LEOPARDS Basketball Club will be playing several of their home fixtures at the Basildon Sportings Village after Christmas.

The Big Cats are one of the leading clubs in the England Basketball League Division One and play the majority of their home games at the Brentwood Centre with the remaining games having been staged at Barking Abbey school in Eeast London.

However, five games after Christmas will be staged at Basildon rather than Barking Abbey, starting on Sunday February 6 when they host Brixton Topcats.

They will also face Leeds Carnegie on Sunday February 13, Bradford Dragons on Sunday February 20 and Worthing Thunder on Sunday April 7, as well as the play-off quarter-final if they get home court advantage on Sunday April 14.

All games at the venue will tip-off at 4pm and Leopards’ community director Gareth Roberts is hoping the new venue will prove popular with fans.

“We are very pleased to be able to work with Basildon Sporting Village and be able to bring Division One basketball to Basildon for the first time” said Roberts.

“The venue is a new state-of -the-art facility which we are excited to be able to use and feel this will be great for our existing fan base as well as a great opportunity to help grow the club further in a new catchment area.

“We also plan to extend our very successful East London community programme into the Basildon area and help grow the sport in Essex from grass routes upwards.” Kevin Blake, Basildon Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure, has also welcomed the decision.

“I am delighted to hear the Leopards have chosen the Sporting Village to play some of their games,” said Blake.

“This will give people the opportunity to see basketball on their doorsteps at one of the best facilities in the region.”

Further details of the Leopards can be found at www.leopardsbasketball.co.uk