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1 October 2026  7 min read

50 years and counting – Nottingham Wildcats look to the past with pride and the future with hope 

The club, famed as one of the country's leading hotbeds for women and girls' basketball, marked its 50th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Nottingham Wildcats Arena on Saturday by hosting a raft of games to mark the occasion. 

Basketball England CEO Victoria Ward joined the party that saw club alumni, family and friends enjoy a succession of Wildcats wins, capped by the Super League Basketball Women's team's victory over Leicester Riders. 

The day was hosted by chair of the Wildcats Trust Chris Prior - a founder member of the club with late wife Pauline, who sadly passed away in 2020 - and their daughter Siobhan, like her mum, a decorated club player and now coach and prime mover behind the Wildcats. 

Chris Prior, far right, second row, watches Saturday's action with Mark Clark

Club stalwarts such as Karen Burton, Martin Ford, Aaron Wharton and others were on hand to make sure the day was a fitting success. 

Five decades on from their first tip-off, the club is still winning silverware, developing players and giving female players and coaches a safe, nurturing space to enjoy sport - and this season brings a Wildcats men’s programme. 

Siobhan is looking back at 50 years of achievement with pride and forward with optimism. 

"It's a massive milestone for the club and in itself it is something to be celebrated," said the 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medal winner with England.  

"But, for me, what is rare, is how we have got to this 50-year mark and the decisions we have made along the way have been consistently true to our ethos, culture and vision for the future. 

"We have put that ahead of everything. I've grown up seeing my parents do that for the club and we're carrying it on now in everything we do.  

"Making those decisions can be difficult and I've seen that even more since stopping playing and being more involved behind the scenes. Putting our ethos and our belief in women in sport and players first when it would be easy to make short-term decisions, has been a constant. 

"I'm proud that we have been able to move with that integrity through those years. 

"Saturday was a great celebration but what was really rewarding was to see the people and hear the stories of those who have been positively impacted by the club over the years coming back and continuing to want to be a part of it. 

"If it hadn't been done properly, we wouldn't have that connection and those people wouldn't want to bring their kids along and continue to be part of it." 

Wildcats coaches Karen Burton and (right) Siobhan Prior with Laura Burton (right-hand picture: Lauren Newham) 

In 1976 the Wildcats had one team playing in the National League Women’s Division 2, with home games played in a school gym in Radcliffe on Trent. 

Fast forward 50 years and there are a host of Wildcats teams – read more about them below – with boys' sides joining the ever-strong women and girls' programme. 

"Within the Wildcats club, being a woman has never got in the way of me or any of the other women who have been a part of what we do, doing anything we want," she added. 

"The club is going to grow and advance and our ethos of being a place where women are empowered isn't going to change, but on Saturday it was lovely to see the boys who came through mini-ballers knowing they have a place to be." 

Chris and Pauline Prior with Siobhan after Nottingham won the Betty Codona Classic in 2013.

Chris Prior: Reflections on 50 Years as a Nottingham Wildcat 

"My involvement with basketball in Nottingham pre-dates the formation of the Nottingham Wildcats in 1976 when Dayncourt Wildcats and Nottingham Basketball merged together. My then girlfriend and later my wife Pauline Condon, played for Nottingham and I became involved in basketball through driving the minibus to away games. 

"The two clubs merged because coaches Glyn Taylor (Nottingham) and John Jones (Dayncourt) recognised that by pooling players and resources the combined club would have a much better chance of success competing in the NBL Division 1 women. It was at this stage I became more involved in the running of the club and later became the secretary; probably less to do with ability and more to do with nobody else wanting to do it. 

"So what have been the major changes in 50 years?  

"Well administratively and governance wise the change is almost beyond comprehension. The club is now a registered sporting charity and a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, with a turnover rapidly approaching £600,000 per annum. The Trust owns and operates our own three-court basketball facility valued at £12.5million by our insurers and a five-bedroom players' house. We employ the equivalent of 10 full-time staff and the volunteer base increases almost monthly.  

"The Trust has formed partnerships with a variety of local organisations including the Nottingham universities, Genius Tuition, Dance Affinity, Nottingham City Council, Strafe Creative and many local businesses.  

"The Greenwood Academies Trust is a partner as well as a customer as their Nottingham Academy school hires the facility to deliver their curriculum PE lessons. The partnership element is based around the delivery of an Elite Basketball Academy that allows student athletes to continue their academic studies whilst practicing every day. The girls play in the WEABL and the boys in the EABL which are the top school leagues in the UK. 

The academy also delivers a Diploma in Sporting Excellence in partnership with Basketball England and South Gloucester College.  

"On the playing side Nottingham Wildcats has grown from one team playing in a school sports hall to 10 teams playing at National League level, one of which is a professional women’s team playing in Super League Basketball. There is a thriving U12 programme for girls and boys (Mini-ballers) attracting over 100 children each Saturday morning.  

"The support staff for all these programmes has also grown, from having one coach and an assistant, to each team having a coach, assistant coaches, team managers, mini-bus drivers etc. The SLB, WEABL and EABL also have dedicated physios, strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionist, sports therapists along with staff to organise fixtures and travel. 

"The club also run a recreational programme called Nottingham Cobras which has 3 teams in the Central Venue League run by the Wildcats Arena each Friday evening. This league continues to grow and currently has nearly 30 teams at U14, U16 and U18 levels. The Arena also hosts the two local leagues for men and women, the Sherwood and Maid Marian leagues respectively.  

"Finally some anecdotal evidence, on how things have changed in 50 years. Today when the SLB players board their transport to return home from an away game, they will be carrying rehydration drinks and protein snacks, provided by the club’s nutritionist, rather than a bottle of wine and a bag of cheese and onion crisps!" 

Pictures: @RicoMarianoPhoto unless stated

See gallery of Saturday's celebration day below