07/08/08 Leicester and Derby will face each other on a basketball court for the first time in six years as Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders take on Derby Trailblazers in a pre-season double-header. The two cities fought one of the fiercest rivalries in basketball 70 times until Derby dropped out of the BBL in 2002. The Riders had the better of those games, with a 45-25 record, and they have also won 8 of the last 9 meetings between the teams, culminating in an 84-89 victory in March 2002. Games between the teams are traditionally tight as 13 of the last 18 games (46 in total) were settled by single-figure winning margins, and in 9 of those the winning margin was just 3 or less. Battle lines will be re-drawn in September as the Riders and Trailblazers play home and away ahead of their 2008/09 campaigns in the BBL and EBL1 respectively. Riders will host the Trailblazers at John Sandford Sports Centre on Saturday 20th September (7.30), one week before the start of the BBL Championship. The sides will then clash the following day (Sunday 21st September) at Moorways Sports Centre in Derby. "We as a club are looking forward to the opportunity to play against one of our neighbours in the midlands," said Riders' boss Rob Paternostro. "I think the fans will be excited at the opportunity to watch us compete with one of our historic rivals. Pre-season games are very important for us to get a feel for each other and to be able to compete in a competitive game situation." Paternostro is now off to America for a final scouting trip as he looks to finalise his roster. "I'm heading back to the States to finish up my recruiting for this season's team. So far we have made great progress and I am now looking for the final pieces of the puzzle. This will give me a great opportunity to see firsthand the abilities of numerous targets of ours. I have been in contact with many players over the last few weeks and I am excited about the possibilities that are out there." Tickets for the big derby at John Sandford cost £7 for Adults and £5 for children. Saturday's action will also be preceded by a mini-camp for kids to learn the tricks of the trade. The full schedule is: Saturday 20th September John Sandford Sports Centre, Leicester Leicester Riders v Derby Trailblazers (7.30pm)
Sunday 21st September Moorways Sports Centre, Derby Derby Trailblazers v Leicester Riders (5.00pm) Tickets can be bought in advance from the Riders website - www.leicesterriders.co.uk
|
|