchester 1	89 - 63	Cheshire Juniors	Play-off R1
Manchester 1	97 - 67	Northants	Play-off QF
Manchester 1	98 - 71	Wellingborough	Final 4 SF
Manchester 1	68 - 75	NASSA	Final 4 Fnl
Under 15 Boys
Manchester	74 - 49	Birmingham	Play-off R1
Manchester	81 - 34	Solent	Play-off QF
Manchester	86 - 75	Hertfordshire	Final 4 SF
Manchester	87 - 90	NASSA	Final 4 Fnl
Div 3 Men
Manchester	87 - 46	London Greenhouse	Play-off QF
Manchester	72 - 50	Warrington	Play-off SF
Manchester	67 - 78	NASSA	Play-off Final
Div 2 Women
Manchester	20 - 0	London Westside	Play-off QF
Manchester	76 - 77*	Loughborough	Play-off SF
Under 18 Men
Manchester	108 - 49	Leeds Carnegie	Play-off R2
Manchester	69 - 53	Reading	Play-off QF
Manchester	64 - 71	Westminster Warriors	Play-off SF
Manchester	86 - 68	London Pioneers	3/4 Play-off
Under 16 Boys
Manchester	20 - 0	Gateshead	Play-off R2
Manchester	73 - 69	Solent Kestrels	Play-off QF
Manchester	75 - 61	Westminster Warriors	Play-off SF
Manchester	75 - 66	NASSA	Play-off Final	National Champions
Under 14 Boys
Manchester	95 - 49	Leeds Carnegie	Play-off R1
Manchester	103 - 35	Ipswich Tomcats	Play-off QF
Manchester	88 - 69	Haringey Hawks	Play-off SF
Manchester	90 - 64	Notts Nova	Play-off Final	National Champions
Under 18 Women
Manchester	57 - 27	Southend	Play-off QF
Manchester	41 - 51	Sevenoaks	Play-off SF
Manchester	53 - 47	London Eastside	3/4 Play-off
Under 16 Girls
Manchester	83 - 43	Bristol	Play-off R1
Manchester	60 - 46	Ipswich Bobcats	Play-off QF
Manchester	41 - 69	Haringey Angels	Play-off SF
Manchester	60 - 84	Hertfordshire	3/4 Play-off
Under 14 Girls
Manchester	102 - 27	Cheshire Juniors	Play-off R1
Manchester	70 - 67	Sevenoaks	Play-off QF
Manchester	47 - 91	Southend	Play-off SF
Manchester	82 - 60	Sheffield	3/4 Play-off

 

 

 

7 April 2012

Under 13 and U15 Boys Final Fours

 

After winning the National Championships at Under 13 and Under 15 Boys last year, we had high hopes of repeating this success in this season's Final Fours. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Both teams just fell short in their attempts to win the National Championship.

 

The Under 15 Boys had a challenge in the Semi-Final, before overcoming a big, gritty Hertfordshire team by 86 - 75. In the Final game, they met NASSA from London and enjoyed a 19-point lead in the 3rd quarter, before nerves and foul trouble and a fine NASSA comeback reduced the lead as the game wore on. NASSA prevailed in the final minute and won the game 90 -87. Although it was a disappointment for the Magic, full credit must be given to the NASSA boys who did their Club credit with a fantastic fightback.

 

The Under 13 Boys defeated Wellingborough in the Semi-Final by 98 - 71. This was closer than the score suggests and the starting players had to play most of the game to secure victory. In the Final, the Magic met NASSA and almost pulled off the victory, having a 5-point lead with 3 minutes to go. NASSA again showed their fighting qualities as the Magic starting players tired. The final margin was 75 - 68 to NASSA, but it was a highly creditable performance by the Magic boys.

 

 

7 April 2012

Magic EBL Division 2 Recruiting

 

The Magic Division 3 Men's team have had a magnificent season. They were the Champions of Division 3 North, after a tremendous tussle with a strong Loughborough team which came a very close second. After a complete change of philosophy for our Senior Men's team last summer, we have achieved the first target of our long-term plan, which is to attempt to gain promotions from Division 3 to Division 2 to Division 1 and further. We dispensed with the concept of imported players and short-term fix players who would not commit for any length of time to our Club. Thus, promotion to Division 2 has been gained by using our top quality Junior players and other (mainly young) players who are committed to our Club. This has included University students (Yann Fasbender, Tayo Oyefusi), and other players (e.g. Danny Pilkington, Joe Sullivan, Liam Johnson) who came through our development system in recent times.

 

This philosophy will continue in the long-term. We are now looking to build upon our success of last season, and will need to recruit additional players to our current roster to achieve our aims in Divison 2. We may be able to help towards course fees for players involved in educational courses within the Manchester area for players of a suitable standard. There is also the possibility of making available accommodation in one of our 2 Club-owned houses.

 

The step-up from Division 3 to Division 2 is considerable, as it now involves us in truly National competition throughout the season

and extra commitment will be needed by everyone connected to the team - players, coaches, administrators. We are thus looking for

players who will make a serious commitment to their own basketball improvement and to our ambitions as a Club.

 

Paul Middleton, last season's Coach, will continue the coaching role for 2012/13.

 

We are holding a trial for our Senior Men's team on Sunday 13 May at 1:00pm at Amaechi Basketball Centre. If you would like to attend,

please contact Joe on 01625-527867 or 07790-686496 or j.forber@amaechibasketballcentre.com

 

 

 

 

7 April 2012

Congratulations to Senior Men and Women

 

Many congratulations to the Magic Senior Men and the Mystics Senior Women. Both teams tied up their respective Divisions, the Men winning Northern League Division 3, and the Women winning Northern League Division 2.

 

 

EBL Division 3 Men (North)Table Final Table

 

Pos	Name	Played	Won	Lost	For	Agst	Pts Diff	Points
1	Manchester Magic	22	19	3	1871	1288	583	38
2	Loughborough Riders	22	18	4	1729	1359	370	36
3	Warrington Wolves	22	17	5	1649	1439	210	34
4	Sheffield Sabres	22	13	9	1521	1411	110	26
5	Derby Trailblazers II	22	13	9	1717	1623	94	26
6	Sheffield Saints	22	13	9	1616	1557	59	26
7	Sefton Stars	22	11	11	1419	1496	-77	22
8	Huddersfield Heat	22	9	13	1764	1887	-123	18
9	Nottingham Hoods	22	8	14	1436	1444	-8	16
10	Leeds Carnegie II	22	5	17	1509	1772	-263	10
11	Shropshire Warriors	22	4	18	1356	1791	-435	8
12	Stockport Falcons	22	2	20	1272	1792	-520	4

 

 

EBL Division 2 Women (North) Table Final Table

 

Pos	Name	Played	Won	Lost	For	Agst	Pts Diff	Points
1	Manchester Mystics	14	14	0	1231	522	709	28
2	Sefton Starlights	14	11	3	893	564	329	22
3	Mansfield Giants	14	10	4	891	632	259	20
4	Bury Blue Devils	14	8	6	773	682	91	16
5	Sheffield Hatters II	14	6	8	758	839	-81	12
6	Doncaster Eagles	14	3	11	568	931	-363	6
7	Sunderland Predators	14	3	11	611	1069	-458	6
8	Newcastle Eagles	14	1	13	583	1069	-486	2

 

Both teams have applied for the higher Division and EB are fully expected to sanction this. The Club is currently recruiting players who may be able to help each team to compete in their respective Divisions. This means that the Men will compete in EBL Division 2, with ambitions to make it to EBL Division 1. The Women will be competing in the top Division against the likes of perennial powerhouses Sheffield Hatters and UWIC.

 

 

19 February 2012

Under 18 and Under 16 Boys National Cup and Men's National Shield Finals

 

Amaechi Basketball Centre hosted the Under 18 and Under 16 Boys Sureshot National Cup Finals, and Men's National Shield on Sunday 19 February.

 

11:30am	Under 16 Boys Final	Newham All-Star Sports Academy	73 - 61	Birmingham As
1:45pm	Under 18 Boys Final	Manchester Magic	77 - 57	Reading Academy Rockets
4:00pm	Men's National Shield Final	Loughborough Students Riders	69 - 73	Newham All-Star Sports Academy

 

 

 

 

8 February 2012

 

 

This game, due to be played on 18 February at Loughborough, has been postponed at Loughborough's request.

 

 

8 February 2012

 

 

The Manchester Magic v Nottingham Hoods game on Saturday 11 February has had to be rescheduled, due to circumstances beyond our control.

 

The game will now be played on Saturday 18 February at Amaechi Basketball Centre. Tip-off 6:00pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 February 2012

 

Amaechi Centre gets visit from the Harlem Globetrotters

 

On Tuesday the Amaechi Centre saw a visit from the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters. They entertained over a hundred local children from Wilbraham Primary School and talked about the history of the Globetrotters and how to follow their C.H.E.E.R. programme to achieve success in life. 

 

          

Flip & Blender talking to the kids                      Taking a Free Throw

 

   

Globetrotters with Wilbraham Primary School             Showing the kids a trick

 

19 January 2012

Club joins forces with Manchester United

 

Club joins forces with  Manchester United to establish partnership to deliver basketball through the Barclay's Premier League 4 Sport programme.

 

The Club has become the Hub for an exciting new initiative to broaden the base of young people playing community basketball. (external link)

 

 

14 December 2011

 

Loughborough v Magic

QF Shield Game

 

This game has now been rearranged for Sunday 18 December with a tip-off time of 3:15pm. The game will be at the Radmore Centre, Loughborough College.

 

 

 

12 December 2011

 

Loughborough v Magic

QF Shield Game

 

Unfortunately, this game was abandoned after 3 minutes because the floor was dangerous. When it has been rearranged it will be posted on this website. The winner will play Leeds Carnegie 2 in the Semi-Final.

 

17 October 2011

 

John Amaechi OBE

 

The Club has the great honour of being associated with John Amaechi and the recent awarding of his OBE.  John’s investiture date is Wednesday 26 October 2011 when he has been invited to the Palace to receive his Award.

 

Motivation. Inspiration. Innovation.

 

John Amaechi, where anecdote meets research...

John Amaechi OBE is a psychologist, New York Times best-selling Author and former NBA basketball star working in both the US and the Europe. His work is mostly with medium to large size institutions: business, educational and philanthropic, to help them assess, manage, maximise and retain their human capital.

 

John has been recognised by the British government and the Queen with his appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2011. He is an accomplished, motivational communicator with experience addressing a diverse cross-section of people, including an impressive list of international corporations, charities and world-class educational institutions, throughout Great Britain, Europe and the United States. He has appeared on such shows as BBC Breakfast, The Politics Show, Newsnight, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Real Time with Bill Maher, Oprah and many more speaking on issues of organisational performance, workplace communication, culture, identity an inclusion. He is internationally known for his contribution to brands understanding how to energise and usecause marketing, corporate social responsibility as a client & personnel engagement tool.

 

John is able to set and maintain tone, as well as use wit, warmth and an acute insight to link the individual facets of any organisation and truly connect with the people with whom he works. His demeanour and experience allow for an inspiring, entertaining and unforgettable interaction that prompts enduring change.

 

John can analyse personnel and strategy, facilitate intra-organisational communication and highlight and tackle problems that diminish workplace cohesion and performance. He has created an organisational diagnostic process that allows clients to quickly get to the heart of their challenges and set new targets.

 

John Amaechi spoke at our national sales meeting and even though sales people are notorious for being quite cynical and hard to impress, John had an amazing impact on us all! He is a very interesting and thought provoking person and left us all feeling very motivated. His honesty and integrity was a breath of fresh air! ~Mary Thorpe, Toshiba UK

 

What can I say about John, his career or our profession? What a candid moment! He is our conscience! He truly held us accountable and inspired us to a higher standard… to do better. Really amazing conversation. I have never been to a keynote with no AV back up, that had that type of result. ~Larry Lundy, Susan G. Komen for the Cure

 

John Amaechi was the most thought-provoking speaker. He gave me so much to think about. Hands down he was my favourite presenter. ~Nicole McLaughlin. Air Force Marathon

 

Easily the best of the diversity presentations I have attended ever since Diversity Week was launched. John was engaging, interesting, and very relevant. And he was more than simply a 'diversity candidate’ talking of his experiences, rather he addressed the topic in a thoughtful and thought-provoking way. ~Anne Marie Salamy, Global Leadership & Diversity team, Goldman Sachs

 

It was unforgettable, it was inspirational, he was in tune with the room and what he said was pitched at exactly the right level for his audience - everyone was hanging on his words. It felt like he was speaking to each of one of us personally. ~Principal, North Westminster School

 

Out of all the keynotes, I thought the only truethought leader was John Amaechi, I appreciated his brutal candour and integrity. ~Robert Ryan, Canadian Museum of Civilisation, IEG Conference, 2011

 

We miss John here already! I think he underestimates how powerful, bright and open he is in a way that resonates with so many. I am tremendously pleased with what he brought to this community and "how" he brought it. ~Lynn Sullivan MS Ed., Dean of Community Affairs King Low-Heywood Thomas School    

    

To check John’s availability, please send an email to: enquiries@amaechiperformance.com 

 

Biography for John Amaechi OBE

 

John Amaechi has a portfolio career as a psychologist, New York Timesbest-selling author and social entrepreneur working in boththe US and the Europe. His work is mostly in industrial and organisational settings with medium to large institutions, to help them to assess, manage, recruit, retain and maximise the performance of their human capital.(www.amaech i performance.com) He also works as a performance coach with high-profile business and sports people on challenges with interpersonal communications, leadership and motivation.

 

In the UK, John works with his own charity in Manchester, with over 2000 young people per week in attendance, helping to harness the power of young people through this holistic sporting centre for urban communities (www.amaechibasketball.com).  John has consulted with researchers at the Pennsylvania State University to create a programme steeped in the fundamentals of social emotional training to provide an environment where young people who are coached in life as much as sport.

 

John has been recognised by the British government and the Queen for his services to Sport as a player and since retirement and also his ongoing involvement in charitabl work over the years. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in June, 2011 as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

 

John augments the impact of his charitable, business and psychological interventions by being an accomplished communicator with experience addressing a diverse cross-section of clients, including an impressive list of ‘blue chip’ corporations, international trusts and world-class educational institutions, throughout Europe and the United States.

 

John inspires, informs and charms audiences with his candour and wealth of international experience in sport, business and life. At the age of 17, when he first picked up a basketball, John was considered ‘too late to the game’ and ‘not athletic enough’ to have any chance of success in domestic sport, much less overseas. Six short years later he became a ‘starter’ in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Twelve years from first picking up a basketball, John became the first and only Britain to have his jersey hung in the U.S. Basketball Hall of Fame. John captained the England squad since his arrival to the team in 1997 and even in ‘retirement’ led the English Squad to Bronze, it’s first ever medal finish, in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

 

Since retirement from sport, John has pursued a PhD in psychology, written white papers for the UK government and created an organisational diagnostic tool (Functional Behavioural Personality Analysis) that allows institutions to better understand, manage and improve their personnel, climate and culture.

 

John is qualified in the use and interpretation of various personality inventories and other psychometric testing platforms. He is a fifteen year veteran of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) it’s Division of Occupational Psychology and the BPS Psychometric Testing Group. He is also a senior fellow at the Applied Centre for Emotional Literacy, Learning and Research in the United Kingdom.

 

John was seconded to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) working group on Community Cohesion and Social Return on Investment. He was instrumental in writing chapters addressing the shortfalls in the training of senior staff and coaches as well as the design of programming to better achieve the desired social targets.

 

John is a social affairs and sports pundit for the BBC, CNN and ESPN as well as a presenter on a range of radio and television programmes, including ITV’s “Britain on the Move” series and Channel 5’s weekly “Sport on Five”. In 2009 he starred in a prime-time BBC 2 programme called “The Speaker” that looked to find Britain’s best young speaker as well as inspiring youth across the UK to embrace the power of their voice. He is already contracted to be part of the BBC’s key broadcast talent for the London 2012 games.

 

In 2008 John became a sporting ambassador for Amnesty International and went to the 2008 Beijing Olympics to shed light on the Chinese ‘Olympic promises’ and continuing human rights abuses in China, reporting his discoveries and daily interactions in his Beijing Legacy Blog. By the end of 2008, John took a full Amnesty International Ambassador role covering the entire spectrum of human rights and is still the only Amnesty International Ambassador to be allowed into China.

 

John was an Ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic Bid and is now also a director for the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) Board that sets strategy for procurement, recruitment and standards for every employee, supplier and volunteer for the 2012 Olympic games effort.

 

In 2007, John wrote his New York Times bestselling book “Man in the Middle,” chronicling his life and work and providing distinct lessons to anyone ever told that they weren’t capable of doing great things. The most important theme John hoped to illustrate through his personal story of struggle and triumph, was that “...despite what we are often told, the most unlikely of people, in the most improbable of circumstances can become extraordinary.”

 

For your information, John’s professional affiliations are as follows:

• American Psychological Association (15 years)
• British Psychological Society (BPS) (4 years)
• BPS Division of Occupational Psychology (2 years)
• BPS Psychological Testing Centre (10 years)
• Centre for Social Justice (2 years)
• Applied Centre for Emotional Literacy, Learning and Research (2 years)

 

 

 

16 September 2011

 

Under 13 Boys Trials

 

 

 

11 September 2011

 

Pre-Season Magic Games

 

Some pre-season tough games for Manchester Magic were most useful:

 

Saturday	10 September
1:00pm	Manchester Magic 57 - 78 Warrington Wolves
3:00pm	Warrington Wolves 63 - 89 Bradford Dragons
5:00pm	Manchester Magic 58 - 81 Bradford Dragons
Sunday	11 September
1:00pm	Manchester Magic 95 - 53 Birmingham Mets
3:00pm	Birmingham Mets61 - 69 Northumbria
5:00pm	Manchester Magic 90 - 68 Northumbria
Wednesday	14 September
8:15pm	Manchester Magic 77 - 65 Leeds Carnegie

 

 

 

 

22 August 2011

 

Under 16 European Women

 

Many congratulations to the three Mystics players who have just finished representing England in the European B Division Championships in Romania.

 

The team gave an outstanding performance in coming second out of 15 teams, just being pipped in the final game by Germany by

66 - 63.

 

Leah McDerment made an outstanding contribution, being a starter in all 8 games and playing more minutes than anyone else in the team over the whole tournament.

 

Ashley Tensel and Mollie Campbell also made significant contributions to the success of the team.

 

Congratulations to all 3 girls and their families.

 

 

 

 

17 August 2011

 

Administration Evening

 

Our Administration Evening for all Club members involved in National League Programmes this year, will be on Wednesday

7th September 2011 at 6.30pm.

 

Photographs will be taken on the night, but all players will need a copy of their birth certificate or passport before they can be licensed.

 

Please note that for players Under 18 years old, a parent/carer must be here to sign the application form.

 

All Standing Order details will be given.

 

 

13 August 2011

 

Under 16 Men European Update

 

The Under 16 Boys team created history by being the first England Boys team in the modern era to qualify for the A Division for next year. The team had a wonderful run, going unbeaten until the final game which they lost to a fine Slovenian team 73 - 82. As the first 2 teams in the competition qualified for the A Division, this was enough for the team to be promoted.

 

Simon Fisher, the England Under 16 Coach, gave a glowing report of Tamas Okros, the Magic player, indicating that Tamas played an extremely important role in the team gelling together and fulfilling its true potential. Tamas was a starter in every game.

 

Scott Bowie, who was able to represent Ireland, finished the tournament strongly, but inevitably, had to play on a losing team throughout the tournament.

 

We wish both players good fortune in their contributions to the Magic Under 18 team this coming season.

 

 

 

 

4 August 2011

 

European Honours

 

 

 

 

22 July 2011

 

Good news for Mystics Juniors

 

 

 

 

 

 

24 June 2011

 

Magic Senior Final Trial

 

Manchester Magic are holding a final trial for the Division 3 Men's Senior team on Saturday 2 July at Amaechi Basketball Centre at 3:00pm. There will be no charge to take part. See below for change of direction of Magic programme.

 

24 June 2011

 

Magic Future

 

Manchester Magic is moving in a different direction with its Senior Men’s team.  After a decade of great success with our Boys age group teams, and the winning of a multitude of National Championships and National Cups, we would like to forge a much closer link between the youngsters who are doing so consistently well each year, and the Club Senior Men’s team.  We do not feel that we have established this link well enough in the past.  The Trustees have therefore decided that we will just compete in Men’s Div 3 next season.  It is our intention to start afresh at Senior Men’s level and the Trustees would like to make the following points:

• It will be much easier to build a new system, with solid foundations and good principles from a Division 3 starting point.  We intend that many of our Under 18 players in September 2011 will play for this team, and they will be joined by some more experienced players who will be required to make a definite, medium term commitment to our Club. i.e. 2 or 3 years.
• We will promote the student/athlete system and will welcome players who may be studying within travelling distance of Amaechi Basketball Centre and wish to play for the Magic.  We may be able to help financially with a contribution to course fees for suitable, high quality players.
• The Club target will be to get from EBL Division 3 to EBL Division 1 as quickly as possible.  We do NOT see ourselves as a ‘Division 3 Club’, but a ‘Division 1 Club’. We are simply using a different philosophy to get there. If we are able to re-establish ourselves as a Division 1 team, with a bulk of our own youngsters playing for this team, we feel that we would then have a structured pathway from Under 13 Boys to Senior Men which will be attractive to any youngster playing for any of our National League teams.
• We have no intention of dealing in short term fixes, but wish to establish a new, long-term strategy.
• We will continue to encourage our players to play at the highest personal level they can.  We accept that, in order for the more talented players to follow a career in basketball, they may have to move from the Club. e.g. to the USA.  We will continue to support this movement.

 

 

11 June 2011

 

John Amaechi Honour

 

Great news for John Amaechi and the Club with the awarding of the OBE to John in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

 

Hearty congratulations to John from all at the Club.

 

 

26 April 2011

 

Magic BoysTrials

 

If you are interested in trying out for the most successful Club in the country, come along to the Amaechi Basketball Centre on Saturday 7 May for the trials for next year's National League teams:

 

Current School Year 6, 7       12.30pm – 2.30pm

 

Current School Year 8, 9       2.30pm – 4.30pm

 

Current School Year 10, 11   4.30pm – 6.00pm

 

No charge to take part. Just turn up, ready to play.

 

Call Joe Forber 01625-527867/07790-686496 or Richard Hill 0161-881-0090/07833-224380 for further details.

 

 

 

22 April 2011

 

Magic Trials

 

Manchester Magic are looking for players for next season. We are changing the direction of our Senior team. We have a trial on Sunday 8 May at 1:00pm at Amaechi Basketball Centre.

 

Click here for further details.

 

21 April 2011

 

Magic Future

 

Manchester Magic is moving in a different direction with its Senior Men’s team.  After a decade of great success with our Boys age group teams, and the winning of a multitude of National Championships and National Cups, we would like to forge a much closer link between the youngsters who are doing so consistently well each year, and the Club Senior Men’s team.  We do not feel that we have established this link well enough in the past.  The Trustees have therefore decided that we will just compete in Men’s Div 3 next season.  It is our intention to start afresh at Senior Men’s level and the Trustees would like to make the following points:

• It will be much easier to build a new system, with solid foundations and good principles from a Division 3 starting point.  We intend that many of our Under 18 players in September 2011 will play for this team, and they will be joined by some more experienced players who will be required to make a definite, medium term commitment to our Club. i.e. 2 or 3 years.
• We will promote the student/athlete system and will welcome players who may be studying within travelling distance of Amaechi Basketball Centre and wish to play for the Magic.  We may be able to help financially with a contribution to course fees for suitable, high quality players.
• The Club target will be to get from EBL Division 3 to EBL Division 1 as quickly as possible.  We do NOT see ourselves as a ‘Division 3 Club’, but a ‘Division 1 Club’. We are simply using a different philosophy to get there. If we are able to re-establish ourselves as a Division 1 team, with a bulk of our own youngsters playing for this team, we feel that we would then have a structured pathway from Under 13 Boys to Senior Men which will be attractive to any youngster playing for any of our National League teams.
• We have no intention of dealing in short term fixes, but wish to establish a new, long-term strategy.
• We will continue to encourage our players to play at the highest personal level they can.  We accept that, in order for the more talented players to follow a career in basketball, they may have to move from the Club. e.g. to the USA.  We will continue to support this movement.

 

 

 

13 April 2011

 

Great Success

 

The Magic/Mystics success story rolls on with the news that all 8 of the Club's age group boys' and girls' teams have made it to the

Final Four in their age group.

 

After the Under 15 and Under 13 Boys picked up the Championship trophies at Stoke Mandeville recently, last weekend's play-off

results mean that the Under 18/Under 16/Under 14 Boys and the Under 18/Under 16/Under 14 Girls all go to the EIS, Sheffield on the

weekend of 30 April/1May to vie for their Championships.

 

It is believed that this is unique in English basketball and all players, coaches and parents of the respective teams, can take great

pride in their performance so far this season.

 

It is also noteworthy that the Under 18 Boys had a comfortable victory over London Spartans by 103 - 75, to secure the National Cup in

February, and last weekend the Mystics Women's Division 2 won the Championship Final against Solent Suns by 73 - 58.

 

 

 

 

1 May 2011

 

Magic/Mystics Play-off Progress

 

Magic/Mystics teams are making good progress in the National Play-offs:

 

Under 13 Boys
Manchester 1	123 - 38	Northants Too	Round 1
Manchester 1	91 - 25	Worthing	Quarter Final
Manchester 1	134 - 35	Ipswich	Semi Final
Manchester 1	107 - 40	Lewisham	Final	National Champions
Under 15 Boys
Manchester	102 - 51	Derby	Round 1
Manchester	77 - 59	Solent	Quarter Final
Manchester	89 - 57	Sheffield	Semi Final
Manchester	83 - 73	NASSA	Final	National Champions
Div 2 Women
Manchester	78 - 51	Bristol	Quarter Final
Manchester	67 - 59	Sevenoaks	Semi Final
Manchester	73 - 58	Solent	Final	National Champions
Under 18 Men
Manchester	57 - 50	Derby Trailblazers 2	Round 2
Manchester	92 - 46	Taunton	Quarter Final
Manchester	64 - 66	Cheshire	Semi Final
Manchester	74 - 62	Leicester	3/4 Play-off
Under 16 Boys
Manchester	119 - 53	Oldham	Round 2
Manchester	77 - 72	Medway Park	Quarter Final
Manchester	106 - 86	Worthing	Semi Final
Manchester	77 - 70	Cheshire Jets	Final	National Champions
Under 14 Boys
Manchester	125 - 25	Derby Arrows	Round 1
Manchester	102 - 31	Northants	Round 2
Manchester	124 - 63	Brentwood	Quarter Final
Manchester	95 - 45	London Pioneers	Semi Final
Manchester	91 - 65	NASSA	Final	National Champions
Under 18 Women
Manchester	71 - 47	Southend Swifts	Quarter Final
Manchester	58 - 73	Sevenoaks	Semi Final
Manchester	69 - 55	Doncaster	3/4 Play-off
Under 16 Girls
Manchester	92 - 26	Bury	Round 1
Manchester	77 - 48	Northants	Quarter Final
Manchester	62 - 52	Sevenoaks	Semi Final
Manchester	52 - 87	Haringey	Final
Under 14 Girls
Manchester	100 - 42	Leeds Carnegie	Round 1
Manchester	75 - 50	Ipswich	Quarter Final
Manchester	57 - 83	Haringey	Semi Final
Manchester	60 - 55	Sevenoaks	3/4 Play-off

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 April 2011

 

More Success for Magic

 

Two sterling performances earned National Championships for the Under 13 and Under 15 Boys in their Final Four Tournaments at

Stoke Mandeville on Saturday 2 April.

 

The Under 13s showed complete domination of their event and were not pushed at all in either the Semi-Final or the Final.

 

Semi Finals:

Manchester 134 - 35 Ipswich

Notts Nova 56 - 57 Lewisham

 

3/4 Play-off:

Ipswich 54 - 76 Notts Nova

 

1/2 Play-off:

Manchester 107 - 40 Lewisham

 

The Most Valuable Player Award went to Recardo Eaton-Barnes, the Manchester guard, who has been with the Club from the age of 6.

Recardo showcased his ball-handling skills to the pleasure of the capacity crowd.

 

The Under 15 team had more difficulty in their Final, after comfortably despatching Sheffield Sharks in the Semi-Final.

A very spirited NASSA team came out firing and deservedly took a 19 point lead in the second quarter. The Manchester boys responded

well and, with their excellent team spirit, chipped away at the deficit, finally drawing level with 3 minutes to go. A very controlled last

three minutes saw the Manchester boys finally win by 10 points. Terrific credit is due to the NASSA team for their performance and their

graciousness in defeat - very impressive indeed and a credit to their Club.

 

Semi Finals:

Manchester 89 - 57 Sheffield

Northampton Nets 59 - 68 NASSA

 

3/4 Play-off:

Sheffield 81 - 65 Northampton Nets

 

1/2 Play-off:

Manchester 83 - 73 NASSA

 

The Most Valuable Player Award went to Tamas Okros who came to us from Bradford at the beginning of this season and has made an excellent contribution to our programme.

 

 

4 March 2011

 

Loreto Teams

 

After last Wednesday's results, both Loreto College Boys and Girls teams have reached the National Cup Final 4s. These will be

played in Birmingham on Thursday 17 March, and we wish them the best of luck.

 

25 February 2011

 

Coventry Withdraw

 

As Coventry have withdrawn from the EBL Division 1, the Home game v Coventry on Saturday 5 March is cancelled.

 

 

25 February 2011

 

NBA 3 on 3 Tournament at Amaechi Basketball Centre

 

The Sprite 3-on-3 tournament is coming to Amaechi Basketball Centre as part of Basketball Week. Put your

skills to the test and play against the best!

 

Open to: Male and female, 13 and up, 16 and under,18 and under, 19 and up.

 

Tuesday 1 March 2011

 

Registration 5.00pm to 6.00pm

Games commence at 6.15pm

 

For more information:

facebook.com/nbauk

basketballweek@nba.com

 

 

 

 

23 February 2011

 

Patrons Cup and Men's National Trophy

 

Amaechi Basketball Centre has been asked by England Basketball to host the Patrons Cup Final and the Men's National Trophy Final on Sunday 27 February.

 

Schedule

 

12:30pm	Patrons Cup Final	Hemel Storm	v	London United-Richmond College
2:45pm	Men's National Trophy Final	Reading Rockets	v	Leeds Carnegie

 

Tickets: £6 Adult, £3 Concessions

 

21 February 2011

 

Under 18 and Under 16 Boys National Cup Finals

 

Amaechi Basketball Centre again hosted the Under 18 and Under 16 Boys National Cup Finals, and Men's National Shield on Sunday 20 February.

 

 

Results

 

12 noon	Under 16 Boys Final	Cheshire Jets	79 - 65	Sheffield Sharks
2:00pm	Under 18 Boys Final	Manchester Magic	103 - 75	London Spartans
4:15pm	Men's National Shield Final	Birmingham Mets	86 - 83	Portsmouth City Smugglers

 

 

Congratulations to all winners. We are particularly pleased with our Under 18 Boys who won the U18 Sure Shot Cup.

 

 

21 January 2011

 

Manchester College Basketball Trials Tuesday 22 February 3pm - 6pm

 

The Manchester College are to hold basketball trials for Year 11 students on Tuesday 22 February at 3pm - 6pm at Nicholls Sixth Form College Sport Hall (M12 6BA) to join their Basketball Academy. To join the Academy at Manchester College you must enrol as a student on a full-time course. For more information please download and the read the PDF file, here

 

19 January 2011

 

Manchester Players in England Squads

Boys and Girls

 

Congratulations to all these Manchester players who are currently involved in the various Age Group Squads for England. In the case of Under 18 and Under 16, the England teams will be competing in European competition this summer.

 

Under 18 Boys

Jack Crook

Josh McGinn

 

Under 18 Girls

Katie Rowlands

 

Under 16 Boys

Tamas Okros (dependent upon nationality status)

 

Under 16 Girls

Mollie Campbell

Leah McDerment

Ashley Tensel

 

Under 15 Boys

Joe Swindells

Danny Walters

 

Under 15 Girls

Aleiah Johnson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26 November 2010

 

Primary School Activities at Amaechi Basketball Centre

Boys and Girls

 

We have several opportunities for Primary School children at our Basketball Centre:

 

1. Practice plus games.  Mondays 5:30pm – 6:30pm.  School Years 3, 4, 5, 6.  £1.50.

 

2. Practice plus games. Saturdays 9:15am – 10:45am.  School Years 3, 4, 5, 6.  £1.50.

 

3. Practice.  Sundays 10:30am – 12 noon.  School Years 5 & 6 only.  £1.50.

For above average players only.

 

4. League games.  Fridays 5:30pm – 6:30pm. School Years 5 & 6 only.  £1.50.

For above average players only.

 

Our sessions are open to any individual or small group.  We also encourage whole School teams to play in the Leagues on Fridays and Saturdays.  These sessions are every week in School terms. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20 October 2010

 

Ryan McAdam

 

Ryan did well in his away debut at Brixton last weekend (25 points and 7 rebounds). Unfortunately, it was not good enough to secure a

much-needed victory In our first league game.

 

We have a big league game versus Bristol Flyers on Saturday at ABC at 7:30pm when Ryan will be playing his first home game. We

need a bumper crowd to get behind the team.

 

BE THERE AND CHEER ON THE MAGIC!

 

 

 

 

 

18 October 2010

 

Selection at Lilleshall

 

Following the Inter-Area Tournament for '97 boys at Lilleshall, 3 of our boys have been selected to attend the England Development Squad.

 

Allistair Lloyd

Daniel Walters

Recardo Eaton-Barnes

 

We wish them success in their future progress.

 

23 September 2010

 

'97 boys at Lilleshall

 

Congratulations to the following boys who have been selected to represent the NW team at Lilleshall this weekend.

Allistair Lloyd
Ben Jones
Daniel Walters
George Littler
Kyle Elly
Raheem Idris
Recardo Eaton-Barnes
Sam Ogden
Jordie Thomas

 

Well done and all the best for success at Lilleshall.

.

 

 

10 September 2010

 

National Players

 

We are proud to have more representative of our Club playing for England and Great Britain this summer in the European championships.

 

The Under 20 Women won the Division 'B' Championship for the first time ever, and therefore go on to the 'A' Division in 2011, which is a magnificent achievement.

 

Charlotte Stoddart and Kristie Sheils, both ex-Mystics, made a major contribution to the team. Charlotte is just beginning her second year at Fordham University in New York and Kristie, having spent a year at Leeds Carnegie, is just going to the USA to begin her College career over there at Pailm Beach State College.

 

Aaoron Gerami, just about to begin his career at Seton Hall in the Big East, played for the England Under 18 Boys in Tel Aviv and was a starter in every game and a mainline player. The team finishes a creditable 6th in the competition.

 

Rosie Hynes, ex-Mystics, did very well for England Under 18 Girls in Romania. Rosie was an excellent player for the Mystics before moving to Barking Abbey to continue he studies and develop her basketball at Division 1 level.

 

Our own Leah McDerment and Mollie Campbell were also honoured to play in the Under 16 Girls team in Skopje, Macedonia, where they made excellent contributions - see separate report. They are both young enough to play again next year for the Under 16 Girls, and we wish them every success.

 

 

8 September 2010

 

Devan Bailey

 

We are very proud at Manchester of Devan's success with the Great Britain Senior Men's programme.

 

Devan was a pupil at Helsby High School, Cheshire, when he joined Magic at the age of 13. His progress through the Club and through the England programmes was meteoric and was offered a 3 year Scholarship at Brewster Academy, a Prep School, in the USA. His performances there earned him a full scholarship at Central Connecticut State and he made a major contribution to his College team last season, when he was a Freshman.

 

Although he has had limited minutes for Great Britain, his presence in the squad speaks volumes for his determination and ambition and we wish him all the best for the future.

 

For more information, click on www.gameongb.com

 

 

7 September 2010

 

Aaron Gerami

 

Aaron started with our Club at the age of 14 when he was a 6' 3'', lanky teenager. He is now 6'11'' and beginning to forge a career in basketball.

 

After representing England at Under 16 level in the European Championships, he moved to Gran Canaria for a year to develop his basketball on a full-time basis. Health problems brought him home early, but the word had got round about his prowess as a big man.

 

After a typical recruiting battle in the USA, Seton Hall in the Big East became his choice. At this time, he is not sure whether he will redshirt or begin his Freshman year. Whatever happens, we are proud of his accomplishments at the Magic and wish him all the best for his future progress.

 

 

 

6 September 2010

Lee Goldsbrough

 

Lee came to us from Newcastle, geordie accent and all, to join our Basketball Academy at Loreto College 2 years ago.

 

Despite his inexperience at a high level, he was quickly invited to the Under 18 England programme where he performed admirably

in Summer 2009. Magic fans will know that he made a significant contribution to the Senior Magic team in the second half of last

season, which culminated in the Magic winning the Final Four at ABC.

 

When the USA College offers came in for Lee, he was left with difficult decisions to make. He finally decided on Providence College

in the Big East - a challenge he is greatly looking forward to. He flew to the USA 10 days ago and has now started his

academic programme and basketball development.

 

We wish him all the best for his future success.

 

 

 

 

2 September 2010

Magic Ticket Prices

 

The first Magic home game is in the Men's National Trophy competition, versus Leeds Carnegie, on Saturday 18 September at 7:30pm.

 

The Club has decided to maintain last season's ticket prices, which are:

 

	Adult		£5.00
	Children		£2.50
	Family (2 + 2)		£12.50

 

All Senior fixtures (Magic 1, Magic 2 and Mystics) are now on this website.

 

5 July 2010

Kypros Charalambous

 

Sadly, Kypros Charalambous, father of Haris, died on the evening of Sunday 4 July in St Ann's Hospice, Heald Green. As soon as we have any funeral details, we will put them on this website.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Polly, his wife, and Elena, his daughter, at this sad and difficult time. Kypros will be sadly missed at Magic games, and especially at the Haris Memorial International Tournaments at Christmas, where Polly and Kypros presented the trophies.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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.com or telephone 01625-527867 or 07790-686496.

 

 

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