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On October 6th 1974 when Granwood, Coventry took the floor against Avenue in East London, it was the first encounter in a journey of 838 games that have seen the Bullets reach their 25th Anniversary season in 1998/99.
Granwood were the brainchild of five ambitious young men, Mike Maddox, Bob Hope, Terry Donovan, Adrian Bradley and Roy Burton who had masterminded the winning of the National Invitational tournament in May 1974 by the Warwickshire basketball squad to gain entry to the fledging National League.
The initial season saw only eight wins but laid the foundations for another 24 years of highs and lows. Of those 838 games, 47 have gone into overtime, including 4 double and 1 triple periods, the outcome of which we won 471, will number 500 come in 1999? [Yes, it did!] Seventeen victories came in 1980/81 when we went undefeated at home and won the league for the only time so far. Eight were in National Championship Finals, the last three 1998, 1996 and 1991 (Division One) being won. Two, 1978 and 1983, were in heartbreaking National Cup Final defeats and eight more Final appearances produced a British Masters success in 1986 and a Federation cup win in 1979. European action was tasted three times in 1979, three breathtaking wins over Mulhouse of France and Mestre of Italy were achieved before bowing out of the Korac Cup, as rare a taste of success for British basketball then as it is now.
Over the last three years, the win ledger has been increased 107 times, the most consistent period of success in Bullets history.
Of course there have been lows, 1984/85 saw the club lose a record twenty seven games amid a financial crisis and the release of star players, and even 1989/90 could only produce eight wins in the lower Division One, just one season before the club started on the road to recovery with their emotional 1991 Division One National Championship triumph over Bury.
Although not quite nomads, the Bullets have had their share of home venues. Match nights started out in 1974 at the Warwick University Sports Centre. The 600 capacity arena was quickly overrun with supporters and in 1976, though not before a Cup Quarter final had to be played at the tiny Emesford Grange Leisure Centre, a move to the 1200 seat Coventry Sport Centre was made, the venue for the memorable European nights of the Seventies. As success followed, the Bullets, in 1980, took the dramatic step to uproot the club from Coventry and move to, the much bigger, Aston Villa Leisure Centre.
Once again, this venue saw more glory nights including the Championship and Greg White's club record 56 points in 1981, record crowds of 3200 in 1983, and live national TV debuts for Channel Four, 1982, and SKY in 1993. The driving ambition of former chairman, Harry Wrubleski to play in front of five figure crowds saw the club move to the prestigous NIA in 1993, a target that was achieved in 1997 against Sheffield as the club strove valiantly for the League title. Over the latter years while based at the NIA difficulty in obtaining game dates saw matches played at the cramped but intimidating Birmingham Sports Centre. A situation hopefully remedied last season as the club made the transition to the NEC and averaged crowds of 4500 for the first time.
None of the above, of course, could have happened without the players, 146 in all, including 44 from overseas. There have been the greats, Tony Dorsey leads the way with 4107 points and was the club's second league MVP in 1996, following on from Russ Saunders winning that honour after his outstanding debut season in 1983. Dorsey in conjunction with Nigel Lloyd, who will become our longest serving overseas star and barring injuries will retake our scoring records [Yes, he did!] this year, being instrumental in ur winning two Championships in the last three years. Greg White, "Big Red" held most of the clubs scoring records until overtaken by Dorsey, and led the club to it's only League title in 1981. Who can forget Butch Hays in 1986 leading us to a Masters title and a National Championship Final with his own brand of enthusiasm and skill? The wizard of dribble, Damell Harrel, our first superstar, captivated the Coventry audiences and finally, what of Marcus Gaither carrying the team with 35 points at the clip in 1988? Let's not forget the Brits, stalwart Clive Allen has already played more games for the club, 432, than anyone, this year he moves ahead in seasons played, 13, as well [14 now!]. The history of the Bullets would not be the same without originals, firebrand, Steve Assinder, still the only Bullets player to win the English player of the Year award, and Neville Hopkins who both served over ten campaigns with the club and played leading roles in it's success during it's formative years. Mention has to be made to the three other 'Englishmen' to score 2000+ points for the club; George Branch, Tony Simms and 'Dip' Donaldson, and of the tenacious Joe Ogums who only played two seasons but had a points scoring average of over 18 ppg, higher than many of our imports.
Coaches we've had a few, current incumbenr, the latest of six Amricans, Mike Finger has the best winning percentage, 75.0% and a Championship. Greg White, that man again, is only just behind at 74.6% and coached our title winning squad of 1981.
Nick Nurse picked up the slack after a traumatic year under Steve Tucker and delivered us to the promised land with that first Championship in 1996.
Bob Hope, one of the founders, not the comedian, coached the longest, six years, and developed us into the title contenders.
The flamboyant Art Ross, pink jackets and all, put back the excitement into our game after a dismal 1985 season, and the late Dave Fisher battled bravely to bring the club out of the wilderness years in Division One and back into the Premier League at the start of the Wrubleski era.
What recollections then the last 24 years have given, just six moths ago we were a mere basket away from a League and Championship double, and with the squad newly reassembled for battle let's hope 1998/99 puts even more glorious memories into the bank as we begin on the road to 50 years of the Bullets.
This article was written by Pete Bamford (A Bullet Official) for "THE BULLETIN", an Evening Mail publication brought out on September 7, 1998, hence the inaccuracies here and there. I claim no responsibilty for it, I just put it here because I think it is useful. Mr Roo