COVENTRY CRUSADERS WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL TEAM

GBWBA NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION 3 SOUTH CHAMPIONS 2003-2004.

SAHIAL AHMED CARL LEETH JUSTIN GIBSON NEILL GARDNER PAUL CLARIDGE  PAMMY BECKFORD-JONES

SHO AYUB BRI TIERNEY ADAM CRINAGE KAREN KING NICK KING

SEASON SUMMARY PLAYED 14 WON 13.

HAMPSHIRE HARRIERS AWAY WON 34-30, HEMEL ACES AWAY WON 49-16, COLCHESTER UNITED 2 AWAY WON 45-25, BRISTOL PIRATES 2 HOME WON 47-19, RUSHMOOR MALLARDS MARVELS HOME WON 38-27,

STRATFORD PLAYERS AWAY LOST 40-39, HAMPSHIRE HARRIERS HOME WON 57-26, WASPS 2 HOME WON FORFEIT, HEMEL ACES HOME WON 41-39, COLCHESTER UNITED 2 HOME WON 44-37, STRATFORD PLAYERS HOME WON 39-15, WASPS 2 AWAY WON 45-28, RUSHMOOR MALLARDS MARVELS AWAY WON 54-34, BRISTOL PIRATES 2 AWAY WON 84-14.

Crusaders Wheel Into Playoffs

The Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association Championship Finals will take place at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Buckinghamshire, over the weekend of 15th and 16th May, 2004, and Coventry Crusaders will be looking for the dream ending to what has been a near perfect season for the club and by far the best in their history. 

Having finished in the lower half of last season’s table with four wins from twelve outings, the team eagerly took up the challenge this season to finish in a play off position and aim for promotion into Division 2. 

With a reshuffle off the league Crusaders found them selves in unknown territory as they set out for their first three games all away from home. 

And after what seemed a nervous start Crusaders had blown away the cobwebs and secured their first win taking Hampshire Harriers by 30 – 34.

The following weekend Crusaders were in Milton Keynes where impressive form totally overshadowed their hosts Buck Aces.

Crusaders new signing Neill Gardner who had only taken up the game weeks before the start of the season showed promise with his first points for the club, during the 16 – 49 thrashing of the Aces. 

With a break now of four weeks before their next game, Crusaders trained hard for what they knew would be their biggest challenge of the season so far as the took on Colchester United.

A team that would include no less than three players used to competing in Division 1 including Wendy Smith of the Great Britain National Team.  

Boosted by the return to the fold of Sahial Ahmed and his clearance to play at Colchester, Crusaders set out for Essex with confidence.

After a tight opening period 13 – 14, Crusaders were coasting and with a good all round performance sealed a 20 point victory 25 – 45 to maintain their unbeaten record.

Then three games into the season Crusaders suffered a severe blow when their influential player/coach Paul Claridge broke his back in a snow boarding accident whilst holidaying in France a week before their first home game of the season.

Nevertheless with Claridge side lined and young star 15 year old Adam Crinage unavailable, the rest of the team were determined to show what they could do as they welcomed Bristol Pirates to City College Tile Hill.

They were right to be confident as they shot the Pirates right out of the water 47-19.  

Two weeks later however, and with the same line up, Crusaders found themselves trailing for the first time this season as they went into the interval 11 – 19 down to the Rushmoor Mallards.

Nonetheless in the second half Bri Tierney was sent in to man mark Rushmoor’s leading scorer Bull, resulting in Crusaders going into the final period within two points of their visitors 21 – 23. A 15 point partnership in the forth quarter from Justin Gibson and Carl Leeth, saw the Crusader determination again come through for victory as Crusaders once more held on to their unbeaten record making it five from five. 

Two weeks before Christmas, Crusaders were back on the road again, but this time the journey was short as the travelled to Stratford.

The journey home however, felt longer as in the final seconds of the game Crusaders suffered their first defeat of the season, by just a single point, in a thrilling game that had seen the lead constantly change hands.

Crusaders could not help but be disappointed with the result that had robbed them of their clean slate and by such a narrow margin but not of their performance that was solid, competitive and well executed.

A New Year, a new signing by way of Sho Ayub moving down from Bradford, and a new challenge for Crusaders; to put their loss at Stratford behind them and continue their quest for the playoffs and for promotion, with a run of five home fixtures.

The first was a convincing win against Harriers a team that had put up some resistance on their previous meeting but who on this occasion could produce little to extinguish the exciting all round performance of their hosts.

The following week, when Wasps failed to show up at City College, Crusaders took the points and turned their court time into a constructive training session in preparation for their next game, against a strengthen Buck Aces, who having been thrashed so easily earlier in the season had brought in players from their Division 1 squad.

After 40 minutes of end to end basketball against the Aces, Adam Crinage kept his cool and secured the win for Crusaders in the closing seconds, and after the game Coach Claridge said "This was a very fine result for the team and it shows how mentally strong we are in being able to play under pressure and snatch a well deserved victory!"   

With nine games played and five left to play Crusaders were ready for the final push and still looking to avenge that loss at Stratford, but first they had to get past Colchester who were steadily climbing the league table. 

Both teams were well matched in the opening half and Crusaders just couldn’t get away from their visitors but improved accurate shooting in the second half saw Crusaders take a hold of the game before slowing things up in the closing stages to insure the 44 – 37 win ahead of their double header a week later that would start with the long awaited clash with Stratford.

Looking confident, Crusaders welcomed Stratford to City College, but their was certainly nothing poetic about Stratford’s performance as what was set to be a high velocity, grudge match between the two sides turned into an easy victory for Crusaders. 39 – 15 giving Crusaders pole position in the league due to their superior points difference between themselves and Stratford.

There was not much time to celebrate their league topping win before Crusaders were back on court, travelling to Chatham the following day to face Wasps. As predicted the game seemed somewhat academic from the start with Coventry scoring freely, and Wasps putting up little or no defence.

The game did however give Crusaders bench a work out, and their latest signing Pammy Beckford – Jones opportunity to make her debut in the 28 – 45 Crusader victory.

After this busy weekend Crusaders now had to wait for until mid March before they could consolidate their league lead.

Sitting back and watching as Stratford snapped at their heals looking to steal the league from them.

After Crusaders took a 34 – 45 victory from their match with Rushmoor for the second time this season, both they and league lead rivals Stratford had just one final game to play.

Stratford played their final game against Rushmoor the following week and won, which left Crusaders with an all important game a week later against foot of the table Bristol Pirates.

Having drowned the Pirates back in the Autumn Crusaders were confident, travelling down to Gloucester but not even Coach Paul Claridge could have expected that his side would produce a win of such magnitude, winning by a clear 70 points to close the league season on a high with a 14 – 84 point victory.

All eleven players made it on to the score sheet against the Pirates, with stalwart Karen King making her first points of the season and Pammy Beckford – Jones her first ever Crusader points just three months after taking up the sport.

Crusaders remained focused despite the lack of opposition refusing to let the standard of their game drop and again Coach Claridge was delighted with his team’s performance.

A performance that summed up their league season, committed, focused and menacing.

Crusaders now need to take this ethic with them as they go into the playoff weekend.

Having worked so hard during the league season they are determined not to fall at the final hurdle to achieve their goal and gain promotion.

In the semi final of the play offs Crusaders will first meet Wolverhampton Rhinos.

Rhinos ended their league season runners up in Division 3 north with fourteen wins from sixteen games, loosing out only to league winners Sheffield Steelers and third placed Jaguars, but producing some very healthy score lines.

At this stage all games are going to be thrillers and Crusaders tie with Wolverhampton will be no exception.

Paul Claridge and his team await their weekend at Stoke Mandeville with eager anticipation.

On the Saturday evening Crusaders will attend the buffet reception where they will be awarded their first piece of silver wear as league champions, however they will be hoping not to be staying too late as they plan to be preparing for the final on Sunday morning against either Division 3 south’s runners up Stratford Players or Division 3 north’s champions Sheffield Steelers to become Division 3 overall Champions picking up more silver wear plus that all important Division 2 place.