Awaiting European breakthrough: welcome, Bristol Flyers!

Bristol Flyers will continue to play in the European North Basketball league for a third consecutive season.

British club recently celebrated its 20^th anniversary.

A full pyramid of basketball teams – starting from U12 teams for girls and boys – was built during those years, mirrored at the Bristol Flyers club presentation in the end of May.

Ten young players were called up by English, Welsh and Great Britain national teams.

The Flyers Supporters club – an independently ran group on Facebook – presented End of Season Awards for their MVP, Defensive Player, Sixth Man, Moment of the Season, and Fans Player of the Year.

The winners were revealed on a special edition of the Bristol Flyers podcast, with founding members of the Supporters Club, Sam Comley and Amy Atkinson.

There were several high moments during the season capped by a double overtime win over Surrey 89ers on the final day of the regular season to secure a 7^th place finish.

Bristol Flyers made it to their first final in five years, reaching Super League Basketball Trophy final where they fell at the hands of the most decorated British basketball club, Newcastle Eagles.

The Flyers also won a double overtime game at Basket Brno, 93-89, and ended their second ENBL season with four consecutive wins for a Top 10 finish.

Bristol club hosted nine time German champions Bamberg Baskets, 2024 Polish Cup winners and 2025 Polish champions Legia Warszawa, and then undefeated Inter Bratislava.

Last but not least, the Bristol Flyers will see the build of their new arena commence in 2025 after a legal challenge, which delayed the start of the Ashton Gate Sporting Quarter, was dismissed by the High Court with no further right to appeal.

The Sports & Convention Centre will seat 5,000 fans – initially 3,600 – for multi sport events.

The plans were first unveiled in 2018.

The Sporting Quarter was linked with the planning permission approved for almost 500 much-needed homes at Longmoor, including more than 150 affordable homes, half-a-mile to the south-west of the stadium.

The Bristol Flyers were established in 2005.

The club secured promotion to Basketball England’s NBL Division One in 2007, becoming National Cup Champions in 2010 and being crowned as Division One Champions in 2011.

In 2014, the club secured financial backing from Bristol Sport Ltd to enter the top-flight British Basketball League.

The Bristol Sport Ltd is owned by businessman Stephen Lansdown – it includes the clubs like Bristol City F.C. and Bristol Rugby.

The Flyers reached the BBL Cup Final in 2020 and the SLB Trophy Final in 2025.

The 2022-2023 season was another record-breaking year for the club, having secured the most single season wins in program history and a guaranteed top three finish.

Mike Beesley is a chairman of the club and Andreas Kapoulas is the head coach.

Bristol is built around the river Avon and has a population of 480 000.

The city is served by the Bristol International Airport (BRS) while the London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is around 100 miles/160 kilometers away.

Club`s website: www.bristolflyers.co.uk