New team to launch in Birmingham

Birmingham will have a new team in next season's British Basketball League after the Birmingham Bullets dropped out of the league last season.

The Birmingham Panthers are a new franchise and will be initially based at the Aston Events Centre.

However, the club plan to move to a new venue which is yet to be built.

"We hope that Team Birmingham Panthers will be something to talk about over the coming years," said club director Herman Wilson.

"This is a new era for basketball in Birmingham and for the basketball community."

League chairman Paul Blake added: "It is great to once again have Birmingham represented in the top flight of British basketball.

"We have been impressed by the strong community focus of the Panthers management and are confident that this will be a club that the whole of Birmingham can support."