It is one of the fastest growing sports in the country, second only to football as a team sport, and the future of basketball on Merseyside looks secure with two Liverpool teams merging into one Clubmark accredited club.

Between them, Liverpool Basketball and City Hoops have more than 175 members, and in 2010 announced the finalisation of a merger which saw the two clubs join forces, operating under the joint name of Merseyside Basketball Development Programme.

As part of the new combined venture, the Club successfully completed renewal of Clubmark accreditation in July 2010 and has big plans for the future - hoping to attract sponsors, develop facilities and the formation of a female team.

Club secretary, Karen Billington commented:

"It made perfect sense for us to join forces; there are so many people out there who want to play, and this has enabled us to combine our workforce and share out our jobs.
We are very much committed to the sport from grass-roots level up and the school basketball side of things has really taken off. It is great for the kids to have somewhere safe, reliable and enjoyable to come outside of school, and there is a very clear development pathway which they can follow if they wish to pursue the sport further."

Further to this, two of the club's junior basketball players have been called up to represent England at under-16 level, whilst one under-18 player has secured a scholarship with an American college. Such progression is a testament to the work put in by the club's coaches, and a huge source of pride for all involved.

To read the full article in the Liverpool Echo, click here