Century City Saints

Century City Saints

...defeated the Nelson Giants 86-75 in last nights semifinal.

First home match in the best-of-three finals series, between Wellington and the winner of tonights semifinal between Auckland and Waikato, is at TSB Arena next Friday. Anyone going?

I will be there.  Good to see Terry, Tony and Ricki in the crowd last night.  Apparently they go to pretty much every game.

friends and i are planning to go,not sure where the third game will be played (if we need it) but might go to that as well . hope Auckland don't make it through.

Third game (if required) will be next Sunday night at the TSB Arena, 7pm.

cheers LF1,  I heard something on the B.T.E  show on radio sport that there was a clash with another booking on the same day, must have been sorted.

The original dates were Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.

top stuff, cheers again LF1

yea think ill head along to the games. apparently they almost sold out last night, so might be a good idea to get in early for tickets to the finals

Was there last night, great crowd and awesome to see the Saints of old and great crowds turning up to support another of Terry's sporting gems!!!

It's Saints vs Waikato Pistons this week so get down there if you can.....

Love it. 

Daniel and Tony P were in the Century City box last night along with Terry and Ricki......Big official Wellington Phoenix banners hanging over the barriers at each end.


Coxey2008-06-13 21:52:29

Will be able to make the sunday game,so am kind of hoping its required

We lost our first game last night, 95-78, so hopefully Tegal your wish will be coming true!

It had bluddy well betta!!!!

Get on down to the TSB on Friday night to support the lads!!

with bells on

We're unbeaten at home so let's keep it that way! I'll be there wearing my Saintsational tee (even though it still bugs me that they play in blue!)

Why Saints?

The name recognised the Club's origins in the basketball teams of St Patrick's College, Wellington.

How did it start?

Probably from the enthusiasm of Father Terry O'Neil, the basketball coach at St Pat's College who, in 1967, encouraged a group of senior 'A- team' players to form their own team when they left College. In 1968, they formed the St Pat's Old Boys' Basketball Club. There was a lot of rivalry between the new club and the established Marist club. That rivalry may at the time have seemed damaging to standards of the established teams but, in the longer term, probably helped greatly to improve the competitiveness of basketball in Wellington.

By 1979, there were plans to form a new National Basketball League and the Club wanted a part of the action. To do this, they reinforced their ties with St Pat's College, advertising in the States for a physical education teacher to coach basketball for the College, but also for the Old Boys' Club. Fred Sawaya gained this appointment from a strong field of 54 applicants, joining the Old Boys' team as player/coach. They were the first team to have imported a coach.

How did the new team get under way?

The National League started in 1981. They were almost ready for the action but a few more changes were needed. The club was strengthened by amalgamation of 4 St Pat's teams with 12 of the Southern Basketball Club to form a very healthy base for basketball. The new club was named the Saints.

In 1982, the Saints was able to attract its first sponsor: 'Nite Site', later to be renamed 'Exchequer Cabaret', and to import an American player: Kenny McFadden. As spectator numbers increased, St Pat's gym became too small to hold them and so, in 1983, we moved to the Madgwick Stadium. This remained our home until the stadium was closed and transferred for the 1996 season to the new Queen's Wharf Events Centre. While at the Madgwick, the Saints took the League title in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988.

The early 1990s held dwindling fortunes for the Saints and for New Zealand basketball generally, TV coverage was reduced, sponsorships dwindled and so did crowd numbers. At the end of the 1996 season, both the Capital Power Saints and the Hutt Valley Lakers were struggling to survive. They amalgamated for the 1997 season and attracted naming sponsorship of the restructured regional energy company TransAlta, as TransAlta Wellington, but basketball fans wanted a 'real' name and so, for the 1998 season, we became the TransAlta Wizards. Even this wasn't strong enough for our fans and so, for the 1999 season, we returned to our original identity of Saints.

theprof2008-06-19 12:16:44

Long Live King Kenny McFadden, the Mighty Jazzman Kerry Boagni and Tony Brown....

well played waikato, shame about the result, but you guys were worth the win, congratulations 

Whoo Waikato!