Sheffield Sharks left flying the Yorkshire flag in BBL expansion plans

The owner of Sheffield Sharks has revealed the British Basketball League has received plenty of interest from UK cities in entering a team into the league in the coming years – but nothing from within Yorkshire.

The BBL was subject of a significant £7m investment into the league from US investment firm 777 Partners in December, with the growth of the league and the sport the long-term aim.

Groups representing cities such as Birmingham, Reading and Edinburgh have expressed an interest in having a franchise in basketball’s elite tier but the Sheffield club look set to remain the sole representatives from Yorkshire. Sharks have been in existence since 1991 and but for a four-year spell during the middle of the last decade when Leeds Force were in the BBL, they have flown the White Rose flag alone.

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Sheffield owner Yuri Matischen, who also has a seat on the BBL board, said: “Reading, Edinburgh, Birmingham – there’s lots of cities saying they’d like to be a franchise partner.

Sheffield Sharks' Yuri Matischen. Picture: Simon HulmeSheffield Sharks' Yuri Matischen. Picture: Simon Hulme
Sheffield Sharks' Yuri Matischen. Picture: Simon Hulme

“We’d love to see a franchise in Leeds or York, somewhere like that. It’s all about arena development though now. We’re only going to go into franchises that have infrastructure, either their own building or a long-term arrangement with a venue.

“We’re on with building ours and the next generation of franchises will be around facilities, knowing that teams have got growth potential.

“There won’t be any new teams coming in next season, it will be the season after.”

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On the investment, which saw 777 Partners take a 45 per cent stake in the league, Matischen added: “The league has a five-year investment plan, we’re investing behind the scenes in creating a technological process for all our clubs.

“We’re recruiting new staff to the league, a new chief executive as well. We’re putting these plans in place so that in year two and three we’ll start to see the benefit of the investment.

“It’s all very encouraging, aimed at strengthening all our clubs to ensure the franchises coming in will start from a stronger base than they’ve typically started from before.”

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