
The History of
LONDON TOWERS
HARIBO London Towers, as we know it today, began in 1991, when the club moved to Wembley Arena in Northwest London. The club adopted the nickname "Towers" due to the historical twin-towers of Wembley Stadium- and have been known as the "London Towers" ever since.
The early 90's saw the Towers hover around 3rd and 5th place in the national League. The Londoners' proved they were one of the strongest teams in the country, without winning any silverware.
However, all this changed during the 1995/96 season when the Towers produced the most successful campaingn in the history of British basketball. The club won three of the four domestic titles, including the League, Cup and Trophy. Unfortunately, they lost in a close Championship final going for an unprecedented quartet.
The following year saw the Towers retain the Trophy, and finish second in the League, allowing them to progress to the Championship finals. The Towers went on to capture the Championship for the first time ever, winning a thriller 89-88 in front of 8000 fans at Wembley Arena.
In 1998, London Towers merged with Crystal Palace Basketball Club. London Towers kept their name, but moved from their beloved Wembley to the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, South London where they are based today.
The merger proved an immediate success. The Towers began their campaign by winning the annual Pre-season Basketball Tournament. This prestigious event, held over a weekend, attracts crowds of 7000 a day and signals the start of the British basketball season. The tournament has involved European super-powers such a Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Benetton Treviso, and Red Star Belgrade to name a few.
Just as they started their season, the Towers finished it in style by winning the championship final for the second time.
London Towers success has continued into the new millennium. They became the inaugural Southern Conference Champions, beating second best by 12 points. Towers also claimed their third Trophy title in five years with a 74-73 win in front of a passionate crowd of nearly 7000, and the viewers watching on TV.
London Towers have been Britain's only team to compete in Europe's Saporta Cup over the last five years. The exposure due to the Towers involvement in Europe has helped develop and grow the game in Britain. Today, one live game is shown per week on TV, in addition to the preview and highlight shows.
The growth of Basketball in Britain has been mirrored by the growth of the London Towers-Britain's premiere basketball team.
London Towers have won more trophies than any other club in Britain, twelve in nine years, and look forward to the challenge of adding more against Europe's best clubs.
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