For the 2024–2025 season, Gareth Murray and his team return to Playsport on Friday night.
Caledonia Gladiators return for the new season this week and head coach Gareth Murray has set his eyes on winning all four trophies available for grabs domestically.
After a tumultuous summer that saw new licence holders brought in to administer basketball in the UK, the East Kilbride team will return to the Playsport Arena on Friday night for the major tip-off against Manchester Giants in the new-look Superleague.
Last season, Gladiators tied for second place in the league with Cheshire Phoenix, much behind the victors London Lions.
However, Murray thinks they can compete for glory in the division, the play-offs, and the two cup competitions after fortifying during the summer.
We are excited for the season to begin, he said to Lanarkshire Live Sport. Over the summer, there was some instability, but now that everything is resolved, we can concentrate on the upcoming games.
“We are excited to return to Playsport because the atmosphere and fans from the previous season were incredible.
We hope to replicate that this year and recreate that environment because the players had a great time and are eager to perform in front of them.
“Over the season, there are four chances to win prizes. There is the league itself, the cup, the BBL Trophy, and the play-offs at the end of the season. And I think there’s a good chance we can win all four.
“We hope to have a chance to win all four.” Maybe we won’t do that, but we want to be in the race to win all four and that is the goal.
“I believe our squad is capable of doing that, but I am aware that other teams have made upgrades, raised their spending, and added more talent to their rosters.
“I think the league should be pretty balanced. London was miles ahead of everyone last season, but they are even with us this year in terms of spending and player calibre.
There are nine teams that are capable of competing. We want to win all four trophies, even if that won’t be easy. If we don’t, we will be dissatisfied.
“This season is going to be really intriguing because the league has improved and everyone in the league now has similar finances. It’s pretty unpredictable where teams will finish. You knew pretty well who was going where last year, but this year will be different.
As new players Toto Fagbenle, Tanner Stuckman, Theo Hughes, Trevond Barnes, and Isaiah Hill join the team to back up Patrick Whelan, Fraser Malcolm, Kyle Jiminez, and Prince Onwas, who are all back, fans will be eager to see them for the first time.
Murray also thinks the team now has a solid mix thanks to his summer additions. “We’ve brought in some new players and we’ve retained a few from last season,” he continued.
“The boys are now playing well together. They really are a team, and they get along well. After six weeks of preseason, the boys are eager to get started.
The Gladiators played the Manchester Giants in their first game of the previous season, and Murray acknowledges that their preparations are similar.
“I’m not too sure what to expect from Manchester,” he clarified. Only a handful of players have been revealed. There have been numerous changes there since they had new owners over the summer, and it
will be rather mysterious to us.
“They hadn’t made many signing announcements when we faced them in the season opener last year, which was a similar situation.
“We don’t know what to expect from them, but our only concern is ourselves and our performance.
“We will ensure that we are acting morally, and if we are, it should not matter which team we play against.”
Playsport will host the game on Friday night at 7.30 p.m., while the women’s squad will play Newcastle Eagles at 4 p.m. on Sunday to start their league campaign.
The FanBase app allows users to purchase season tickets as well as game tickets. For further information, visit the club’s social media accounts.
