Durham Wildcat Club's History

The team was founded in 2005 - and is now in its fourth season in National League. The original club, Belmont Basketball Club started in the mid 80's operating out of Belmont School 3 miles outside of Durham City. In the summer of 2001 a chance meeting merged the aging Belmont Reds with a group of U16 players also playing out of Belmont School.

For 3 seasons the club operated solely in the Durham County Local League playing with teams in the 1st and 3rd divisions. The first venture into National Competition was in the Founders Cup giving mainly local young players a chance at National Competition. In 2004 the club made the bold move to enter the U20 National League with an age range of 16 - 19.

There efforts were rewarded with a semi final spot in the Northern play-offs losing out to eventual finalists East Durham. 6 of that U20 squad are still involved and 4 of the squad are still U20.

In the first 2 seasons in the National League the club played out of Spennymoor Leisure Centre situated right in the Centre of County Durham about 10 miles south of the original home in Durham City. At the start of the current season the team moved to the southern end of the county and made a new home at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre.

The 2006 2007 seasons squad were competitive and came within 4.3 secs of winning div 3 north only to lose out to 2 made Birmingham Free Throws which relegated the Wildcats to fourth spot and a match up against southern champions Cardiff in the play-offs which Cardiff won comfortably 73 - 57.

The 2007 - 2008 team was plagued by injury and availability problems but remained competitive and determined to achieve their goals The team lost 3 key players in the close season and signed James Nicholson from London Leopards, graduated Michael Davies from last seasons U18 sqaud and Durham University students Consolati and Welshman Anthony Triggs who played for Glamorgan.