The last time Cheshire Phoenix, or the Cheshire Jets as they were then known, were in a BBL Cup final, James Brice and Ben Thomas were in the stands cheering them on.
On that occasion, at the NIA in Birmingham, the Jets were the beaten finalists, going down 89-86 to Sheffield Sharks.
Fast-forward seven years and Brice and Thomas will be in attendance to watch their team in Birmingham in a domestic final once more, although this time they will be able to help influence the final outcome.
Brice, general manager of the Phoenix, and Thomas, the club’s head coach, have overseen a successful campaign for the club thus far and a first piece of silverware in 12 years is within reach.
Cheshire take on Worcester Wolves at Arena Birmingham tomorrow (Sunday) and it is an occasion that Brice says is just reward for fans who came close to losing their club owing to financial difficulties back in 2012.
“We’ve been through the mill a bit over the years and it has been turbulent at times but we now feel as if we are in a great place and really progressing as a club,” said Brice.
“The last time we were in a final me and Ben were both in the stands as fans and we couldn’t have imagined that we would be in the position that we find ourselves in now.
“But we know how much it means to the fans and how much a win would mean. We aren’t going there just to have a good time, though. We are aiming to come back with the silverware.”
Brice revealed that the club had sold out its allocation for the final, with 400 Nix fans set to be part of the 10,000-strong crowd that will be in attendance.
“It’s set to be a memorable occasion for Phoenix fans,” said Brice.
“It will be amazing and we are all so excited, I can’t stress enough how big a deal this is for us as a club.
“We have a new fanbase but have kept a core of the fans who were with us at the Northgate Arena.
“We sold out our allocation almost immediately and we will have 400 fans making a lot of noise there on Sunday.
“It is the biggest exposure that the final has ever had and it will get plenty of media coverage. The BBL say that in terms of backing from clubs this is one of the best there has been. We’re proud of that.”
