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The Surrey Scorchers are an English professional basketball team based in Guildford, Surrey. The Scorchers compete in the British Basketball League and play their home games at the Surrey Sports Park.

In 2005, the team was established as the Guildford Heat by fans of the Thames Valley Tigers, who had recently folded after competing in the British Basketball League. The team enjoyed early success under head coach Paul James and won the league in its second season, qualifying for the ULEB Cup in the process. Financial difficulties ensued shortly after and resulted in the departure of James a year later, with player Chad McKnight taking over as head coach. The Heat struggled in subsequent seasons and finished in a lowly 11th place during McKnight's only year in charge.

The appointment of Creon Raftopoulos lead to a gradual improvement in results, before the franchise rebranded as the Surrey Heat in 2012 to better reflect the team's geographical reach. Despite a fourth placed finish, Raftopoulos was sacked as head coach ahead of a takeover deal from new owners London United and Surrey Sports Park.

Following the takeover, the franchise rebranded once again as Surrey United and Jack Majewski was named head coach. After two difficult seasons, the franchise became wholly owned by the Surrey Sports Park in June 2015 and underwent further changes. Moving from the Guildford Spectrum to their home at the Surrey Sports Park, the franchise rebranded as the Surrey Scorchers and saw Raftopoulos reappointed as head coach.

Basketball in Guildford
The town of Guildford has been home to several elite basketball teams down the years. With the opening of the Guildford Spectrum, the successful Kingston team uprooted, moved in and renamed themselves as the Guildford Kings in 1992, briefly calling the place home until they folded in 1994, as did the Guildford Pumas before they relocated to Sutton in 1999. However it was the first major team, the Guildford Pirates who played in the town from 1975 to 1982 that would come back to figure prominently in the birth of the new club, the Guildford Heat.

In 1982, the Pirates moved to nearby Bracknell, becoming the Bracknell Pirates and later the Thames Valley Tigers. For many years, the Tigers were one of the front runners of the British basketball scene, winning the league Championship in 1994, but it was in the new millennium that the successes dried up and for owner John Nike, the team was too much of a financial burden. In April 2005, he announced that he would no longer be funding the basketball franchise nor his ice hockey franchise Bracknell Bees.

Immediately a consortium of Tigers fans was formed to save the club. Headed by local businessman Mike Davies, they put together a viable package to take over the administration and running of the team. However, Nike failed to reach agreement in time for them to lease the franchise, and the deadline for entry into the British Basketball League for the 2005–06 season was reached. The Tigers' BBL membership thus lapsed, but the fans obtained permission from the League to enter a new team in its place, and successful negotiations with The Spectrum in Guildford led to the birth of the Guildford Heat franchise.

2005–2009: Early success as the Guildford Heat
Paul James, a former player and coach for the Thames Valley Tigers, was appointed head coach for the beginning of the new era and joined by former Tigers trio Rod Wellington, Dean Williams and Martin Gottfried.

Guildford Heat suffered defeat in their first ever league game, losing 89–88 in overtime to the Newcastle Eagles, but bounced back the following night with a 69–65 home win against the Leicester Riders in the BBL Cup. The Heat concluded their inaugural season in fifth place with a 20–20 win–loss record, and overcame the London Towers in the play-off quarter finals with a 99–81 victory. Their performance was followed by a 115–97 semi-final defeat to the Newcastle Eagles, who went on to be crowned play-off champions champions. The Heat also exited the BBL Cup at the hands of the Newcastle Eagles in the quarter-finals, but achieved a semi-final finish in the BBL Trophy before losing 66–69 to the Leicester Riders.

Ahead of the 2006–07 season, the Heat bolstered their ranks with the arrival of American swingman Daniel Gilbert from German club FC Schalke 04, and he proved to be a pivotal player as the club went on to win its first ever BBL Championship. After an impressive start to the season, the Heat picked up their first piece on silverware in early January with a 81–78 BBL Cup final win against the Scottish Rocks. The Heat's campaign suffered a big blow a month later when American import Chad McKnight sustained a knee injury which would rule him out for the remainder of the season, and the player's subsequent release appeared to be related to his long-term injury. However, a month later it emerged that McKnight had been issued with a three-month suspension after testing positive for marijuana. A club statement confirmed his release was due to the failed drugs test, although the player denied any use of the banned substance.

Despite his absence, the Heat went on to secure the league title in only their second season with a 114–85 victory over London United in early April. After a 71–68 win against eighth seed London United in the play-off quarter-final, the Heat crashed out with a 71–78 defeat to the eventual runners-up Scottish Rocks in the semi-finals. The team also enjoyed success at the end of season awards, with American import Brian Dux jointly-named Most Valuable Player alongside Jeff Bonds of the Sheffield Sharks. Paul James was named Coach of the Year for his double-winning campaign, while both Dux and Mike Martin were named All-Star First Team.

After their success in the previous season, the Heat earned a spot in the 2007–08 ULEB Cup campaign as Britain's sole representative. In doing so, they became the first British team to compete in Europe since the Brighton Bears in 2003, and were drawn in Group A alongside DKV Joventut, Alba Berlin, Turk Telekom, BC Šiauliai and KK Bosna. The Heat began the season with further success in the inaugural BBL Cup Winners' Cup, recording a 176–168 aggregate win against the Plymouth Raiders, and started their league campaign with a 90–83 victory at the Newcastle Eagles. On 6 November 2007, the Heat travelled to Sarajevo for their first-ever European match and suffered a 68–84 defeat to KK Bosna. Summer signing Carlton Aaron scored the Heat's first ever points in Europe, in a match which proved to be the final game for Dux, whose horrific car crash later in the week overshadowed all recent events. The American point guard was left in a coma after it took Surrey Police over two hours to locate the scene of the crash, and there was a risk of suffering permanent disability from the incident. Dux regained consciousness after several weeks and returned to the United States with his family. Dux's shirt number was later retired by the club.

The Heat went on to lose all 10 European matches but continued to excel on home turf. In March 2008, the Guildford Heat secured their next piece of silverware with a 86–79 victory against the Newcastle Eagles in the BBL Trophy. They finished the league campaign in second place with a 24–9 win–loss record, losing out to the high-flying Newcastle Eagles, and saw off the Everton Tigers and the Plymouth Raiders to reach the play-off final. A 27-point showing from Most Valuable Player Daniel Gilbert helped his team to a 100–88 victory against the Milton Keynes Lions, and the American went on to be named All-Star First Team. Teammates E. J. Harrison and Tony Dorsey were also named All-Star Second Team. The franchise were invited to return to the ULEB Cup for the 2008–09 season after their continued success, but the club opted not to be included to focus on domestic competitions.

Guildford Heat began the 2008–09 season with the signing of former fan favourite Kabir Abu and the return of McKnight following a one-year stint at the Leicester Riders. The campaign started by retaining the BBL Cup Winners' Cup with a 159–149 aggregate victory against the Milton Keynes Lions, a competition that became defunct after two years making the Heat the only victors. A run of mixed results found the team languishing in mid-table, and in February 2009 the club announced that it had entered administration, albeit with a buyout imminent, following the exit of the chairman and main sponsor. The franchise's assets were purchased by local businessman Alan McClafferty, a Heat fan and volunteer coach in the club’s youth setup. Despite their off-court troubles, the Heat recorded a 187–161 aggregate victory against the Plymouth Raiders to reach the BBL Trophy final. Played on home court, the team went down 71–83 to the Newcastle Eagles despite a 30-point haul from Keonta Howell.

Shortly after securing a place in the play-offs, managing director McClafferty announced that Paul James' contract would not be renewed at the end of the season. He said that the decision had been taken to reduce the club's wage bill and free up money to invest in the grassroots of the club. The Heat ended the season in fourth place after a disappointing final few weeks, although Howell was named All-Star First Team and finished third in voting for the Most Valuable Player.

2009–2012: The Guildford Heat enters struggles
In July 2009, the club named 26-year-old Chad McKnight as player-coach ahead of the new season. Captain Mike Martin opted to remain and signed a three-year contract, but most of the squad decided to depart the club. Several new signings included British Basketball League veteran Julius Joseph and up-and-coming star Tayo Ogendengbe. The team enjoyed a six-game unbeaten run at home to start the season, but struggled on the road with five consecutive defeats. Suffering a first home defeat to Sheffield Sharks in December, the game marked a six-game losing streak for the struggling Heat. Several key figures in the team were sidelined through injury, including Daniel Sandell and Martin. Julius Joseph carried the team on several occasions and finished as the team's top scorer with 17.6 points per game, while player-coach McKnight hit at least 30 points in three consecutive games.

On 14 December, it was announced that the franchise would be moving to the brand-new Surrey Sports Park for the new campaign, marking the end of five seasons at the Guildford Spectrum. After a disappointing 11th placed finish in the league, McKnight did not return as player-coach for the new season and was replaced by youth development manager Creon Raftopoulos. His first season in charge produced an improvement in results and saw the franchise sitting in third in December, although off-court difficulties continued with McClafferty forced to put the franchise up for sale for £1. Reported to be suffering a £30,000 shortfall in the franchise's budget, Raftopoulos was initially asked to make savings two weeks before news broke to the players and staff. McClafferty said that without further financial backing, the Heat may have to fold. In a bid to save the Guildford franchise from folding, fans of the club launched a campaign to raise £25,000 in 25 days throughout January. They were then rewarded at the end of the month when Surrey-based businesswoman Alison Reeve matched the £25,000 raised to keep the Heat alive. McClafferty allowed her to purchase the franchise for £1, meaning her full donation would go towards the team, and in doing so, she became the first woman to fully own a British Basketball League franchise. After four wins in the group stages and a 172–159 aggregate win against the Leicester Riders, the Heat reached the BBL Trophy for a second consecutive season. In March 2011, despite being one point ahead at the half-time interval at The O2 Arena, the Heat succumbed to a 66–84 defeat to the Mersey Tigers. A slight slip in league results saw the Heat fall to seventh place, before suffering a 180–192 aggregate defeat to the Newcastle Eagles in the quarter-finals.

Raftopoulos was rewarded with a new one-year deal ahead of the 2011–12 season, but faced early pressure with his team bottom of the league after three consecutive defeats and knocked out of the BBL Trophy. In October 2011, an incident between Martelle McLemore and Plymouth Raiders' mascot Foxy became the subject of a league inquiry, after the mascot entered the court and pulled McLemore's shorts down during a break in play. Following the inquiry, Plymouth Raiders were given a "small fine" whilst McLemore was awarded with 5 penalty points for his involvement by pushing the Raiders mascot. A gradual turnaround saw the Heat climb to eighth place and secure a play-off position, although they once again fell to the Newcastle Eagles in a 127–165 aggregate defeat.

2012–2013: A brief stint as the Surrey Heat
In September 2012, the franchise announced a rebrand to the Surrey Heat to "better reflect their geographical reach in terms of fan base, coaching and community programmes".

2013–2015: New owners rebrand as Surrey United
In August 2013, the franchise was sold to a partnership group consisting of Surrey Sports Park and London United. Due to the takeover, long-time head coach Raftopoulos was immediately sacked after three years at the helm, despite being contracted for the upcoming season. He was replaced by part-owner Jack Majewski, the former owner and coach of London United. A month later, the franchise was rebranded once again to become Surrey United and adopted a new black and blue colourway.


 * Controversy surrounded Surrey head coach Jack Majewski and his decision to play star player Brandon McGill in a defeat to Cheshire Phoenix on 8 December, two days after the player suffered concussion following a clash with Darius Defoe in a game against Newcastle Eagles.

2015–present: Surrey Scorchers bring back Raftopoulos
2015-16

In June 2015, Surrey Sports Park announced that they had taken full ownership of the franchise and that the team would be based full-time at their facilities. They immediately rebranded the franchise for a third time in four years to become the Surrey Scorchers, in an attempt to create a new club identity that is more professional. The new owners also reinstated Creon Raftopoulos as head coach two years after his surprising sacking. The following day, they named former Heat player Tayo Ogedengbe as the first signing of the franchises' new era.

2016-17

2017-18

In May 2018, Raftopoulos was named BBL Coach of the Year.

2018-19

In October 2018, the Scorchers defied the odds as underdogs to win the British Basketball All-Star Championship at the Copper Box Arena. Despite an early defeat to the Bristol Flyers, victories over the Worcester Wolves and the Bristol Flyers sent the Scorchers through to the final four. They then dispatched of the Newcastle Eagles with a 34–24 victory to set up a final with the Leicester Riders, and required overtime to record a 36–33 win. Jordan Williams was named Most Valuable Player as the franchise collected the £25,000 prize money.

League

 * BBL Championship Winners: 2006–07 1

Playoffs

 * BBL Play Off Winners: 2007–08 1

Trophy

 * BBL Trophy Winners: 2007/08 1

Cup

 * BBL Cup Winners: 2006/07 1
 * BBL Cup Winners' Cup Winners: 2007/08; 2008/09 2

Current roster
The following information is established according to the official websites of the team (www.surreyscorchers.co.uk) and Britain's top professional league, the BBL (www.bbl.org.uk).

Former players

 * 1) Players that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
 * 2) Players with full international caps.


 * 🇬🇧🇸🇩 Ajou Deng
 * 🇺🇸 Brian Dux
 * 🇺🇸 Chad McKnight
 * 🇬🇧 Dean Williams
 * 🇳🇬🇬🇧 Lekan Popoola
 * 🇬🇧 Martin Gottfried
 * 🇬🇧 Mike Martin
 * 🇬🇧 Paul James
 * 🇬🇧 Roderick Wellington
 * 🇺🇸 Daniel Gilbert
 * 🇦🇺🇬🇧 Dan Wardrope
 * 🇺🇸 Carlton Aaron
 * 🇬🇧 Chi Lewis-Parry
 * 🇬🇧 Perry Lawson
 * 🇬🇧🇺🇸 Tony Dorsey


 * 🇺🇸 Carlton Aaron
 * 🇸🇩 Ajou Deng
 * 🇺🇸 Tony Dorsey
 * 🇺🇸 Brian Dux
 * 🇺🇸 Daniel Gilbert
 * 🇺🇸 E.J. Harrison
 * 🇺🇸 Keonta Howell
 * James Jones
 * Perry Lawson
 * 🇺🇸 Dave Mallon
 * Dan Wardrope
 * Roderick Wellington
 * 🇺🇸 Andrew Lasker

Head coaches
Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the .