UCC Demons remember one of the greatest basketball teams ever - Team Britvic

A golden generation of basketball and basketball players will be remembered this Sunday when UCC Demons hold a reunion for one of the greatest basketball sides Ireland has ever seen - the Team Britvic side from 40 years ago.

The eagerly awaited event will take place before the club's home game against Ballincollig in the Mardyke Arena at 3pm.

Great news for the elder lemons of the sport is that the legendary Jasper McElroy will be in attendance as well as some household names from that golden era.

Winning the Federation Cup in 1982 was probably the greatest achievement by any Irish side in the history of basketball and Demons proudly hold that record.

Basketball in the eighties was the leading sport in this country and the name Team Britvic was the first team or club to have a brand name and over the last 40 years other sports followed suit but basketball was the very first sport to achieve this.

The plan by Demons to attract major company to sponsor their team was interesting as it set the alarm bells for other clubs to follow.

During the 1980/81 basketball season players from the U.S. were accepted into the National League of basketball under the rules of the IBBA the governing body of basketball in Ireland.

Blue Demons recruited two US players during that season, and it soon became abundantly clear that considerable ongoing revenue would be required if Blue Demons were to remain a force in the National League.

Demons were victors of the 1980/81 league and championship and were very much committed to the new league concept having two professional American players in their squad going forward. 

Financing this would present a major challenge but looking at the game being played in other European countries and especially the UK, sponsorship was the route to take.

The vast majority of UK clubs used to fund their programme. 

In Coventry a team played under the name of Team Fiat and the mentors of Blue Demons at the time Barry Deasy (Chairman), Jim Dineen (Secretary), Michael O’Sullivan (Treasurer), and Sean O’Sullivan (P.R.O.) decided that this concept of sponsorship could prove attractive to a national company.

It just so happened at the time an old stalwart of Blue Demons, Aidan Horgan a former player was friends with a Donal Healy of Showering’s Clonmel the agents for Britvic a soft drink product, that they wanted to promote and communication ensued as a meeting was arranged for Blue Demons to make a presentation.

The meeting was held at public relation company, Wilson Hartnell's office, Roddy McDowell being the facilitator and Showering’s were represented by Kevin Feeney the brand manager for Britvic.

Blue Demons made an excellent presentation and hopes were high that Showering’s had found a sport to promote their brand.

Sponsorship was agreed and Blue Demons became the first team to get sponsorship from a company that operated throughout Ireland and the team was to compete under the name of Team Britvic.

With the team's name Britvic, it guaranteed continuous exposure on all media channels of the sponsor's name and the product it was trying to promote a winning brand for all parties involved.

This sponsorship was to run for four seasons and proved to be a very successful partnership for both Showering’s and the club.

It proved to be the forerunner of sports sponsorship in Ireland with other codes following basketballs lead in this regard.

Britvic through their local representative Michael Casey (RIP) had a very much hands on approach to the sponsorship arrangement, which benefited both parties to the agreement.

In the season of 1981/82 saw Blue Demons Club National League team not alone changed their name to Team Britvic but also changed playing gear colours from blue, red and white to Black and Orange the marketing colours used when promoting the soft drink Britvic.

The personnel that made up that initial Team Britvic squad was as follows Joe Coughlan, Mick Butler, Tim McCarthy, Gerry Wheeler, Sean Murphy, William McCarthy, Kieran Hegarty, John Cooney, Pat Quirke, Pat Keane, David O’Sullivan (all Irish) with Americans Lennie McMillan, Webster Means, Bob Stephens, Mark Stephen with the late Peter Coughlan as coach.

Webster Means and Mark Stephens went back to the US after competing in the World Club Championship in Crystal Palace, London.

This team competed very well only to come up short as runner-up to Gleneagle Killarney in both the League and National Championship.

1982/83 season the club management decided to recruit an American coach in Roger Dutremble.

In that season the panel of Irish players consisted of Joe Coughlan, Tim McCarthy, Sean Murphy, William (Mono) McCarthy, John Cooney, Denis Caffrey, Greg Creagh, Paudie Coughlan (RIP) with Americans Mike Hancock, Larry Williams being replaced by Bob Stephens and Tony Hafley.

Coach Dutremble was replaced by Peter Coughlan (RIP) but this was a turbulent season but ultimately proved a very rewarding and historic one as Team Britvic captured the Federation Cup, a competition that teams from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales participated, Blue Demons became the first and only Irish club to win this prestigious competition.

Demons defeated Gleneagle Killarney along the way to gain some solace from playing second fiddle to the Kerry outfit the previous season in national competitions.

1983/84 season saw a change in the management of the national league set up with Sean Murphy appointed coach and John Coughlan as team manager.

More importantly the recruiting of Americans Steve Isaacs and especially Jasper McElroy would prove to be a very shrewd one.

The Irish panel of players were John Cooney, Greg Creagh, Tim McCarthy, Gerry Wheeler, William (Mono) McCarthy, Tony Foley, David O’Sullivan, Pat Keane and Tadgh O’Leary (RIP).

The season proved to be a very successful one winning the league and on the first playing of the National Cup they reached the final only to be defeated by great rivals St. Vincents, Dublin.

Initially many thought the change of Americans was fraught with danger but Jasper McElroy would prove to be the greatest signing in the history of the league as he top scored in all but one of the seasons he played in Ireland.

1984/85 season again saw a change in the coaching position with Barry Deasy taking the hot seat with Jasper McElroy returned he was joined by Dale Roberts 6’10” centre from Appalachia State.

The Irish panel of players were John Cooney, Tim McCarthy, Gerry Wheeler, Greg Creagh, Tony Foley, Jim O’Sullivan, Kieran Hegarty, Diarmuid Looney and William (Mono) McCarthy.

The team competed strongly in the league to finish in second spot they won the National Championship.

The Cup Final that season would live on in the memories of many a basketball fan when the team led the entire game only to be caught by a super Burgurland squad that will be remembered by major error from the table officials that many Demons fans cited as the main reason for losing the game.

The one guarantee players got from playing with Demons was the ability of the club to never forget their contributions and February Bank Holiday Sunday at the Mardyke will be day to celebrate the wonderful years that this club gave to Irish Basketball.