The Cheshire Phoenix are an English professional basketball team based in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. Founded in 1984, they are members of Super League Basketball and play their home games at the Cheshire Oaks Arena. From 1993 until 2015 the team was based in Chester, where they enjoyed their most success. Under previous ownership, the team was known as the Cheshire Jets, but due to financial difficulties the franchise was withdrawn from the league in November 2012 and reformed as the Phoenix. The team's head coach is Ben Thomas.
The Phoenix have won two BBL championships, one BBL playoffs title, two BBL Cups, and six BBL Trophies. Home games are played at the Cheshire Oaks Arena, which has a capacity of 1,400.
Franchise history Origin The team was first formed from the ruins of the Ellesmere Port team, St Saviour's, in 1984. The team was initially named after their sponsors, Motocraft Centre Ellesmere Port. However, after the loss of their sponsor, they renamed themselves the Ellesmere Port Jets.
The Jets were admitted to NBL Division 2 in 1986 and finished last in their first season, with just a single victory. Edging up to seventh in 1987–88, they then changed their name to Cheshire Jets, though still continuing to play in Ellesmere Port. They continued a steady mid-table development until, in 1991, they won the divisional title despite suffering five defeats. The same year, the Jets moved up into the BBL joining in with Britain's elite basketball teams. Later however, the arena in Ellesmere Port became unsuitable, and so in 1993 the Jets were forced to move to Chester, and into the Northgate Arena. The move was reflected in another name change to the Chester Jets.
The real turning point for the Jets came in 1996, when the application of the Bosman ruling to basketball resulted in the departure of many of the top English players to European clubs, and the BBL changed its eligibility rule to entitle teams to use five non-national players.
Trans-Atlantic recruitment by coach and co-owner Mike Burton resulted in a team which finished fifth in the League table in 1997. Subsequent seasons have seen their best-ever performances in 2002 (Northern Conference Champions) and 2003 (3rd in the re-unified League), and a string of successes in the BBL trophy (4-times winners, from 2001 to 2004), culminating in the League Championship in 2005.
On 7 April 2007, prior to the Jets' season finale at home to Guildford Heat, an 81–102 defeat, club owner and head coach Mike Burton announced that he would be retiring from the franchise at the end of the 2006–07 season. Burton's announcement, after 19 years at the helm, raised serious doubts of the clubs' future, with mounting debts and lack of financial backing. Shortly after the announcement, fans formed a committee to help save the club and received the backing of players including former Jet James Hamilton. Following a sponsorship deal agreed during the summer of 2007 with local firm BiG Storage to save the club and preserve their future, the Jets was renamed as the BiG Storage Cheshire Jets to cover the wider demographic of Cheshire county in line with BiG Storage's market coverage. When BiG Storage terminated the sponsorship, the managing director of the company arranged a successor sponsor; Cheshire West and Chester Council.
The club was plunged into chaos in November 2012 when, after only 7 games into the season, the British Basketball League withdrew the club's franchise from owner Haydn Cook after he notified them that he was going to cancel the players contracts and cancelled all future fixtures.
The club had until the end of November to find £50,000 to preserve its status in top-flight basketball. Local businesses were found to donate money and become sponsors, thus saving the club and fulfilling its fixture list as planned.
On 28 January 2024, the Phoenix won their sixth BBL Trophy following an upset win over the favoured London Lions in the final.
Home arenas Ellesmere Port Leisure Centre (1984–1993) Northgate Arena (1993–2015) Cheshire Oaks Arena (2015–present)
Logos
Season-by-season records
Seasons 1986–2024SeasonDivisionTierRegular SeasonPost-SeasonTrophyCupHead coach Finish Played Wins Losses Points Win % Ellesmere Port Jets1986–87NBL2210th1811720.056Did not qualify1st round (NC)1987–88NBL127th18711140.389Did not qualify2nd round (NC) Cheshire Jets1988–89NBL128th20614120.300Did not qualify2nd round (NC)1989–90NBL126th221012200.455Quarter-finalsQuarter-finals (NC)Mike Burton1990–91NBL121st22175340.773Quarter-finalsQuarter-finals (NC)Mike Burton1991–92BBL111th3022840.067Did not qualify1st round (BT)3rd round (NC)Mike Burton1992–93BBL110th331023200.303Did not qualify1st round (BT)Quarter-finals (NC)Mike Burton Chester Jets1993–94BBL111th361125220.306Did not qualify1st round (BT)Quarter-finals (NC)Mike Burton1994–95BBL112th36630120.167Did not qualify1st round (BT)Quarter-finals (NC)Mike Burton1995–96BBL112th36828160.222Did not qualifyQuarter-finals (BT)4th round (NC)Mike Burton1996–97BBL15th362412480.667Semi-finalsRunners-Up (BT)4th round (NC)Mike Burton1997–98BBL110th361521300.417Did not qualify1st round (BT)4th round (NC)Mike Burton1998–99BBL111th361026200.278Did not qualifyQuarter-finals (BT)Quarter-finals (NC)Mike Burton1999–00BBL N14th361719340.472Quarter-finalsQuarter-finals (BT)1st round (NC)Robbie Peers2000–01BBL N12nd362511500.694Quarter-finalsWinners, beating Newcastle, 92–811st round (NC)Robbie Peers2001–02BBL N11st32248480.750Winners, beating Sheffield, 93–82Winners, beating MK, 90–89Winners, beating Birmingham, 112–105Robbie Peers2002–03BBL13rd402812560.700Quarter-finalsWinners, beating London, 84–82Runners-Up (NC)Robbie Peers2003–04BBL15th362214440.611Runners-UpWinners, beating Brighton, 68–661st round (NC)Paul Smith2004–05BBL11st40328640.800Runners-UpSemi-finals (BT)Semi-finals (BC)Paul Smith2005–06BBL17th401723340.425Quarter-finals1st round (BT)Semi-finals (BC)Billy Singleton2006–07BBL19th361026200.278Did not qualifyQuarter-finals (BT)1st round (BC)Billy Singleton Cheshire Jets2007–08BBL111th33924180.273Did not qualifySemi-finals (BT)Quarter-finals (BC)TJ WalkerPaul Smith2008–09BBL18th331518300.455Quarter-finals1st round (BT)Quarter-finals (BC)Paul Smith2009–10BBL14th362214440.611Quarter-finalsRunners-Up (BT)Runners-Up (BC)Paul Smith2010–11BBL14th332013400.606Semi-finals1st round (BT)Semi-finals (BC)Paul Smith2011–12BBL16th301317260.433Semi-finals1st round (BT)Quarter-finals (BC)John Lavery Cheshire Phoenix2012–13BBL111th331023200.303Did not qualifySemi-finals (BT)1st round (BC)Matthew Lloyd2013–14BBL15th331815360.545Quarter-finalsSemi-finals (BT)1st round (BC)John Lavery2014–15BBL14th362610520.722Semi-finals1st round (BT)Quarter-finals (BC)John Coffino2015–16BBL17th331617320.485Semi-finalsQuarter-finals (BT)Semi-finals (BC)John Lavery2016–17BBL110th331122220.333Did not qualifySemi-finals (BT)Quarter-finals (BC)Colin O'ReillyBen Thomas2017–18BBL19th331518300.455Did not qualifyQuarter-finals (BT)Winners, beating Worcester, 99–88Ben Thomas2018–19BBL17th331716340.515Quarter-finalsQuarter-finals (BT)Quarter-finals (BC)Ben Thomas2019–20BBL1Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemicSemi-finals (BT)Quarter-finals (BC)Ben Thomas2020–21BBL17th301416280.467Quarter-finalsQuarter-finals (BT)Pool Stage (BC)Ben Thomas2021–22BBL16th271314260.481Quarter-finalsWinners, beating London (BT)Quarter-finals (BC)Ben Thomas2022–23BBL15th361917380.528Semi-finalsRunners-Up (BT)Quarter-finals (BC)Ben Thomas2023–24BBL12nd362313460.639Runners-UpWinners, beating London (BT)Ben Thomas
SLB season-by-season ChampionsSLB championsRunners-upPlayoff berth
SeasonTierLeagueRegular seasonPostseasonCupTrophyHead coachFinish Played Wins Losses Win % Cheshire Phoenix2024–251SLB6th321418QuarterfinalsQuarterfinalsSemifinalsBen Thomas2025–261SLB2nd322012Runners-upSemifinalsSemifinalsBen ThomasChampionship record6434300 championshipsPlayoff record7520 playoff championships
Trophies
League NBL Division One Winners: 1990–91 1 BBL Championship Winners: 2001–02, & 2004–05 2 BBL Championship Runners Up: 2000–01 1 SLB Championship Runners Up: 2025–26 1
Playoffs BBL Championship Play Off Winners: 2001–02 1 BBL Championship Play Off Runners Up: 2003–04, 2004–05, & 2023-24 3 SLB Championship Play Off Runners Up: 2025–26 1
Trophy BBL Trophy Winners: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2021–22, 2023–24 6 BBL Trophy Runners Up: 1996–97, 2009–10, 2022–23 3
Cup National Cup Winners: 2001–02, 2017–18 2 National Cup Runners Up: 2000–01, 2009–10 2
Players
Current roster
Notable players
Retired numbers Cheshire Phoenix retired numbersNo.PlayerPositionTenure 11 Dave Gardner C 1990–1995, 1997–1998 & 1999–2003
FIBA Hall of Famers Cheshire Phoenix Hall of FamersPlayers No. Nat. Name Position Tenure Inducted 13 Pero Cameron G 1999–2003 2017
See also
Basketball in England British Basketball League
References
External links