BBL fan-led government funding petition passes 10k signatures

A fan-led petition on the parliament website calling on the government to help fund the BBL has surpassed 10,000 signatures and is now awaiting an official response.

With the BBL in limbo having had to postpone the season start due to updated COVID-19 related government guidelines banning spectators from sporting events for potentially another six months, and clubs facing multiple six figure losses, it paints a bleak picture for the league and its clubs who are currently in discussions with the DCMS around a financial aid package.

Newcastle Eagles – who have their own arena which significantly adds to their overheads – put out a statement from owner Paul Blake earlier this week to update fans, saying despite the tough outlook, they remain optimistic:

“As soon as we have a response from Government and our strategy for the season is clear, we will be sharing our plans with our fans and sponsors,” he wrote.

“We are incredibly grateful for their loyalty, overwhelming support and understanding during this toughest of times.

“We won’t let this increasingly difficult situation defeat us. As a club and a community we pride ourselves on a winning mentality and that will never change.”

Created by Liam Fitzgerald, the petition passed five figure numbers – forcing a yet-to-be-published government response – in a matter of days as it has been widely shared across social media by British basketball fans, clubs and organisations alike.

If the petition reaches 100,000, it will be considered for debate in parliament. You can sign it here.

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