Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first fan’s page of the 2008-2009 season. This time last year, I wrote about how long the summer seemed, and how glad basketball fans everywhere are when the summer – finally – ends. At the risk of sounding repetitive: Hooray! The basketball season is here again!

Ahem. Yes, so anyway, on with the fan’s page.

Well, it’s certainly been a summer of change! The biggest change, of course, is our venue. After playing our games at Braehead for six seasons, it’s going to take a little getting used to at the Kelvin Hall, and though I’m sure we’ll all miss one of the most impressive venues the BBL had, we won’t miss the nasty, sticky floors that were an unfortunately common occurrence in Braehead Arena. Kelvin Hall, however, does have a major advantage over Braehead – a smaller venue is much easier to fill with fans, and – of course –   much easier to fill with noise. Oh yes, we will be raising the roof of the Kelvin Hall this season. Those fans who have been around since the Meadowbank days will vouch for the fact that a small venue can provide an atmosphere that Braehead – as great as it was – couldn’t quite reproduce (despite our best efforts, naturally). 

As always happens during the BBL summer, players have moved onto pastures new – and new players have arrived at the Rocks. Already this team has won two away games – and in impressive style, by all accounts. Now – finally! – we have a home game in which to judge for ourselves about the new team. From what we saw at the friendly game, and the reports of the two away games, it’s going to be an exciting game, and – more importantly – and exciting season!

LET’S GO ROCKS!

Lauren

I have to say, before our last game with the Newcastle Eagles, I was beginning to panic about what I was going to write for this issue of the Fan’s Page. No one wants to hear about losing games, do they? I know that I certainly prefer to write about wins!

Every Rocks fan knows that the form book goes out of the window when the Eagles come to call, and this season’s first clash between the two teams did not disappoint. 

The game – as games against the Eagles always are – was hard fought and exciting from the tip-off, and included nine lead changes in the second quarter alone – which is probably the reason that I have no nails left! In the end, though, the Rocks team prevailed against their closest rivals, and won the game 89-74, giving the team their first win at the Kelvin Hall. And against Newcastle Eagles, the current leaders of the BBL, no less! Let’s just hope that the rest of this season’s Rocks-Eagles battles finish in the same way! By the time you read this, the second such game will have already taken place in Newcastle, and hopefully the Rocks will have a second win against the Eagles. If there is one thing Rocks fans have learned over the years though, it is that ANYTHING can – and usually does – happen when the two teams face off against each other.

Of course, with the Eagles being our closest and fiercest rivals, the atmosphere at the games is never anything less than electric, and the smaller Kelvin Hall venue certainly came into its own with Newcastle visiting. There’s still room for more noise (the roof of the hall didn’t quite come off), but it’s certainly improving – now we just need to keep it going!

The next visitors to the Kelvin Hall are Worthing Thunder and the Worcester Wolves. Both teams lost to the Rocks earlier in the season at their home venues, and will no doubt be looking to even the score when they come to visit. If those games are anything as entertaining as the game against the Eagles, then I’m sure no one will be complaining! I know I certainly won’t, although perhaps my nerves would disagree.

As a final note, when you read this, we will have played another two away games – the first, as I mentioned above – is the Newcastle game. The second is against the Cheshire Jets, which will be attended by at least four Rocks fans – yes, the Fan’s Page is going on its first road trip of the season, so no doubt there will be a blog to commemorate the event at some point. Especially if we win!

(from SLATE 08/09 Issue 3 - Dec 08)

Well, we didn’t win the away game at Newcastle – although, by all accounts we put in a respectable performance, pushing the Eagles right to the end. Thankfully, however, the trip to Warrington to play the Cheshire Jets proved more productive – though by no means less hard fought. Nail-biter doesn’t even begin to cover that game! The fact that there was no visible game clock or scoreboard – at least from where we were sitting – made it feel more than a little surreal. I never noticed how often I looked at the clock during a game until it wasn’t there anymore! Incidentally, having no idea how long is left of the fourth quarter – or what the score is – is definitely not good for the nerves. But, we came out on top, winning 75-82, and making for a very happy trip back up the road.