BASKETBALL: Thunder on tenterhooks ahead of BBL debut

WILL Jon Woods be here on time? And what about Colby Bargeman? Visa delays have left Powerball Worthing Thunder on extra tenterhooks this week as they run into their British Basketball League debut.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Sep 2008, 15:14 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 01:05 BST

Ryan Patton, their third allocated American import, made it over to play in their pre-season friendly away to Reading Rockets on Sunday.

But problems with a new work visa system frustrated Thunder's hopes of being at full strength.

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Club operations director Alan Sweetman-Hicks explained that a process that took three weeks last season has taken eight to bring Woods to the brink of heading for the airport, and has already taken six weeks for Bargeman to be almost there, thanks to his papers going astray in the USA post. And each visa now costs more than $400, instead of $160.

New technical requirements mean that all three players are biometric fingerprinted and digitally identified photographically. So it's a new pen-pushing world for Thunder, as well as a competitive one '” which, of course, is the national summit.

Some things about Plymouth will remind them of the old world. Familiar faces Gaylon Moore, the beloved former Thunder captain . . . long-servant De Antoine Beasley . . . guard Gavin Love and coach Gary Stronach. And Andrew Lasker starred here last season against guesting Thunder in the BBL Trophy.

But the reality of the new world will hit Thunder at tip-off. Raiders were third in the BBL last season. And next opponents, at home on October 4, will be defending champions Newcastle Eagles.

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Worthing have taken on 6ft 5in ex-Leicester Rider, Russell Jordan. He top-scored in the 104-80 defeat at Reading. But veteran England point-guard Ronnie Baker has placed himself out of Thunder's financial league, having stood in for Patton in the pre-season tournament, the Thunder Cup.

But they still have the handicap of no big centre, in the absence until Christmas of Englishman Pat Bates. He has a broken left wrist, just out of plaster, and Janis Ivanovskis, 6ft 7in, will deputise.

Sweetman-Hicks commented: "The big money is at Everton Tigers. We've not the smallest budget in the league so we must simply aim to be competitive and try to win enough games to reach the play-offs."

The learning curve winds ahead, upwards, and Thunder will need their climbing boots.

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THUNDER (pts v Reading): Woods, Bargeman, Jordan (19), Ivanovskis (17), Patton (13, 3x3), Midgley (11), Hildreth (7), Brame (6), Berry (5), Ugbana (2), Burns (inj); 17-year-old, ex-Under-18 Junior, Ross Pudsey.

Home match prices (7pm): 8 adults, 6 concessions, 5 juniors, plus various family deals.

Coach Travel with team: to Chester (Oct 12), 25 Supporters Club, 30 non-members; to Leicester (October 18) 20, 25; both trips 40 and 50. Prices include match admission.

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