The British Basketball League (BBL) is delighted to confirm that the 2007/08 BBL Trophy Final will be staged at the Plymouth Pavilions on Sunday 2nd March 2008.

The South-Coast city won the right to bid for the event after the Kularoos Plymouth Raiders lifted the BBL Trophy last season, defeating the Newcastle Eagles 74-65 in the final to win their first piece of silverware in Britain's top flight.

Plymouth has become a hotbed for basketball, especially so since the Raiders joined the BBL in 2004/05 and have progressively risen to prominence amongst Britain's elite. The hosting of such a significant national event confirms the city's place on the basketball map and will make it the centre of
attention in the British basketball world on Trophy Final weekend.

The Plymouth Pavilions is synonymous with basketball in the city as the home of the Raiders, and provides one of the best match-night atmospheres in the country.

Director of Programming & Marketing at Plymouth Pavilions, Alvin Hargreaves said,

"Basketball has become a key cornerstone of the Pavilions' programme and we have taken immense pleasure in sharing in the Raiders' success in recent years. I am delighted that the Pavilions has been successful in its bid to bring the BBL Trophy Final to Plymouth and it is a great reward for the Raiders' enduring fans - particularly those who made the long trip to Newcastle to support the Raiders in the pursuit of their Trophy win last year."

Andy Webb, the British Basketball League's Chief Operations Officer, made the following comments,

"The BBL is delighted to be bringing the BBL Trophy Final to Plymouth. The Pavilions has shown over the years that it is one of the best venues for basketball in this country and the venue has played a crucial part in the Raiders' rise to prominence in the BBL. We are looking forward to this showpiece event and, with the support of the Pavilions, are confident that this will be a BBL Trophy Final to remember."

The BBL Trophy has an illustrious twenty-year history and has been contested ever since the BBL's inception in 1987. The competition sees the BBL's twelve clubs, and selected invitees, split into four groups. They play one another home and away within those groups and the teams that finish atop
each progress to the semi-finals. This event is the culmination of that journey for the two most successful clubs and allows them a shot at the BBL Trophy.

In order to defend their crown, the hometown Raiders will have to progress from Trophy Group 1 by overcoming the Marshall MK Lions, the Birmingham Panthers, and the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders. The Newcastle Eagles also have pedigree in the competition as they have won it twice - in 2004/05 and 2005/06; prior to that the BiG Storage Cheshire Jets won it on four consecutive occasions.

Tickets go on sale from Monday 19th November and are priced at £15 for adults and £10 for children. Tickets will be available from the Plymouth Pavilions' box office on 0845 146 1460 or online at www.plymouthpavilions.com

Further information on the event and the progress of the BBL Trophy competition can be obtained at www.bbl.org.uk