THE Cheshire Jets line-up for this weekend’s first match of the season could have a distinctly local flavour after two players from Ellesmere Port were signed up by new player-coach James Hamilton.
Phil Brandreth and Niel Gillard are both in with a shot of making the Jets’ starting five for the trip to Leicester Riders on Saturday (7.30pm).
Coach Hamilton is facing a race against time to get a team out on the floor for the Riders clash after businessman Haydn Cook completed an 11th-hour deal to save the British Basketball League giants from extinction.
But Jets legend Hamilton, who is nursing an ankle injury, knows he will be able to call upon the two local lads.
Brandreth, 27, is heading into his eighth season with the Chester-based club.
The 6ft 3in forward said: “The added reinvigoration from the change of management, together with a player-coach in James Hamilton who knows the game well, has been around for the league for years and is one of my very good friends, helped me with my decision to remain with Cheshire Jets.”
Injuries to key men meant Brandreth played a big role for the Jets last season.
He intends to kick on in 2012-13.
Brandreth said: “I know what I can and can’t do out there. I won’t be trying to score 30-odd points a game but I’ll be out there playing tough defence, knocking down my open shots and getting all my basics right.”
Gillard, 19, made his Jets debut in the 2010-11 campaign.
But the University of Chester law student, who has played for England at under 16s and U18s level, is hoping this season will be his big breakthrough.
Gillard, a 6ft guard, said: “This is a club that I have supported since I first picked up a basketball aged seven.
“When the coach called me and told me the situation I felt it was a great opportunity for me to combine studying with playing basketball at the highest level in Great Britain. It was an offer I could just not turn down.”
It has been a turbulent summer for the Jets. A campaign led by the Pioneer’s sister paper The Chester Chronicle led to the club being saved by Cook.
The Jets were supposed to get their season under way at home to the Manchester Giants last Sunday.
But they were allowed postpone the match to give them more time to get a squad of players together.
Brandreth said: “Hopefully we can shock a few teams and make a good run again to make the play-offs at the very least.”
Jets’ first home game of the season is against Mersey Tigers on Sunday, October 7 (5.30pm).
Frodsham-based Aspect Construction has been named as the Jets’ principal sponsors.
