News

The U14’s take on Reading Rockets in a friendly game, as part of their preparations for a hopeful play-off position. Reading in recent years has been one of the leading clubs in the UK with teams across all ages and genders. The Rockets U14 come out of an extremely tough South Division and hopefully will present a tough challenge for the Jets. This year has been an exciting ride for our youngest squad as they went undefeated over their first 4 games, before coming up against Bristol Academy on a tough December afternoon. A shock defeat to Bristol (80 point win in Bristol, 2 point loss at home!) was enough to shake the boys from complacency and ignited a renewed practice intensity. 6’7” centre Iain Summers had a succesful trip to Sweden with the South West and is now training with all 3 of the Jets National League teams (yes, U14, U16 and SENIOR!). Josh Reade, Jack Peare and Dan McAleese have all been showing great improvements as part of the SW APC program and will be hopeful for places on the upcoming Prague tour. All the while little known Jack Stanley leads the stats in our weekly shooting tests! With this game being their first in 2009, expect to see all guns blazing on Saturday.

The U16’s have been having a mixed season as they struggle to find consistency. At many times during their last clash with the Cannons (in Plymouth) they showed their ability to control the game and their potential to beat the Devon side. But the Jets scoring runs were outnumbered by Plymouth counter attacks and they left Plymouth with a disappointing loss. Captain Louis Fawl will be looking to apply some revenge on the Cannons as they travel to Cirencester for what should be an exciting game. Phil Drewett has shown excellent improvement since his trip to Sweden with the U18/U20 Jets side and was a standout performer in last week’s overtime win at Bristol Academy, hopefully his new aggression will shake up a few Cannon players on Saturday!

The Seniors also welcome Plymouth to Deer Park in their return EBL leg. The last encounter saw the Jets leave Devon with a 4-point win! Since then both teams have shown radical improvements, the Jets have turned around over 100 points on teams in the new year, whilst the Cannons caused an upset win in Bognor! Jets veteran Josh Soutter has really made his experience count since his 2 game absence though injury, picking up double digit points against Bristol and Bognor. Captain Matt Christensen was back on form last weekend in Bognor after a poor start to 2009 handing out 12 points and 4 assists in a tough game on the South Coast. Welsh U18 international Jimmy Bower has shown his value to the team in 2009 with 2 double digit scores in the first 2 games of the year, including an impressive long range shooting display against Bristol! With the Jets’ promising start to 2009 and the Cannons looking to gain retribution from the teams’ first exchange of the season it should be an exciting climax to Saturday’s basketball marathon!

After a tough double loss the previous weekend to top spot contenders Torbay and Marjons, the squad was keen to get back on track.

Coach Parkyn commented on the double loss.

“It was a tough weekend with two of the strongest teams in our league mixed in with a long away trip to Plymouth. Both were competitive games however and the performance showed definite cause for optimism for future meetings. Our main weaknesses were identified and improvement in these areas was apparent moving into the second game, further work on this should put us in a good position to contend in the league.”

Another long trip to Plymouth saw a match up against the Raiders – a team the Jets hadn’t met since U14. The game started with an opening 3 for Plymouth – fortunately not a sign of things to come. Jets were soon to retaliate with Laurie Miller, David Woodroffe and Louis Fawl giving the Jets a 7-3 lead. The 1st quarter finished the Jets on the stronger side of a 21-15 score line.

The second quarter saw a much improved defensive effort from the Jets limiting the local team to just 7 points. With Tim Smith making his way onto the score sheet, supplemented by Phil Drewett and Greg Gallagher, the Jets boosted themselves to a 37-22 lead at the half.

A poor start to the third led to 6 unanswered points for the Raiders – anxious to stop the run, Coach Parkyn introduced a press. The Jets ran it well and points were soon on the board. Silly mistakes in the defense soon led to more scoring opportunities and the lead remained at 15 going into the 4th.

The 4th quarter showed the Jets finally playing to the standard they are capable. An intense defensive effort and scoring from the bench closed the game out 70-44. A spread scoring effort put Tim Smith and Greg Gallagher at the top with 12 each with numerous other contributions from the squad.

Coach Parkyn had the following to say:

“Overall we have to be pleased with the win and I am very pleased with the defensive intensity shown by the boys, I feel we were a bit complacent at times and made a few too many mistakes, we will have to ensure we don’t repeat the third quarter against some of the stronger teams in the league as we may not be able to recover.”

As part of our partnership with Cirencester College we have co-invested in an additional kit for use by the Senior Men National League, Local League and College teams. Hand made by Kukri sports the new kit and warm-up tops will give all the teams a truly professional image. The new kit bears the logo’s of both organisations and will supplement the red kit of same design put into circulation at the beginning of the season.

College 1st team captain and Jets Senior player Jimmy Bower was really pleased with the new kit, “It’s the first time the new Gloster logo has made it to a set of kit and it looks great. The kit was designed by Isiah Young, from the college, and he has done an awesome job! The new kit gives all the teams a really professional image and I’m sure will boost the players confidence.”

The kit also represents a growing number of projects being collaborated between Cirencester College and the club. Senior EBL captain and College Coach Matt Christensen added his notes of appreciation to the college. “I would really like to thank the college for their continued support during this season. Our partnership is really in it’s infancy, but it has already spawned many successes for both parties. The college team are really performing on the court and our partnership local league team are in the chase for promotion to Division 1 of the local league in its first 3 months. The new kit really shows the college’s commitment to recognising us as a ‘professional’ sport and the partnerships continuing success.”

Keep your eyes on the website for images of the new kit in action over the next few weeks.

The Cirencester College Jets were looking to secure a position in Division 1 after the Christmas break with a tough double header at Deer Park. Due to a range of fixture amendments and clashes the Jets had to double 2 home fixtures against Gloucester Pumas and Dursley Pride.

The first game was certainly an exciting spectacle with a 77-73 overtime win for the Jets. New signing Ben Lakins 24 points boosted the Jets performance as they took control of the game early on, a poor 2nd half allowed the Pumas to take a 2 point lead with 20 seconds remaining. 2 critical Josh Soutter free throws tied the game with little time remaining. An un-fortunate (and painful) injury to Pumas Martin Coupe brought the game to a standstill for over 30min with the game clock stopped at 5.1 seconds. Once the game restarted a quick Jets steal could not be converted sending the game to overtime. Late arrivals Jimmy Bower and Iain Chirnside made their presence known with 3 three pointers in the 5 minute overtime and lifted the Jets to the victory.

The long overtime game severely depleted the Jets energy as they came up against an offensive heavy Dursley Pride. With a 6-point deficit at half-time the game seemed to be within the Jets grasp. A good start to the 3rd quarter brought the game back to 3 points, then things went downhill. The Pride started to take advantage of Cirencester’s tiring legs and quickly converted rebounds to fast break points. A late resurgence from the Jets, including baskets for Joe Thompson and Cam Talbot, was not enough to bring the game back into contention. The only highlight of the disappointing loss for the Jets was Matt Christensen’s 31 points in the 55-80 home loss.

The Jets will now look to continue their unbeaten road (away) record with a tough trip to league leaders Worcester Kings (Thursday 13th Nov).

Team Gloster’s senior EBL team are pleased to announce the signing of 6’5 forward Ben Lakin. Lakin is another product of the Jets junior program and played several successful seasons of Junior Basketball earlier in the decade.

The 6’5 big man will provide yet more inside presence for the Jets, which he proved in a warm-up game with the local league men on Sunday scoring 19 points.

The Team Gloster Jets Men’s team picked up their first National League victory in an exciting 4-point victory over Plymouth Marjon Cannons in Plymouth on Saturday night. A tough game was waiting for the Jets at the end of the 3hr road trip to the depths of Devon.

The Cannons presented some familiar faces, including ex-Jet Sam Ottaway (now attending Marjons College), and a young team looking to make an impression at the senior level. The first quarter set the tone for a very physical game, within 2 minutes the Marjons were in team fouls and were bleeding free-throws to the Jets. This gave Gloster the advatange at the end of the 1st quarter (22-19).

The 2nd quarter saw the scoring rate slow down as both teams defences started to kick into operation. Will Hichens showed his athletic ability around the basket picking up multiple rebounds at both ends of the floor and converting them at the offensive end. Going into the half the Jets had the 6point advantage (36-30) and a positive outlook on the 2nd half.

The Cannons started the 3rd with a new resilience and immediately brought the game back to 4 points before a stalemate 2 minutes ended with a 7 point run for the Jets. Plymouth fought back again closing the gap to 3 points by the end of the quarter and setting up the game for a dramatic finish.

The Jets maintained the lead throughout the 4th quarter, but with it spending much of the period at 1 point. With a minute left the advantage was still 1 point and with 12 seconds left a Gloster foul gave Cannons Tom Riley a chance to take the lead from the foul line. Some stern words from Jets coach Christensen set the Gloster team up for a nerve-racking finish. England hopeful Riley stepped up to the line with confidence, but not the required composure and could not find the bottom of the net on either shot. Some scrapping for a rebound pushed the ball out of bounds and gave Gloster the ball on the sideline with 8 seconds left. Marjons still have 1 foul to give before going into team fouls.

Inbound pass from Hichens to Deacon, Marjons foul to stop the clock. Sideline ball Gloster ; 6 seconds. Inbound pass to Christensen, goes to evade the defender who fouls. 2 free throws and 4 seconds on the clock. Team captain Christensen nails the first shot (Gloster up 2). Second shot jingles off the iron and straight to Ben Parkyn, who immediately pushes the ball back into the basket. Marjons time-out. So Plymouth ball at the halfway line 2 seconds left. Gloster sink into a zone ensuring that Marjons have to pass the ball into the perimeter, ex Jet Sam Ottaway receives the ball 3 meters beyond the 3-point line. The long-range shot narrowly misses as the horn goes giving Gloster the much-needed victory.

The Jets next clash sees them take on Plymouth Raiders on the 22nd November at Deer Park School (1700tip), where the Jets will definitely be looking for another victory and an opportunity to move up the table.

Top scorers: Hichens (16), Christensen (15), Parkyn (11).

The Cirencester College Jets, our partnership local league team, took the long voyage down to Hereford to face off against the Mavericks. The journey at one point seemed to be wasted as no referees were in attendance, but Mavericks coach Steve Farmer stepped in and blew the game.

The Jets gave a shooting master class as guards Jimmy Bower and Matt Christensen combined for 9 three pointers. New signing Ben Lakin did some tough work in the post pulling out 19 points. U16’s Phil Drewett and Louis Fawl showed some tough defense and some excellent shooting from Fawl gave him 12 points. Matt Strickland showed some fancy work on the offensive end, including a spectacular spin move under the hoop.

Bower showed some excellent moves from the long range and on the drive, cashing in for 27 points. Christensen led all scorers with 39 points. All in all the Jets were too strong for the Mavericks offensively, although some sloppy Cirencester defense granted Hereford a respectable 47 points at the final whistle.

Final score:
TG Cirencester College Jets 112
Hereford Mavericks 47

The team now looks forward to a tough double header on Sunday (09.11). They first face off against Pumas (5pm) and then immediately playing Pride (7pm). Both games at Deer Park School.

Scorers: Christensen 39, Bower 27, Lakin 19, Fawl 12, Strickland 8, Boden 6.

It was always going to be a tough fixture for U16’s as they faced off against one of the top teams in the Country, City of Birmingham. Birmingham boasted 4 internationals as they took to the floor against an ‘injury weakened’ Jets side.

Despite the best efforts of team leaders Fawl, Woodroffe and Gallagher the Jets found it increasingly difficult to get the ball to the basket. All the while they were bleeding points defensively and going into the half the scoreboard looked bleak at 53-6.

Statistically the 2nd half was better offensively for Gloster as they scored 15 points, but it often resembled much of the 1st. The Birmingham defence took advantage of Gloster errors and quickly converted them to baskets on the fast break. The contest closed at 21-110.

A valuable lesson for the Jets in the intensity required at the top level of domestic competition. The Jets will revert back to their normal EBL schedule next weekend with another trip to Plymouth to face off against the Raiders.

A high achieving half-term week continued for Jets players with U14 centre Iain Summers being selected for the England U15 National Team Squad. The 198 cm Stroud native was chosen following a tough 2 day camp in Derbyshire under the watchful eyes of some of England’s top coaches. He will now join a long list of Jets players to have received the international call.

The Marling student battled his way through a tough camp, coming up against players of his own age and height for the first time. With 7 inches separating him from any of his U14 teammates he is really a giant when playing in his own age group within the South West. National team coaches noted Iain’s excellent rebounding skills and understanding of the game, especially considering he has only been playing for 9 months!

Iain will now join his England teammates once a month for intense 2-day camps as they aspire to compete in the U16 European Championships in 18months time. Iain will also continue to work with his club coach Matt Christensen, who is also a coach with the U15 National Team.

The club extends its congratulations to Iain and is looking forward to supporting Iain in the next stage of his basketball career. Keep an eye on the website for updates on Iain's progress.

Team Gloster forward Dan McAleese was given an honourable mention by England National Team selectors at the prestigious Lillehsall Inter-Regional Tournament. 13yr old Dan was representing the South West Region at the tournament, which features the best 13yr olds in the country. Dan had an excellent tournament as the team’s leading scorer and used his incredible speed to his advantage attacking the basket.

McAleese was joined by club teammate Josh Reade, who initially struggled with the increased pace and size at the tournament. Once settled he was able to show his true colours, attacking the basket and creating good scoring opportunities for teammates.

Both Reade & McAleese will now join the South West Area Performance Centre to be guided through the next stage of their development before trying out for the England U15 (1995 born) National team in October 2009. McAleese’s teammate Iain Summers will make his bid for the National Team this half-term with the 1994 team.

Club coach Matt Christensen was really pleased with the boys performances over the weekend “It was great to see 2 club players in such a predominant position with a regional team. Dan’s performance was excellent; he used his athleticism to his advantage and definitely got some well-deserved exposure. The next year is going to be tough for the boys, but the club will continue to support them and hopefully in a year we will be looking at 2 internationals!”

The U16’s started their league season with a dominant 30-point victory over local rivals Bristol Academy Flyers. The Jets led from start to finish in the home clash giving them an excellent start to their campaign.

Led by Captain Louis Fawl and guard Laurie Miller the Jets jumped to a 24-13 opening quarter. Foul trouble for Fawl and injury worries for Miller allowed Bristol to close the gap in the 2nd, but some excellent play from new signings Phil Drewett and Luke Oakley-Smith kept the home team at comfortable 13 point advantage going into the break.

Coach Parkyn unleashed his strongest 5 in the 3rd quarter, which proved devastating to the Bristol pre half-time resurgence. 5 turnovers forced by the Fawl and Miller combo caused 10 points without reply, whilst keeping the Flyers in their defensive half for over a minute of game time. The traffic stayed mostly one way for the rest of the quarter finishing up 31-8 to the Jets.

With the game out-of-sight Coach Parkyn rested Fawl and Miller. Using a complete a bench rotation the led was cut by 6 before the final whistle ending up 85-55.

Coach Parkyn was pleased with the positive start to the season but had obviously taken some notes during the game. “It’s great to start the season with a confident scoreline. Our press worked well and completely demoralised the Bristol team in the 3rd quarter. Although our performance in the 2nd quarter has much to be desired. We became complacent, something which we will not recover from against other teams in this league.”

The Jets next travel to Plymouth Marjon Cannons for their 2nd league game on Saturday 25th October. The Cannons should present a much more formible challenge, especially after the 3hr bus ride.

Jets U14 opened their new season in emphatic style with a 61 point victory at local rivals Bristol Academy Flyers. The Jets had advantages in all areas of the court and gave a strong performance to take the win at Bristol’s WISE arena. England prospect Iain Summers (Marling School) led the team at the both ends of the floor with a hoard of rebounds and 37 points to his name. The 6’5 centre showed his off-season work had paid dividends as he used footwork for easy scores around the basket.

7 of the Jets players were performing in their first national league game. Dan McAleese (KLB) and Josh Reade (Churchdown) showed their skills with 32 and 21 points respectively. Both players will travel to Shropshire next weekend to represent the South West at the illustrious inter regional tournament against the best players in the country.

Jack Stanley (Bournside) played some excellent defensive putting the Flyers guard under pressure and forcing mistakes. The Jets youngest player Tom Hayward showed some great individual skill at the guard position and has to be considered a genuine prospect for the future. Duncan Harvey (Bournside) and Luke Hedges (Farmors) did an excellent job getting on the end of the fast break and showed great promise in their understanding of position and the speed required to be successful players. Rob Smith (Archway) contributed with some great defensive work forcing several turnovers.
Team Coach Matt Christensen was really pleased with the boys performances, “Today was the first time 5 of our players had ever played a ‘real’ game of basketball and they did an excellent job. They all showed great understanding and have made significant improvements over the last month. We are really pleased with our first win and looking forward to successful and improving season!”

The Jets next challenge will seem them face off against Plymouth Marjon Cannons and Bristol Storm in a 3-way tournament at Christ College on November 15th. The club is still looking to recruit committed and enthusiastic Y8 & Y9 boys (01.09.94 and younger) for the team. Practice is weekly at Deer Park School, Cirencester on Friday evenings (6.30pm-8.30pm). For more information contact Matt Christensen (matt.christensen@teamgloster.com).

With only 8 players making the ‘international’ voyage across the Bridge there was little expectations on the Jets as they visited Cardiff Celts (Division 1) in Round II of the National Cup. The Celts, placed 3 divisions above the Jets, have been having a tough time in their first season in the top league and it was feared their frustrations in Division 1 might cause them to take little pity on a weakened Jets side.

The early stages of the game looked good for the Jets with 2minutes before a point was registered for either team on the scoreboard. Centre Adam Chick played excellence defence in the post against Cardiff’s 7ft Solomon Mills keeping the big man away from the rebounds and forcing bad shots. The quarter was definitely a defensive master class demonstrated by both teams as it closed out at 8-7 in Cardiff’s favour. The second quarter saw a quick opening by the Cardiff team as they took control of the initial stages. It such a low scoring game a 10point lead could have seemed like a mountain to climb for the Jets, but a strong run saw the game being tied with seconds to spare in the quarter. A misfortunate foul on the buzzer gave Cardiff’s Chambers 2 free throws, which he hit and consequently the Welsh side took a 2 point advantage going into the break.

The 2 changing rooms must have been quite contrasting scenes. The Jets who were playing well beyond their expectations and the changing was a calm place to be. However the Celts were in a 2-point game with a team 3 league’s their junior!

The dressing room words had an immediate effect as the Celts took an 8-0 run at the Jets, which would never be recovered. The Jets battled on through the quarter taking advantage of errors in the Cardiff defence but the Celts full court press forced the Jets into easy errors resulting in easy baskets for the Welsh team. The 25 point quarter for the Celts gave them a commanding position going into the 4th, 54-40. The 4th continued where the 3rd left off with Cardiff continuing to press and draw from the tiring Jets poor decisions. A strong finish from the Jets showed their tenacity and certainly drew some respect from the Cardiff players. The contest closed at 75-52 and was definitely evidence of some of the Jets best basketball this season.

Top scorers: Chick, Christensen, Hichens.

The new season is nearly upon us and the U16's are aiming to improve upon their success last year.

Training will return on Friday September 5th at Deer Park School in Cirencester. This will be the venue for training throughout the year.

The U16's pre-season traning weekend is also coming up on the 13th and 14th of September at the same venue, check your mails for more information.

9 of Team Gloster’s members returned to the UK on Monday following a successful tour in Poland. The Eastern Europe adventure visited Gniezno, a small town in Western Poland, to participate in the TS Basket International Tournament.

The 1991 Men’s Team headed the bill upon return to England as tournament champions. With only one loss to their name they took the tournament trophy in the final game on points difference, following a 3-way tie. Led by TG coach Matt Christensen the 91’s made a 1 position improvement on their Easter tournament in Luxembourg (finishing 2nd) and brought home the 90/91 program 3rd trophy of the year, following the 90 men’s team winning performance at Lundaspelen in January.

The team’s one loss came against sharp shooting Radviliskis of Lithuania. The Lithuanians sharp shooting performance was spectacular, hitting 12 3-pointers in 32 minutes of running clock basketball. With only 5 baskets inside the 3-point line scored and a collection of free throws it made for exceptional viewing. Despite this almost unbelievable shooting the South West kept fighting and brought the game back from a 20-point deficit to 6 points in the closing seconds.

Coming into the final game against unbeaten Warsaw, a win by 9 was needed to seal the title. Warsaw had beaten the Lithuanian’s by 4 points and a win by the South West would create the 3-way tie and some maths revealed the magic number was 9. Some excellent execution by the South West team gave them a 8 point lead with 20 seconds remaining in the game. Knowing that 8 points would not be enough, a final surge provided an additional 2 points and the game at 10. 2 missed shots by Warsaw gave the South West a much-deserved win and the tournament championship.

TG players Dean Hobbis, Nathan Thompson and Jimmy Bower provided solid performances throughout the tournament. Jimmy Bower’s last shot against Radvilisikis seemed unimportant at the time, but closing the game to a 6-point deficit proved became critical in the 3-way tie.

Coach Ben Parkyn’s 93’ Boys team also produced excellent basketball and another 5-1 record. A loss in the group stage by 6 points to Berlin, the eventual tournament champions, restricted the team to 3rd place. Annoyingly for the boys, Berlin won the final with ease by 30 points. TG’s U16 captain Louis Fawl continued to demonstrate his excellent work ethic and improvements. He held a starting position throughout the tournament and was one of the 93’s most consistent shooters. Both Head Coach Matt Hatchell and Assistant Parkyn noted his improvements.

This Friday's international clash at Deer Park has been moved to the earlier time of 1845. Warm-ups will begin at 1815.

The annual fixture still promises to deliver a top quality game and a genuine basketball spectacle.

Entry is FREE and all are welcomed.

Several TG members will be travelling with the SW Regional Teams to the Gneizno International Tournament in Poland. Louis Fawl and Cadet Head Coach Ben Parkyn will be with the ’93 team. Fawl’s hard work has earned him a regular position with the developing ’93 team. Parkyn continues his position as assistant coach working with Plymouth Marjon Cannons Coach, Matt Hatchel.

Junior Men (U18) Head Coach will lead the ’91 Men’s team on the sidelines and is joined by 3 players from this year’s very successful squad. Dean Hobbis will break the record for the most tours as a player (having attended every tour available for the last 3 years), Nathan Thompson travels for first time in 2 years and Jimmy Bower steps in to replace injured guard George Radford (Southampton Trailblazers). The 91’s will also be supported on the sidelines by club member Pip Wimberley who will operate as Team Manager and U18 Captain Lee Hobbis who is travelling as the team statistician.

As always TG’s Director of Coaching, Paul Christensen, will lead the regional delegation as Tour Director. The South West’s regional performance program is arguably the most comprehensive in the UK. It provides regional level athletes with regular training and international opportunities. Operating 7 tours a year it can provide male and female players the level of competition needed to help them develop to their potential.

The club wishes the delegation the best of success and look forward to hearing of their achievements upon their return.

The annual visit of NBC Camps from the USA and Canada will be from Friday 11th July till Monday 14th July. The touring team make an annual visit to the Glos’ providing their camp players with an enlightening international sports experience. The Jets have been hosting NBC teams for over a decade and the annual fixture is an exciting close to the year.
This year the tourists will be hosted by Club players & their families for 3 days and play competitive games against the Jets, regional teams and a few selected local club teams. This will be interspersed with a few touristic sights about the West Country.

Friday (11th July) will see the visitors squaring off against a TG Select. The Home-side will combine a mixture of Jets Alumni and current players. Previous years has seen some exciting clashes at Deer Park and this year guarantees to deliver the normal thrills.

Saturday provides NBC with a tournament involving the Jets U18 and 2 other local club sides. Sunday is a single game against the SW Regional ’93 side and a visit to Warwick Castle.

U18 Coach Matt Christensen was his normal optimistic self when talking about the annual showdown “It’s great to have NBC back in Gloucestershire! Everyone in the club loves meeting a new group every year and hearing about their experiences. The NBC teams are always tough to play and we are guaranteed some good games.”

Just a note to all:

The Friday session is now 7:00 until 9:00pm.

Team Gloster's continuing support for the South West Region International Program continued with several club members travelling to the Joop Ovreem Tournoi at Tilburg in the Netherlands. U15 players Louis Fawl and Greg Gallagher took to the floor for the SW APC 93 team whilst Coach Ben Parkyn supported the team from bench as an Assistant Coach.

Coach Parkyn felt it had been a positive experience for all those involved.

Who are we?

Team Gloster Jets was Gloucestershire’s first England Basketball League team, and have been members of the league continuously since 1981. The Jets have reached two national finals, and numerous play off positions. Jets teams have played in the USA and many countries in Europe. We have produced 13 international players, and dozens of regional selections. Last season, we had over 40 playing members from throughout Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, and 6 active, qualified coaches with Level 2-4 qualifications. Find out more at our website.

Who can play at Team Gloster?

We welcome all hardworking players who are genuinely ambitious to play successfully at EBL level or beyond, regardless of previous experience. We welcome players who have not played competitive basketball, especially at U14 level.

Summer Training

Summer training begins on FRIDAY 25 APRIL

At CHRIST COLLEGE, Arle Road, Cheltenham GL51 8LE

Under 12 (born on or after 01.09.96): 1700-1830

Under 14 (born on or after 01.09.94): 1830-2030

Under 16 and Under 18 (born 01.09.90 to 31.08.94): 1930-2130

U16 and U18 will have separate sessions once most GCSE and AS exams are completed, based at Cirencester Deer Park School.

Please note that for 1993 and 1994 players in the Gloucestershire squads, the county session on 25 April at Deer Park will take priority.

EBL 2008-9

Jets will play in the England Basketball League U14, U16 and U18 divisions. If there are sufficient players of suitable age in the U16 squad, we will also enter at U15 level.

Membership fees

These will remain at the same level as in 2007-8: £150 for U14, £240 for U16/U18. The difference reflects the higher costs of weekly matches at the older age levels. This fee includes licences, insurance, entry fees, provision of training and match kit, all match expenses and travel to away games. There are no extras. Fees may be paid by monthly Standing Order if preferred.

The fee for new members includes a set of club training kit for you to keep.

New members may attend the first three training sessions for a combined fee of £10, payable at the first session. Players who confirm their membership and pay their annual fee or a monthly instalment by 15 May may deduct this £10 from the fee.

Membership forms will be sent out in due course to those who request them, and hard copies will be available at the first three training days.

Contact

If you or your parents want to know more, please contact us as below or via our website.

Paul Christensen 07733 333036 paul.christensen@teamgloster.com

Welcome!!

We hope to welcome you to Team Gloster Jets. Let us know you are coming or just turn up to the first session!

The U15’s have managed to secure home court advantage in the playoffs after the unfortunate cancellation of the Plymouth game. The default win for the Jets puts them in 2nd place heading into the play offs.

The Jet’s will either be facing Solent Kestrels or Newham Youngbloods on the weekend of the 8th of March.

Coach Ben Parkyn had the following comment:

“It is unfortunate to take second place under these circumstances but looking at the season as a whole, the team definitely deserves it. The commitment to improvement from our players over the previous seasons has paid off for them by getting them an opportunity to head to the national finals. We will take it one step at a time and should we be beaten in our next game, so be it - I am already very proud of what the team has achieved this year and look forward to the challenge of the playoffs.”

The Jet’s finish the season with a 50% record in what has been a closely contested division. Congratulations to Torbay who finish top of the league and we look forward to seeing them for the friendly at our club day on the 1st of March.

The club will now have two teams heading into the playoffs in a strong position.

Having secured second place in the England Basketball League U18 South West Conference last week the Jets went into Sunday’s clash at Filton College knowing that the result would have no relevance upon their league position and home court advantage in the play-offs.

The Jets made a convincing start taking a 7-0 lead and forcing a Bristol time-out. Bristol took to the floor with a renewed drive and quickly brought the game back into contention. The first half was a series of lead changes as both teams battled for control. Some excellent long range shooting from both teams made for some exciting basketball as the Jets went into the half with a 2-point advantage.

The 3rd quarter served as the backbreaker as Bristol’s pressure man to man defensive took its toll on the Jets flat offence. A few moments of brilliance from the Jets kept them in contention but the quarter closed with a 13 point Bristol lead. The Jets were the commanding team for the most of the 4th quarter and some exceptional defence kept Bristol to 9 points, but with the Jets offence still stalling it wasn’t enough. The gap was closed to 3 points with a minute remaining, but it wasn’t enough as some smart Bristol extended the margin to 7 and closed the game at 65-58.

Coach Matt Christensen was pleased to have had a closely contested game but was obviously annoyed at the loss. “Today was a difficult matchup. We have come off two comparatively easy wins against Bath and Wessex and we just lacked the power to get the job done here. We wanted the challenge, but just maybe today was the wrong day for it.”

The Jets final league game will be against Torbay at Cirencester Deer Park School on Saturday 1st March. The club will be showcasing all it’s teams on the day with a build up to the big matchup with Torbay. For more information visit www.teamgloster.com.

Apologies for the down time on the website this week, we had been having too much trouble displaying the site properly in different browsers so I have re-designed it and hopefully everything will work now!

Yes it is entirely true, the Jets will be taking on the English National Team on the 27th January in Bristol. The U15 National Team will be training at Bristol Academy during the weekend and will be facing up against the Jets on the Sunday as part of their preparations for the European Championships in 2009. The Jets will field their U18 team for next year against some of England’s best young talent.

Team Gloster already have an international connection with Coach Matt Christensen who is currently working the England U15 program. The match-up will hopefully provide the England team with some physically tough opposition as well as giving the Jets some experience against a vast array of skilful opponents.

The game will be hosted at Bradley Stoke Community School in Bristol tipping around 1245.

The second part of the Dorset double take was to feature on the Jet's home turf and with the return of Laurie Miller put the Jet's the closest they have been to a full strength squad - Ryan Bowen was unfortunately absent.

The game started with much contrast to the previous week with the Jet's taking an early lead, Louis Fawl making early work for the scorers table. Strong defensive effort limited the Dorset team to just 9 points, compared to the Jet's 18 after the first.

The second quarter brought about fears of a repeat of the last game as Team Gloster again struggled to limit the Dorset number 15, giving away fouls and rebounds galore. With Greg Gallagher and Louis Fawl both in foul trouble Dorset brought the game to within 5 points at the half, with Laurie Miller's scoring contribution just keeping the home side ahead.

Going into the third, Dorset picked up a couple more players but it wasn't enough to deal with a Jet's press, put on only early in the quarter, forcing multiple mistakes from the Dorset’s guards and leading to a 27-8 scoring tear. Steals and baskets from all the team put the Jets up 65-45 entering the end of the game.

With confidence high the Jet's used a mixture of half court and press defences to limit Dorset’s scoring ability, and took advantage of foul trouble to get easy baskets penetrating to the hoop, finishing the game with a strong 15-9 4th quarter win.

The Jets look forward to the return of Ryan Bowen in their next game against Plymouth Raiders, whose pace and intensity was greatly missed.

Top Scorers: L.Miller (28), L.Fawl (16), T.Smith (15)

The Jets will be participating in the U18 play-offs for the first time in 7 years after their 12-1 start to the season. Wins in their final 3 games will guarantee them home court advantage in the first round. The Jets final 3 games see Barry and Torbay visiting Deer Park and a tough trip to Filton College to play Bristol Academy.

The trip to Wessex ended with a much anticipated result in favour of the Jets. With the first quarter ending 27-12 it left little to the imagination for the remaining 3 quarters. The Jets executed the fast break well giving them a 36 point lead at the half. The Warriors showed a few moments of potential but didn’t have a defensive presence as forward Matt Jones poured in the points. The Jets slowed the pace down in the second half giving them options to run the offence and some good player rotation. Young hopeful Louis Fawl (14yrs) was able to show his worth with 6 points and 4 rebounds. The contest ended 102-37 with Jones topping the scorers list with 27 followed by Sam Ottaway with 23.

Coach Matt Christensen was pleased with the long trip to Poole “Following last week’s win against Bath we were confident of getting the result required here, and it was an improvement from our last game with the Warriors in Cirencester”. He added “I was especially pleased with some of our more inexperienced players; Cam Talbot has made significant improvements to his game”. “Louis (Fawl) also impressed me, at only 14 he has an exciting career ahead of him. He is testament to the great work Coach Ben Parkyn is doing with the U15’s”. Obviously the coach was ecstatic about reaching the play-offs “It’s been a tough few years for this team; they have had to battle through some difficult times. They deserve the chance to show what they can achieve! I hope we can finish our league season as strongly as we started it and be ready for play-offs come March!”

After numerous game postponements and the long Christmas break the Jets were raring to get their next game underway. Another long trip led to fears of a slow start to the game but plenty of time was allowed before the game and the young squad focused and really applied them selves to a thorough preparation. After Gwents departure from the league there was only the home team to face and a victory was all that ran through the minds of the Jets and with a solid squad with plenty of depth, hopes were high.

The game started slowly for the visitors with Dorset taking an early lead in the game despite some excellent offensive play from the Jets team - moving the ball well and attacking with confidence. Defensively the Jets struggled with a talented opposition in the paint – a strong post player with some excellent footwork who was responsible for most of the early damage.

The Jets entered the half time break 16 points down.

As usual heads didn’t drop and the drive and determination of the players shone through once again. The third quarter was a different story, the Jets defence held strong with Louis Fawl, Tim Smith and Greg Gallagher combining to do a great job of subduing the previous inside dominance of Dorset. On the offensive end the baskets started pouring in with a mix of quick transition and great half court play with contributions from the whole team. After pulling back to as close as 3 points the quarter ended 4 down.

The fourth quarter featured more of the same on the defensive end but a 1-3-1 zone from the Storm started limiting the Jet’s offensive impact on the game. As the pressure of situation started affecting Team Gloster, small mistakes crept in leading to transition buckets giving Storm the cushion they needed to finish the game 9 up with a last second transition layup.

Words from the coach summed the game up:

“Despite an unfortunate result the game was a very positive one, with some great offensive movement much improved over previous games, the run in the 3rd showed once again showed the Jets ability to be a force in the league and only a lack of close game experience hampered the team, spirits ran high throughout the game and we look forward to meeting Dorset next week”

Mentions must be made to Tim Smith for his presence on the offensive boards in his first game for the Jets. Louis Fawl and Greg Gallagher for their defensive contributions limiting a large threat later in the game, David Woodroffe and Ben Jenkin for leading the team through the deficit and Ryan Bowen for some great steals and baskets to reign Dorset within reach.

Top scorers:D.Woodroffe (11), R.Bowen (10), G.Gallagher (9)

Coming into Saturday’s clash at Deer Park both the Jets and the Eagles had posted perfect records and only 3 points separated their point’s differences. The Jets knew coming into the fixture it was going to be their toughest game of the season and they were not far from reality.

The Jets started well posting 7 points un-replied in the opening exchanges and forcing Abingdon into an early time-out. Coach Bill Baker’s words inspired the Eagles side back into the game with it tied in the closing seconds. With the a second left and under pressure eagles guard Simon Rudd pulled up 3m outside the 3 point line and dropped the 3 pointer giving Abingdon the 3 point advantage at the end of the 1st (14-17).

The second quarter was an exciting affair as both teams played tough defensive and exciting offences. Some great passing movement by the Jets opened up the lane and gave attacking guards Lee Hobbis and Matt Brunt great looks at the basket. Sam Ottaway continued his recent form cutting the basket and finishing well under pressure. Down 2 in the closing seconds Matt Brunt picked out Jamie Boden under the basket for the lay-up to tie the game going into the half way break (35-35)

A few changes in defences by both teams shook them a little in the third quarter but Abingdon took the advantage with a 5 point lead at the end of the quarter setting the scene for a dramatic 4th quarter.

An impressive start to the 4th by the Jets with 4 players contributing to the score (Boden, Chirnside, Hobbis & Thompson) put the Jets up 3. The next 8 minutes saw a fury of back and forth baskets as both teams fought for the lead, including phenomenal off balance finishes on the break by Sam Ottaway. Some excellent outside shooting by Eagles guard Lukas Aleksandravicius put the Eagles ahead by 1 in the 9th minute. Lee Hobbis replied with an excellent drive and finish putting the Jets up 1. 50 seconds left Jets up 1 point. The nerves could be felt by both teams and they began to show. First the Eagles dropped the ball and kicked out of bounds. The Jets just had to get the ball in and run as much time as possible off the clock. The inbound pass goes straight to the Eagles. A carry by the Eagles gives the ball back to the Jets with under 24 to go. This time the ball is fired straight across the court and out of bounds the other side. Eagles ball. Back to another impressive performance by the Jets defence. Following some passing movement by the Eagles and some good looks at the basket a rebound under the hoop leaves the ball loose on the floor in something resembling a rugby maul. The ball pops out towards the sideline and rolls out of bounds. 1.2 seconds left, Jets ball in the backcourt and up 1 point. The Jets just need to catch the ball and the game should be over. The ball is passed in touched by a jets player and a unsportsmanlike foul is immediately called. 0.6 seconds left. A technical foul by the Eagles coach gives the Jets 4 free throws and possession. Dean Hobbis misses the first 2, Matt Brunt misses the 3rd but hits the 4th giving the Jets a 2 point lead. The inbound pass is uncontested by the Eagles and time expires giving the Jets a 2 point victory.

Coach Matt Christensen was ecstatic about the victory but realised they still have some things to work on in the clutch. “It was great to get the victory, it’s what we worked for. But we need to work on our finish in the clutch. We have to keep pushing our performances week in week out, and with the team we have we are able to do that.”

The game was the thriller that all anticipated and the most exciting game of the season for both teams, although the Jets are very aware they have to travel to Abingdon in 2 weeks for the return fixture at the White Horse Centre. The Jets now sit top of the league with a 2 point lead over the Eagles. They host Dorset storm at Deer Park next weekend and the following weekend is a much anticipated double header with trips to Torbay Tigers and the return leg in Abingdon.

Final Score: Team Gloster Jets 68 Abingdon Eagles 66.
Top Scorers: Ottaway 17, Hobbis 13, Brunt & Thompson 9.

With a distinct lack of players the u14s started their home campaign against an army of Bristol players feeling anxious yet excited. With Perry and Connor out through injury the team had two new players join the ranks.

The first game of the day was against Bristol’s Filton Flyers 1st team. The home team struggled to find their feet in the first quarter against a skilful opposition, not getting rebounds and playing lazy defence leading to a 14 point deficit at the end of the first. The team pulled it together and exchanged baskets with Filton for the second quarter, with some excellent drives to the basket from Blake Penny and George Shepherd. In the third quarter the jets took advantage of a new five opposing players on court and were able to combine some strong defence and flowing offences to pull back some of the points they lost in the first. The Jets finished strong, but so did Filton so the game finished with a twenty point loss for the home team, at 54-34 to Bristol.

Top Scorers: B. Penny (14), D. Mistry (6), G. Ridgeway, G. Shepherd (5)

The next game of the day was Bristol 1sts vs 2nds. This gave our players the opportunity to watch and analyse the team they were to play next.

After a break for lunch the team came out strong. In the pre-match team talk confidence was booming from all the players and carried over onto the court. The Jets dominated Filton 2nds from the start. We began superbly. Our half court defence pressurised our opponents into turning over the ball quickly, which gave opportunity after opportunity for easy transition baskets, many of which were expertly finished by Blake. At the half we were up by 25, but the team were cautious that the game wasn’t yet won. The decision was made to attempt to run a full court press to make the most of Bristol’s struggling offence. This turned out to be a good decision by the team as we reeled off a 20 point unanswered run. Our points came mainly from transition baskets, but the way the team worked together to not only turnover the ball but then get the ball up court so quickly and effortlessly was a joy to watch. Our dominance on offence only had such an impact because of the effort put into defence. Every single player hustled hard and played great defence, this showed in the score.

This team should be proud of how they performed in this game and all of the players deserve a mention. Blake had an excellent day, driving to the basket whenever the opportunity arose and doing it expertly. A big thank you to George and Guy who stepped in to play at the last minute - you both contributed hugely to the team, having an immense presence both on offence and defence. Daylen Mistry had the game of his life today, with some great shots and transition baskets. Will Bain gave 110% all day and this showed in his game. Nothing was getting past him on defence and our newly turned point guard dominated Bristol and put up some massive points. Ryan Tracy, a new player to the Gloster Jets, showed how well he is settling into the rhythm of national league basketball with two strong defensive performances together with a hugely improved offensive game.

Top Scorers: B. Penny (35), D. Mistry, G. Shepherd (14), G. Ridgeway (8), W. Bain (4)

A special thankyou to the injured Perry Sangha, who not only came down to support his team but took up the role of assistant coach and made a great start to his coaching career!!

Another long trip saw a repeat of the previous week’s tournament, with a shift of venue to Torbay. With many issues of the recent defeat addressed the team was determined to achieve better results.

The nine strong squad saw the return of Tom Jacobsen and Will Bain to the line up and introduced Luke Dilley to his first Jets game, with the unfortunate absence of Laurie Miller and Perry Sangha through injury.

Cornwall was the first opponent who had also introduced new starters in Shaun Lancaster and Jamie Hudgell – the Jets knew this could be a very different game to last week.

The tip was won by the Jets and despite a slow start on the offensive end, the defensive pressure was present from the start of the clock, Cornwall struggled to find scoring options and soon the first Jets baskets were on the scoreboard - Louis Fawl doing most of the early damage at the hoop. The defence held strong for the entire game again limiting the new Cougars side to 26 points. Scoring contributions from most the team gave the 47 to 26 lead at the final whistle. Despite the similar score line there was obvious improvement in the Jets team from the week before and hopes were high as they entered the second game of the day vs. Torbay.

Top Scorers: L.Fawl (22), G.Gallagher (10), S.MiddleCoat, B.Jenkin (4)

Another slow start against the Tigers caused problems for the Jets and despite a much improved offensive effort they still struggled to get the ball to the hoop. Strength near the basket by Torbay led to an early deficit for the Gloucester team. With the first quarter finished the Jets realised they had a lot of work to do.

The second quarter was much improved, Louis Fawl found his shot and Greg Gallagher continued to penetrate to the basket. The noise of the Jets defence was only matched by the physical presence of it. The third quarter however, led to another surge from Torbay and Louis Fawl found him self doubled whenever he got the ball limiting his offensive effectiveness, another great effort in the fourth, including back to back transition baskets from Ryan Bowen, secured the quarter for the Jets but overall the Tigers claimed victory with a 10 point lead 51 to 41.

Top Scorers: G.Gallagher (18), L.Fawl, R.Bowen (8)

“A much improved performance in both games making up 15 points on Torbay from last week, the fighting spirit of the team I came to love from last year really shone through once more. We now have a gap until our next game so plenty of time to iron out some kinks – I truly believe this team can finish in a very strong position. My usual thanks to those who helped with Transport and our hosts – Torbay.”

The 250 mile round trip was of little concern to the eager U15’s squad, with a close result two weeks prior - the team was keen to make their mark in the league. Cornwall was to play host this weekend with Torbay also making the trip across the border.

We arrived to see Torbay battling it out with Cornwall resulting in a narrow three point margin to the Torbay squad – we knew we had two tough games ahead.

With Laurie Miller, the previous games top scorer, out with an injury, there was slight apprehension in the squad but with plenty of other talent available spirits still remained high as the ball was tossed up for the tip off. An initial first quarter showed how the road trip had taken its toll on the Team Gloster side, an intense defensive effort from Torbay flustered our players early on in the game and led to some avoidable mistakes. Fortunately our defence held strong and the score was kept close after the first period – it wasn’t to remain that way.

The middle two quarters led to a collapse at the defensive end for the Jets and Torbay racked up basket after basket as we continued to make errors leading to easy transition for our grateful opponents. Salvation was to come later in the third as the team managed to regroup themselves and overcome the pressure of the Torbay defence as well as regaining the upper hand at our defensive end. It proved to be too late however and the Jets were not able to make back the deficit resulting in the loss.

Top scorers: L.Fawl(12) G.Gallagher(7) R.Bowen(6)

The Jets knew what needed to be done to win the next game and were determined to do so. The game started well, the same defensive effort was present and Cornwall struggled to score through an apparent wall of Jets players. We were a lot more composed at the offensive end and it really did seem like a whole new team had donned the white and blues of the Jets, each player really stepped up to the mark with a very limited turn over count throughout the game coupled with great shot selection. Strong drives from Greg Gallagher created an initial lead and a great clean up effort on the boards from Louis Fawl followed by second chance points cemented a strong margin early on. As quarters progressed the Jets looked to be getting stronger and stronger, Ben Jenkin stepped up to hit some nice mid-range shots, Ryan Bowen proved himself to be the quickest player on the court with some great hustle plays throughout the game and David Woodroffe performed his usual excellent role of keeping our offences composed and playing lock down defence. Perry Sangha, who had been struggling with a chest infection, needs special mention for his effort in the 4th with 8 quarter points and two big defensive stops – all combined to give the U15’s their first national league win.

Top scorers: G.Gallagher(16) L.Fawl(12) D.Woodroffe, P.Sangha, B.Jenkin(6)

Coach Parkyn was happy with the Cornwall performance and hopes it will continue into the tournament next weekend with an even stronger team, he quotes:

“It was a well deserved win and the team played well together in the later game, however the earlier result can not be forgotten and work needs to be done this week to ensure those early mistakes don’t repeat themselves and we play at the standard that we are so apparently capable”

Coming off the back of a convincing home victory against Bristol Storm the U18’s went into their first round cup game at local rivals Bristol Academy with high spirits. But high spirits were not enough as the physical intensity of the Bristol defence rattled the normally calm Jets. The first quarter saw the Jets go down 31-12.

The second quarter carried on from the first with unforced errors and poor shot selection. The lack of composure from the Jets continued to show on the scoreboard and despite some intense defence in the closing minutes things at half time were not looking promising for the Jets as they stared up at a 31 point deficit (24-55).

Some stern words from Coach Christensen at half time and a morale lift from captain Lee Hobbis seem to renew spirits as the team entered the 3rd quarter. 11 points without reply rattled Bristol’s cage and Coach Coles was forced to take a time-out. Solid play from the Jets continued for the rest of quarter with some sharp shooting from forward Matt Jones and tough defence from brothers Lee and Dean Hobbis. The tough work gave the Jets the quarter by one point and the scoreboard at 41-71.

The 4th quarter opened well with some excellent post play by Sam Ottaway who drew 3 fouls from the defence in the opening 2 minutes. A nice pull up jump shot from guard Laurie Miller rounded the good start to the quarter. The reinvigorated play continued as the Jets learnt to hold Bristol defensively and worked for some easy baskets on the offensive end. The quarter ended a stalemate giving Gloster the second half by 1 point and closing the game out at 92-62.

Post game Coach Christensen was impressed with the renewed vitality of the Jets in the second half. “We allowed the referees to effect our concentration in the first half but in the end we showed we can compete with a physically tough team like Bristol. The second half performance will give us confidence for our first league game against Bristol at Deer Park in November.” He was also pleased with the never give up attitude of the team led by its senior players. “The fighting spirit of team veterans like Sam (Ottaway) and Lee (Hobbis) is a great asset for the team and an inspiration for the younger players”

The Jets travel to another local Derby this weekend as they head to Bath.

Top Scorers: Jones 17, Hobbis.L 15, Ottaway 11.

Following a successful pre-season for the Jets U18 team they felt prepared to take on league newcomers City Academy Bristol Storm at Deer Park. City Academy were led by Ambrose Gladwell who has spent several years with cross town rivals Bristol Academy but signed on with City Academy in the off-season. The Jets knew that he was going to be their strongest offensive weapon.

The Jets stepped on the floor with confidence and quick went to work. Some strong drives from team captain Lee Hobbis managed to draw 2 fouls from Gladwell forcing Coach Brocklehurst to bench him. Things continued to get worse for City Academy as team seniors Hobbis, Ottaway and Jones carved up the Bristol defence. The Jets dominated defensively and held Bristol to 4 points for the quarter closing out at 20-4.

The second quarter was much of the same with the Jets dominating on offence. Unable to stop Gloster driving to the basket, Bristol switched to a zone defence. No problem. Matt Jones stepped up and showed Gloucester’s inside and outside game as he sunk three ‘3’point shots in 2 minutes. A little more offensive organisation from Bristol gave them 17 points for the quarter but they still went into the half wondering how to contain the Gloster offence. (50-21)

Another dominating quarter from the Jets in the third, especially on the defensive end, put the game well out of reach at 69-27.

The fourth quarter brought a new vitality to the game and Gloster a surprise. Gladwell eventually got going for Bristol and hit 10 quick points and a coasting Gloster could only match point for point in response and were unable to extend their lead. Bristol took the quarter by 2 points but it was too little too late as Gloster took the victory 88-48 and their first National League victory in 2 years!

It was a good start for the Jets but Coach Christensen was not entirely pleased with the performance “I’m pleased that we got the win, especially as it’s our first in 2 seasons, but we were not at our best. We had a lot of un-forced errors and made a meal of a few easy scoring situations. Next week’s game at Bristol Academy will be a totally different challenge.”

Top Scorers: Jones 27, Hobbis 18, Ottaway 12.

The new Team Gloster website is ready to rumble! Our webmaster (Ben Parkyn) has been slaving away preparing our new easier access site. The new site will feature fixtures/results, along with individual team news and clubwide information. Explore the site and see what you can find.