Ex-Glasgow star Kieron Achara ‘excited’ by Caledonia Gladiators future plans after historic BBL Trophy final win

Kieron Achara admits he is “really excited” to see where the Caledonia Gladiators journey can take them after the former Glasgow player was left in tears following an astonishing end to Sunday’s British Basketball League Trophy final.

Gladiators clinched their first piece of silverware in 20 years with a sensational 73-70 victory over Cheshire Phoenix in front of a 6,000 sell-out crowd at the Emirates Arena. The trophy was secured with the last shot in the final second of a pulsating contest with American guard David Sloan draining a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded.

Under their previous guise of the Glasgow Rocks, 10 straight finals ended in heartache and it appeared that dreaded fate was looming once again against the holders. However, a late rally from Gareth Murray’s side saw them over the line and spark an invasion of the court as they brought the curtain down on their time at the indoor venue.

The Gladiators have set long-term ambitions of becoming a major force in the game following the recent announcement of a £20million project laid out by owners Steve and Alison Timoney to build a new purpose-built 6,000-seat arena and their first permanent home in East Kilbride.

Achara, who retired from professional basketball in 2019 having represented Scotland and Great Britain at national team level, played in three BBL Trophy finals and finished on the losing side on each occasion. He has since started doing punditry work on Sky Sports after a distinguished playing career spanning 20 years and SIX different countries; Scotland, England, Italy, Spain, Greece and Bulgaria.

Reflecting on the Gladiators historic success, the 6ft 10in Stirling-born star told GlasgowWorld: “It was unbelievable, edge-of-your-seat stuff. It epitomised that final as a nail-biter. It was a great finish from (David) Sloan and great for the home crowd to witness. It looked like in the last few minutes it might not have gone their way but they somehow found a way to pull it off.

“I really enjoyed my time at the club. They obviously rebranded at the start of this season and the most important thing was to find a way of keeping that legacy going and they’ve done so. They’re continuing to grow from strength to strength and that’s all you can ask for.

“I’m so proud to see them grow into the club that they’re becoming and to cap it off with some silverware to start their journey is a great start for the Gladiators. It’s a really exciting time to be around the club. You don’t know what the future may hold, but at the same time, it’s very positive. People are excited and ambitious. They’ve got that ambition in abundance and I’m excited for the future.”