THE town’s basketball team is aiming for a historic link-up with Bolton Wanderers as they battle to attract players, sponsorship and a permanent base for home matches and training.

Bolton Basketball Club have had a meteoric rise through the Manchester Area Basketball League to the Premier Division Led by Jamie McGregor and team administrator Suneet Patel, they won back-to-back promotions, but, ahead of last season’s Division One play-off final, they were told by Bolton Lads and Girls Club – where they were based – that they could no longer be funded or accommodated at Spa Road.

The lads, who were all club members, were faced with the choice of dispersing into other teams lower down the league, or striking out on their own.

They found an alternative court at Bolton College in Deane Road, but the hire of the court for training and league matches and other outgoings are costing the club about £12,000 a year.

“We are desperate for more players, sponsorship and facilities,” said McGregor, who also runs his own training company which specialises in the Welfare to Work programme. “But we were determined to stay together as a team.

“There is a lot involved in going out on your own, and I put in a bit of my own money and Sunny got involved on the admin side.

“On a whim I sent an email to Bolton Wanderers, because I know that in Europe it’s normal to have a football and basketball club running side by side.

“I was delighted to get a positive response. The process is still ongoing, but the players are all training as coaches and we’re going to have to do that in the community if we are going to get the help we need, but we don’t mind.

“All the lads are doing their coaching training, which can only be a good thing.”

Bolton will continue to play at Deane Road for the foreseeable future, but there is a possibilty they could use an old basketball court at the University of Bolton or help out with training sessions at St James’s School in Farnworth in return for the use of their court.

Anyone interested in helping the club should contact McGregor on 07724 298696 or Patel on 07765 151119.