Adam Bailey

It’s set to be another busy weekend for followers of GB players in Europe with the clubs of all 23 GB athletes currently playing in Spain and Germany scheduled to be in action for the first time since the opening gameweek at the end of October. 

It will be a busy couple of days for four GB players, in particular, with Terry Bywater, Gregg Warburton, Will Bonner and Lee Fryer all playing for clubs who will play two league games in just over 24 hours. 

Bywater and Warburton will go head-to-head with GB Academy athletes Bonner and Fryer when CD Ilunion host Servigest Burgos at 16:45 (UK Time) on Friday in what will be the first of five British head-to-head clashes across the weekend.  

Both teams will be back in action on Saturday evening with CD Ilunion hosting Abdi Jama’s Amivel at 17:30 (UK Time). Bywater and Warburton will be wanting to build on their side’s return to winning ways last time out with their two games this weekend, while Amivel will be high on confidence after back-to-back wins with Jama scoring game-high points totals in both. 

Bonner and Fryer will be back on court at the same time in Bilbao as they travel to Bidaideak Bilbao BSR at the beginning of what will be a busy period for the two Academy athletes with Burgos scheduled to have five games over the next 10 days. 

Six wins from six games will be the target for George Bates, Billy Bridge and Phil Pratt when Mideba Extremadura welcome Iberconsa Amfiv to Badajoz on Saturday (16:00, UK Time). All three continued their strong start to the season as they helped Mideba to a fifth successive victory last weekend.

Amfiv’s only win so far this season came against CD Ilunion, and Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack will be hoping to cause another upset this weekend when they travel to the league leaders. 

BSR Amiab Albacete beat Amfiv last time out to extend their winning streak to three consecutive games. The GB five of Harry Brown, Gaz Choudhry, Ben Fox, Lee Manning and Kyle Marsh were all pivotal in last weekend’s win, scoring 71 of Albacete’s 85 points. 

On Saturday they welcome BSR ACE Gran Canaria to Albacete with James MacSorley’s side arriving on the Spanish mainland looking to maintain their perfect start to the season with three wins from their opening three games. 

In Germany, Simon Brown and Ian Sagar will return to action for the first time in five weeks as RSV Lahn-Dill travel to Baskets 96 Rahden in what will be Lahn-Dill’s first game since the first gameday of the season. 

Rahden have played twice since Lahn-Dill last played with one win and one defeat following their opening win against Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden. There will be British interest on both sides of the court on Saturday (17:00, UK Time) with Peter Cusack, Jake Robinson and Thomas Smith all on Rahden’s roster. 

Helen Freeman will be in action at the same time for league leaders RSB Thuringia Bulls; they will be wanting to maintain their winning start to the season when they host RBB Munchen Iguanas. 

Jim Palmer’s Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden have had a mixed start to the season with one win from their three games, and they travel to Hannover United on Sunday (15:00, UK Time). 

Spain

(Games to be played on Saturday, 5 December unless specified otherwise; UK Time) 

CD Ilunion v Servigest Burgos (4 Dec, 16:45)	Terry Bywater (Ilunion) Gregg Warburton (Ilunion) Will Bonner (Burgos) Lee Fryer (Burgos)
Mideba Extremadura v Iberconsa Amfiv (16:00)	George Bates (Mideba) Billy Bridge (Mideba) Phil Pratt (Mideba) Lewis Edwards (Amfiv) Sam Mack (Amfiv)
Bidaideak Bilbao BSR v Servigest Burgos (17:30)	Will Bonner Lee Fryer
CD Ilunion v Amivel (17:30)	Terry Bywater (Ilunion) Gregg Warburton (Ilunion) Abdi Jama (Amivel)
BSR Amiab Albacete v BSR ACE Gran Canaria (18:00)	Harry Brown (Albacete) Gaz Choudhry (Albacete) Ben Fox (Albacete) Kyle Marsh (Albacete) Lee Manning (Albacete) James MacSorley (Gran Canaria)

Germany

(Games to be played on Saturday, 5 December unless specified otherwise; UK Time) 

RSB Thuringia Bulls v RBB Munchen Iguanas (17:00)	Helen Freeman
Baskets 96 Rahden v RSV Lahn-Dill (17:00)	Peter Cusack (Rahden) Jake Robinson (Rahden) Thomas Smith (Rahden) Simon Brown (Lahn-Dill) Ian Sagar (Lahn-Dill)
Hannover United v Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden (6 Dec, 15:00)	Jim Palmer

This morning British Wheelchair Basketball can confirm that the sport in England will remain in full suspension until further notice. 

Further to new guidance published last night (7pm, 1 December 2020), we are required to resubmit revised Return to Play guidance for review and approval by DCMS and Public Health England. We hope to have further updates shortly for our community regarding revised ‘Return to Play’ plans for England, in line with the new England Government tier restrictions. 

BWB Sanctioned Activity also remains suspended in Northern Ireland until further notice, but as in England, this does not include the British Wheelchair Basketball Performance Programme (Elite Sport Training) which will be delivered in accordance with government guidance. 

In Wales and Scotland, the sport remains in Stage 1 of BWB’s Return of Play guidance, however, please check and adhere to restrictions relevant to your local area and always adhere to latest Government and local Government directives. 

We want to thank again the wheelchair basketball community for their patience and resilience during this year, and, as soon as our updated guidance is approved, we will communicate any updates to our members, clubs and the wider community. 

Current Guidance:  

We will continue to update our website in line with the latest Government and home country Government guidance. Please note that this information is correct at the time of publishing (Wednesday 2 December) – please check restrictions relevant to your local area and always adhere to latest Government and local Government directives.   

England: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus   

All British Wheelchair Basketball Sanctioned Activity suspended until further notice, with the exception of British Wheelchair Basketball Performance Programme (Elite Sport Training) which will be delivered in accordance with government guidance.   

Wales: https://gov.wales/coronavirus  

Stage 1 Guidance (please check and adhere to restrictions relevant to your local area and always adhere to latest Government and local Government directives).  

Northern Ireland: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/coronavirus-covid-19   

All British Wheelchair Basketball Sanctioned Activity suspended, with the exception of British Wheelchair Basketball Performance Programme (Elite Sport Training) which will be delivered in accordance with government guidance.  

Scotland: https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/   

Stage 1 Guidance (please check and adhere to restrictions relevant to your local area and always adhere to latest Government and local Government directives).  

It was another high-scoring weekend for GB athletes in action in Spain with Lee Manning ending the weekend as the top-scoring British player, while Helen Freeman helped her side to victory in a British head-to-head clash in Germany. 

Manning scored 19 points and collected a game-high 10 rebounds as Manning, Harry Brown, Gaz Choudhry, Ben Fox and Kyle Marsh all helped BSR Amiab Albacete secure a 56:80 win over Iberconsa Amfiv. 

71 of Albacete’s 85 points were scored by British players with Marsh continuing his good form with 18 points, Choudhry scored three three-pointers in his points total of 17, Fox scored 10 points and Brown added seven points. 

It was a game with British interest on both sides of the court, but Lewis Edwards’ points tally of 12 and Sam Mack’s four points were unable to stop Albacete and the GB five from securing three consecutive wins. 

Mideba Extremadura continue to lead the way at the top of Spain’s Division de Honor with George Bates, Billy Bridge and Phil Pratt helping the Badajoz-based club to a fifth win from five games. 

Bates scored 16 points for the second successive week; his latest coming in a close 67:72 victory against Sevrigest Burgos. Pratt was influential once again, posting his third double-digital haul for assists so far this season, recording 10 assists and adding two points to Mideba’s total. 

Bridge scored six points as he went head-to-head with his 2017 U23 World Championships winning teammate Lee Fryer, who scored four points for Burgos. GBR Academy athlete Will Bonner scored four points as Burgos returned to competitive action for the first time since the opening weekend.

Terry Bywater and Gregg Warburton returned to winning ways with CD Ilunion, thanks to a 42:76 win away at Fundacion Vital Zuzenak. Bywater was the game’s joint-top-scorer with 17 points, including three three-pointers, also topping the game’s assists charts with seven. 

Warburton scored 10 points and recorded six assists to help Ilunion bounce back from successive defeats. 

Abdi Jama was the joint-top-scorer in Amivel’s 56:38 victory over Fundacion FDI Las Rozas, scoring 16 points as Amivel secured back-to-back wins after their opening two defeats. 

It’s three wins from three games for James MacSorley’s BSR ACE Gran Canaria as they continued their excellent start to the season with a 73:40 win against Fundacion Aliados. 

In Germany, Helen Freeman’s RSB Thuringia Bulls also maintained their perfect start to the season, securing their fourth win from their four games this season. Their latest victory was against Baskets 96 Rahden, featuring GB’s Peter Cusack, Jake Robinson and Thomas Smith. 

Freeman scored two points as Thuringia Bulls’ recorded a 62:80 triumph, with Robinson scoring six points and Smith two. 

Top points scorers (GB Players) 

19 – Lee Manning (Albacete; Spain) 

18 – Kyle Marsh (Albacete; Spain) 

17 – Terry Bywater (Ilunion; Spain); Gaz Choudhry (Albacete; Spain) 

Most Assists (GB Players) 

10 – Phil Pratt (Mideba; Spain) 

7 – Terry Bywater (Ilunion; Spain) 

6 – Gregg Warburton (Ilunion; Spain) 

Most Total Rebounds (GB Players) 

8 – George Bates (Mideba; Spain) 

7 – Gaz Choudhry (Albacete; Spain); Phil Pratt (Mideba; Spain) 

6 – Harry Brown (Albacete; Spain); Lewis Edwards (Amfiv; Spain) 

It’s set to be a busy Saturday evening for anyone following the progress of the GB athletes in Spain and Germany this season with 20 GB players expected to feature across six fixtures in Europe including three British head-to-heads. 

Five of the six games featuring GB players are scheduled to start at 5pm (UK Time) on Saturday (28^th November) with Terry Bywater and Gregg Warburton scheduled to take to the court for CD Ilunion an hour later. 

In Spain, George Bates, Billy Bridge and Phil Pratt will all be hoping Mideba Extremadura can extend their winning start to the season to five games when they travel to Servigest Burgos. 

All three British players have been influential in Mideba’s strong start. Bridge will head to Burgos off the back of his highest points total so far this season, a game-high 21 points, while Pratt is second in the league for total assists and in the top-10 for total rebounds. Bates has proved influential from the bench, with his 59 points placing him in the top-10 for total points. 

GB Academy athletes Will Bonner and Lee Fryer are both on Burgos’ roster this season and they will be eager to return to action against Mideba in what will only be their second game of the 2020/21 campaign, and their first since the opening gameday on 31^st October, due to game postponements. 

BSR Amiab Albacete – featuring GB’s Harry Brown, Gaz Choudhry, Ben Fox, Lee Manning and Kyle Marsh – will return to action after last weekend’s game against Burgos was postponed. After a narrow defeat to Bidaideak Bilbao BSR on the opening weekend, Albacete have recorded back-to-back victories, a feat the five GB players will be wanting to continue. 

The GB quintet travel to Vigo to take on an Iberconsa Amfiv side, featuring Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack. Edwards and Mack will be wanting to return to winning ways after their victory versus CD Ilunion two weeks ago was followed by last weekend’s defeat away at Fundacion Aliados. 

It will be the same wish for Terry Bywater and Gregg Warburton when CD Ilunion make the journey north to play Fundacion Vital Zuzenak. Bywater has the best assists average in the league this season and is third in the same table for points, thanks to his weekend-high 33 points in CD Ilunion’s against BSR ACE Gran Canaria last weekend. 

Both Bywater and Warburton will be hoping they can help inspire their team to victory after back-to-back defeats when they take to the court at 6PM on Saturday. 

Abdi Jama will be high on confidence after his game-high points total of 20 points in Amivel’s win away at Zuzenak last weekend. It was Amivel’s first win of the season and Jama will be eager to continue his good form when his side hosts Fundacion FDI Las Rozas this weekend. 

It was a positive return to competitive action for James MacSorley and BSR ACE Gran Canaria last weekend. After back-to-back game postponements, MacSorley scored 14 points to help Gran Canaria beat CD Ilunion to secure two wins from two games. They will be looking to make it three from three when they host Fundacion Aliados. 

In Germany, Helen Freeman’s RSB Thuringia Bulls will also be aiming to continue their winning start when they take on Baskets 96 Rahden. RSB Thuringia Bulls beat Jim Palmer’s Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden last weekend to consolidate their position at the top of the table with three wins from three games. 

Peter Cusack, Thomas Smith and Jake Robinson will line-up against Freeman on Saturday as the top-two teams in RBBL1 go head-to-head with Rahden winning both of their games so far this season.

Spain 

Amivel v Fundacion FDI Las Rozas	Abdi Jama
Iberconsa Amfiv v BSR Amiab Albacete	Lewis Edwards (Amfiv) Sam Mack (Amfiv) Harry Brown (Albacete) Gaz Choudhry (Albacete) Ben Fox (Albacete) Lee Manning (Albacete) Kyle Marsh (Albacete)
Servigest Burgos v Mideba Extremadura	Will Bonner (Burgos) Lee Fryer (Burgos) George Bates (Mideba) Billy Bridge (Mideba) Phil Pratt (Mideba)
BSR ACE Gran Canaria v Fundacion Aliados	James MacSorley
Fundacion Vital Zuzenak v CD Ilunion	Terry Bywater Gregg Warburton

Germany 

Baskets 96 Rahden v RSB Thuringia Bulls

Peter Cusack (Rahden) Thomas Smith (Rahden) Jake Robinson (Rahden) Helen Freeman (Thuringia)

British Wheelchair Basketball is delighted to confirm and give final notice of the 2020 Annual General Meeting of the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association Ltd.

The meeting will be held virtually on Saturday 12 December 2020, starting at 12noon but attendees will need to be in the online meeting waiting room by 11:45am.

BWB Members and BWB Affiliated Clubs can register their interest in attending using the following link: 2020 AGM Registration

The AGM will provide an overview of the 2019/20 Season and this current year. More information about the 2020 AGM, including downloads of the agenda, 2019 minutes, audited accounts and Trustee reports, can be viewed on the AGM page on BWB’s website.

The web page also includes supporting statements from the Sports Director Nominees and details on how to cast your vote by proxy.

Please note that attendees will need to be in the online meeting waiting room by 11:45am, and current BWB members can only undertake voting.

Terry Bywater scored 33 points as he became the latest GB athlete to top the weekend points scoring in Spain’s Division de Honor during another high-scoring weekend for GB athletes in Europe including two British head-to-heads. 

Bywater – who is the fourth different GB player to top the scoring this season – scored six three-pointers during his weekend-high points tally of 33 points. 

The five-time Paralympian also topped the weekend’s assists charts, posting 11 assists, but Bywater’s league-high total and Gregg Warburton’s six points were not enough to stop CD Ilunion losing in a high-scoring game against James MacSorley’s BSR ACE Gran Canaria. 

Returning to action for the first time since the opening weekend due to game postponements, MacSorley scored 14 points for Gran Canaria in their 90:96 victory over Ilunion. 

George Bates, Billy Bridge and Phil Pratt helped Mideba Extremadura continue their perfect start to the season with a 107:12 win over Getafe BSR. Bridge top-scored with 21 points, including three three-pointers, while Pratt posted a game-high 10 assists, along with six points and 10 rebounds. 

Bates’ impact from the bench once again proved effective, with Bates scoring 16 points during the 15 minutes he was on court, totalling seven rebounds. It’s now four wins from four games for Mideba, who are top of Division de Honor with eight points. 

Abdi Jama posted his highest points tally of the season so far, top-scoring with 20 points as he helped Amivel record their first victory of the season. 

Jama also totalled five assists and three rebounds as Amivel bounced back from back-to-back defeats with a 54:72 away win at Fundacion Vital Zuzenak. 

Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack scored five and four points, respectively, as their Iberconsa Amfiv side lost 50:44 to Fundacion Aliados. 

In Germany, it was a busy weekend for Jim Palmer with back-to-back gamedays on Saturday and Sunday. Palmer featured in both of Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden fixtures, including recording two assists in Rhine River Rhinos 69:76 victory over Doneck Dolphins Trier on Saturday. 

Just over 24 hours later, Palmer was back on court as Helen Freeman’s RSB Thuringia Bulls continued their winning start to the season with a 92:50 win over Palmer’s team. Freeman recorded two points and one assist to help Thuringia Bulls consolidate their place at the top of RBBL1. 

Top points scorers (GB Players) 

33 – Terry Bywater (Ilunion; Spain) 

21 – Billy Bridge (Mideba; Spain) 

20 – Abdi Jama (Amivel; Spain) 

Most Assists (GB Players) 

11 – Terry Bywater (Ilunion; Spain) 

10 – Phil Pratt (Mideba; Spain) 

5 – Abdi Jama (Amivel; Spain) 

Most Rebounds (GB Players) 

10 – Phil Pratt (Mideba; Spain) 

9 – Lewis Edwards (Amfiv; Spain) 

7 – George Bates (Mideba; Spain) 

Phil Pratt, George Bates and Billy Bridge will be looking to continue Mideba Extremadura’s winning start to the season when they host Getafe BSR in Spain’s Division de Honor on Saturday (16:00, UK Time). 

The GB trio – who are among 10 GB internationals expected to be in action in Spain and Germany this weekend – have played key roles in Mideba’s strong start to the season with three wins from three games ensuring the Badajoz-based club sit at the top of the table. 

Pratt has posted the best points, assists and efficiency averages for Mideba in 2020/21 so far, while Bates and Bridge, in his first season with Mideba, are among Mideba’s top-scorers with 29 and 43 points, respectively, so far this season. 

There will be a British head-to-head when James MacSorley’s BSR ACE Gran Canaria make the 1,100-mile journey to Madrid to take on a CD Ilunion side featuring Terry Bywater and Gregg Warburton. Saturday’s game will be Gran Canaria’s first game since their opening day win over Iberconsa Amfiv at the end of last month. 

Speaking ahead of his club’s return to action, MacSorley said: “After a great start to the league, we were disappointed to not play our last two games to keep the momentum going, but I’m looking forward to getting back on court tomorrow with my teammates against a great Ilunion team, and hoping to come away with the win.” 

CD Ilunion played their second game of the season last weekend, and Bywater and Warburton will no doubt be eager to return to winning ways after last weekend’s defeat to Amfiv. Their game versus Gran Canaria will get underway at 18:30 (UK Time). 

Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack were both part of the victorious Amfiv team last weekend and this weekend they travel to Valladolid where they will play Fundacion Aliados. 

Edwards posted his best points total of the season last weekend and he will be hoping to continue his good form in what should be an interesting battle between Edwards’ and Mack’s Amifv and the unbeaten Fundacion Aliados on Saturday (17:00, UK Time). 

Abdi Jama will make the long trip north as his Amivel side travel to Fundacion Vital Zuzenak with both sides targeting their first won of the season. Amivel have faced two tough tests against Mideba and Bidaideak Bilbao BSR, so Jama will be hoping for a win when he takes to the court at 17:00 (UK Time). 

It’s a double header for Jim Palmer this weekend with his Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden side scheduled to play Doneck Dolphins Trier at 13:00 (UK Time) on Saturday in what will be their first game since the opening day, three weeks ago.

Palmer will be back in action on Sunday as Rhine River Rhinos take on Helen Freeman’s RSB Thuringia Bulls, who are unbeaten after two games. Tap-off is 15:00 (UK Time).

Spain 

Mideba Extremadura v Getafe BSR	George Bates Billy Bridge Phil Pratt
Fundacion Aliados v Iberconsa Amfiv	Lewis Edwards Sam Mack
Fundacion Vital Zuzenak v Amivel	Abdi Jama
CD Ilunion v BSR ACE Gran Canaria	Terry Bywater (Ilunion) Gregg Warburton (Ilunion) James MacSorley (Gran Canaria)

Germany 

Doneck Dolphins Trier v Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden (Saturday) RSB Thuringia Bulls v Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden (Sunday)

Jim Palmer (Rhine River Rhinos) Helen Freeman (RSB Thuringia Bulls)

Lee Manning was the latest British player to top-score in Spain as GB internationals helped their clubs maintain winning starts to the season in the top divisions in both Spain and Germany (14^th November). 

Manning is the third GB player to top-score in Spain in the opening three weeks of the 2020/21 season, scoring a weekend-high 28 points in BSR Amiab Albacete’s 32:102 win over Getafe BSR, along with a game-high 11 rebounds. 

Last weekend’s top-scorer Gaz Choudhry topped the game’s assists chart with eight assists, also adding 11 points to his season’s total. Kyle Marsh was productive once again with 11 points – including a three-pointer – as he continues to lead the overall points scoring charts in Spain with 59 points. 

Ben Fox and Harry Brown added 10 points and five points, respectively, to Albacete’s emphatic points total. After defeat on the opening day, the five British players and Albacete have bounced back superbly, securing back-to-back wins. 

Mideba Extremadura lead the way at the top of Spain’s Division de Honor with George Bates, Billy Bridge and Phil Pratt all helping the Badajoz-based club maintain their 100 per cent winning start to the season to date, thanks to a 53:63 victory over Fundación FDI Las Rozas.

All three players were on the score sheet, with Pratt scoring 20 points, Bridge posting his highest points total of the season with 12 points and Bates adding a further eight points to ensure Mideba remain the early pace setters in Spain’s top-flight. 

Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack were on the winning side in a game which featured British interest on both sides of the courts. Taking on Terry Bywater and Gregg Warburton‘s CD Ilunion, Edwards scored 19 points as Iberconsa Amfiv got the better of CD Ilunion, 65:59.

Bywater and Warburton scored 16 and four points, respectively, as last year’s title challengers were unable to avenge last season’s defeat against Amfiv. 

Abdi Jama was also in action in Spain, scoring 10 points as his Amivel side lost 38:77 to BSR Bidaideak Bilbao. 

In Germany, it was delight all-round for the GB athletes playing in Germany. Helen Freeman helped RSB Thuringia Bulls to a 89:45 victory, while Peter Cusack, Jake Robinson and Thomas Smith all featured for Baskets 96 Rahden in their 60:71 win at Hannover United. Robinson scored 14 points and Cusack eight. 

Both sides are level on points at the top of the table after both beginning their seasons with back-to-back wins, although not all teams have played two games in Germany, including Simon Brown’s and Ian Sagar’s RSV Lahn Dill, who haven’t played since the opening weekend due to postponements. 

Top points scorers (GB Players) 

28 – Lee Manning (Albacete; Spain) 

20 – Phil Pratt (Mideba; Spain) 

19 – Lewis Edwards (Amfiv; Spain) 

Top assists (GB Players) 

8 – Gaz Choudhry (Albacete; Spain) 

7 – Kyle Marsh (Albacete; Spain) 

5 – Terry Bywater (Ilunion; Spain) 

Top rebounds (GB Players) 

11 – Lee Manning (Albacete; Spain) 

9 – Gaz Choudhry (Albacete; Spain); Lewis Edwards (Amfiv; Spain) 

8 – Peter Cusack (Rahden; Germany)