CLOUDS GATHER OVER THUNDER
- Updated: February 10, 2011
Worthing Thunder bosses have admitted they need fresh investment to safeguard the club’s future, dropping hints that they could drop out of the BBL.
With exploratory talks with potential American-based backers, reported to include ex-NBA guard Cuttino Mobley, failing to reach a deal earlier this season, the south coast strugglers concede they must attract extra support to improve their “immediate and longer term sustainability”.
With a number of BBL teams losing additional community-based revenue streams due to government cuts, chairman Frank Gainsbury says the Thunder are going through “a difficult period” and has urged his local business community to get involved.
“The town of Worthing has had a basketball team playing at the highest levels of the sport for over 25 years and the club has always given time and commitment to the community in terms of coaching, support to youth and other groups as well as running a successful National League junior programme,” Gainsbury said.
“For a town the size of Worthing to lose such a national presence would be a huge disappointment.”
Worthing officials are understood to have addressed a fans forum on Wednesday to make clear their current predicament.
It comes just a week after Guildford’s immediate future was safeguarded after the club was taken over by new ownership.
Earlier this week, Worthing announced a developmental link with the University of Chichester.
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