At what level?

NBL

Can we blame this all on that logo of theirs?

Roy Ward on Twitter:

Melbourne Tigers will shed their name next season and have new colours!

No matter how hard they try they can't capture any of the old Magic or Giants fans, and also at a Junior level they are more hated than ever. If they don't re-brand they'll struggle to grow the supporter base.

It would be like the AFL having the first team from Adelaide in the 90's be the Port Adelaide Magpies, would the Sturt and Glenelg fans really follow that team?

They're also worried about Melbourne's second team capturing all the non tigers fans as South Dragons started to, gotta get in now before it's too late.

Good point by you Roy/Melbourne Boy

Clever by Tiges!

Are you saying i'm Roy? or we both made a point?

Long overdue...Couldn't believe the rubbish they have dished up in the past.

The Magical Giant Dragons???

(Obviously me being silly, just thought id throw it out there)

Melbourne United will be the team name http://m.theage.com.au/sport/basketball/melbourne-tigers-change-name-to-united-20140519-38jxh.html

The club will announce on Tuesday it has a new name and colours in an attempt to break free of connections to the Melbourne Tigers junior basketball club and attract more supporters from within Victorian basketball.

The long-standing NBL club will is believed to be changing its name to Melbourne United.

Melbourne will also confirm star guard and NBL leading scorer Chris Goulding won't be returning to the club next season and plans to either join an NBA side or play in Europe.

Slepoy will also be stepping back from his role as chief executive with general manager Vince Crivelli moving into the big chair and former Melbourne Boomers commercial operations manager Peter Unwin moving into the same role with the NBL club.

Melbourne United sounds more like a soccer name but credit to Melbourne for not sitting on their hands and going out there and making a change.
They're still Melbourne and their history won't be affected.

"They're also worried about Melbourne's second team capturing all the non tigers fans as South Dragons started to, gotta get in now before it's too late."

Exactly. I wonder how successful the re-branding will be and how this will affect a potential Melbourne expansion team.

Sounds like a soccer team.

Sounds so unbasketball like. More likely to put you to sleep instead of exciting.

Looks like they have seen what Bulleen did in the WNBL. Makes sense to have the elite teams supported by the whole of the city rather than their limited junior fan base. Interesting that they didn't do something with the Melbourne Boomers.

I understand the reasons for the re-badge, but if it is "United", I concur with posters above. It sounds like a soccer team. Should we expect flares to go off at games?

What name could they go with?
Victorian Queens?
Melbourne Heat?
Melbourne Koalas?
Victorian Possums?

They would want to get all of Melbourne behind them, so maybe their colours will become navy blue and white? Ballarat is home to the Eureka flag, but they could bring that into it, or Ned Kelly, or something along those lines.

It would be interesting to see what market research they have done on this and what they hope to achieve as a result. I think with a sporting team you want a mascot or a theme you could run with that would appeal to most supporters and they could identify with. You never know, they might actually be selling the "Tigers" brand to a future Tasmanian team.

For those proposing a second Melbourne team, this move might make it hard to drum up support for the second team.

We'll get used to it.

Not a great thing to happen, but not gonna lie its causing quite a stir and the media are loving it. Taking a positive from a negative...

At least the will have to get rid of that FUGLY Tigers Logo.

worst idea ever!

I just hope whoever they got to do that tigers logo has had zero input in the corporate identity and branding of the new name. Clipart is not a replacement for a designer.

As a tigers fan I'm a little torn by this. They better rebrand it the right way or they risk losing everyone, they should of done this 3-4 years ago when the tigers where in trouble.

Its boom or bust with this name change...

Jonno = priceless !!

This is a bizarre, totally unexpected move IMO. As an anonymous poster mentioned above, it has a Sydney Spirit kind of vibe to it.

It seems like they want to be treated more like a new franchise, but new fans won't be fooled and existing Tigers fans will only feel disenfranchised by such huge changed in identity. Tigers have been reliant on a very loyal supporter base for a long time. I anticipate existing Tigers fans feeling unenthusiastic about this change. The management will have to work hard to maintain those supporters.

New NBL franchises don't have a great record in Melbourne and Sydney.

I hope they have brought in expert strategic, marketing and PR advice in making the decision. There are numerous case studies managers must consider when changing a logo or brand image.

Procter and Gamble is one such case study. Their original logo consisted of a beard man looking left and 13 stars. Some people claimed it was satanic and included 666. The 13 stars were actually to signify the initial 13 US colonies. The logo was discontinued in 1985 as a result of bad publicity.

Other companies have changed their logo in several stages. Instead of one bold move, they have changed a little bit, run with that logo for a while, then made another change. In marketing, it is called the JND (just noticeable difference). That is why prices on some groceries have seemed to remain the same over the last while, but if fact the 750 g pack is now only 500 g.

The danger in changing too much at once without it being forced, i.e. a name, mascot and a logo at the same time, is that consumers of the product could be turned off if they don't embrace the change or understand why change is necessary. Government departments can do it because lets face it, spending $3M on consultants to sit in a bean bag, devise a new acronym, funky new logo and mission statement involving w@nk words is always a good way to spend tax payers money.

From a strategic perspective, the Club obviously wants to reposition themselves in the market, but of course the big question with any unforced change or repositioning, is "is it necessary?" and "is the change too much for consumers (fans)?"

You know what I like the Melbourne Tigers to be called? The Melbourne Tigers.

Dont like it! They should be holding onto whats good about the franchise.. the name, the proud history, the loyal supporters. Rebranding and changing the name feels like a new team so disengaging from the existing fans. How about more importantly improving on court performance, new uniforms perhaps black and yellow with a new tiger logo.
The second melbourne team should come back as the giants or the magic. Not amalgamate all supporters there is no melbourne rivalry then. It was already attempted with the Victoria Titans and that didnt work. As much as i love to hate the tigers it wouldn't be the same without them in the nbl. Same with the bullets

Just really struggling to see who this benefits, as mentioned above existing fans will be disenfranchised and new fans wont buy that its a fresh team. With basketball having a small but loyal fan base why would you want to alienate the fans you have rather than focus on becoming more inclusive to new territories while keeping your iconic history and brand.

Just so long as Adelaide don't follow and rebrand themselves the Adelaide Victory

Lanard copeland just tweeted to Bradtke and Gaze, Melbourne Tigers forever.

Really!!!! Is this is what its come too. Slepoy and Kestleman have no idea of how to run a succesful basketball club..... Lets look at a paper trail!!!

Crivelli was going to be the GM of the new expansion Victorian team.... that was until the money from Bayswater was unable to eventuate and that the fiasco at Knox raised its head...... Crivelli then went back to Sandringham and asked for his job back...... but wait Melbourne Tigers ie Melbourne Dodo asked Crivelli to join!!!!! he was the one leading the charge for the opposition..... did he improve crowd numbers at Sandringham.......No!

But of course the astute businessman of the ex Dodo owners would of done the market research to realise that when the Dragons were around the Tigers traded in the BLACK!!!! totally viable!!!

There is no doubt that if the MAGIC returned it would have an enormous fan base.... as would the TIGERS..... the reason people love this game is due to the heritage.......

We are now going to have very confusing Trivia nights i.e.

Which clubs had to merge to form the Tigers?
Which Clubs had to Merge to form the Magic?
Which Clubs had to merge to form the Titans?
Which Clubs have had the stronger member base in Victoria and no longer in the League???????

We have a special game full of rich history, why is it people want to destroy it.....

hopefully this wakes the sleeping GIANT! the GAZE glan may come together and get the Financial and government support they should of years ago!!

There have been many wrongs with the Melbourne Tigers but maybe now it should come together and be 1 family!!

The truth is somewhere in the shadows!!
Its Elementary
Mycroft

I have no way to backup my thoughts, but I'm guessing that "United" won't be their nickname. It's probably just a working title now, and will be changed once the research has been done on a new name.

It's probably being used as a uniting device for Melbournians, showing the clubs commitment to unite the city behind them. Of course it won't work, but they look like they're gonna try.

The Magic can only be used by a non-Tigers, new entity. I have no real suggestions for a new nickname, but I really think that "United" doesn't inspire excitement in anyone. Tigers fans or NBL fans in general.

There must be more too it than a simple move in the market place.

Could we perhaps be about to see the formation of a true 'sports club' with a Bball team and say a football team all under one banner? Or cricket?

Maybe the Tigers owners have agreed on a hookup with a team overseas that wanted the removal if the Tigers from their name. (Similar to Melbourne Heart changing their name due to hookup with Manchester City)

Melbourne Tigers Twitter said that there is a press conference at 11am tomorrow, should be interesting, I really hope it doesn't stay Melbourne Unitied

Melbourne Bullets?
Frankston Bears?
Fritzroy Lions?

Could it be a European sort of style with the two clubs merging. One club, two sports. To be honest I think it would work. With memberships for both separate or discounted if you want both.

Melbourne DoDo's

Australian Basketball fans you have yourself to blame!!! In 1993 this side was getting 13,000 fans to games at Melbourne Park (Rod Laver Arena) as one of three Melbourne based sides!!! 21 years on as the only side in Melbourne they get 2-3,000 a game?? We are a country of jersey wearing (don't know who I am wearing - but as long as
I look cool fans) Apologies to those who are real- but majority are more talk than ball

Keep the colours at least.

I think you will find the real owner of the Melbourne Tigers brand name is not the current NBL team owners. It was not sold when the team was offloaded. So the new owners have been pumping millions into building someone else's brand and paying a licence fee to use the name. This is why they are risking disenfranchising their loyal supporter base.

Not a Tigers fan, however was a Dragons fan and would have loved to go and watch them play against one another again!

The Melbourne Tigers Basketball is an iconic brand, this is not a good idea on the face of it, to me anyway, if they want to break away from any links to juniors or alike then this is not the way to do it and would be a backwards step.

If it is an attempt to capture new supporters in the mean time, before a second Victorian based NBL team enters the fray, again not good because what they may gain on the round-a-bout they will lose on the swing.

Is this about selling merchandise or building a club?

It may work out in the long run, but I can see many hoops fans that were Tigers supporters dropping off, until they start winning that is...

No matter which way this franchise goes, it will only succeed if they win games and do what Perth and Adelaide have done. Get the model and the mix of players right, engage your community and create something special people want to go and watch!

Whether they become the Melbourne Monarchs or the Magic again is of no consequence if they are exactly the same team in different colours, doing the same thing they did this year.

Several teams in the NFL changed colours and updated their logo, then had success and have become powerful clubs (Buccaneers, Patriots), but they did not completely change their identity, what they did change was their teams lists and club culture.

They got the essentials correct and success followed them, then they continued to build on their model of success and have become iconic brands. If the Orlando Pelicans franchise thought by changing their logo they would all of a sudden become NBA champions they would have been kidding themselves, they have to get on court success and their model right, they know this as I am sure the Melbourne Tigers owners do too.

I will be keen to hear their plan, however to remove themselves from a supporter base that has been there and hung in over decades, to throw away a long standing history could be disaster. Did the Brisbane Bears work, or was it the club culture by bringing the Lions from Fitzroy to Brisbane with a coach from Hawthorn what eventually made the difference?

Nothing wrong with Melbourne Tigers brand IMHO, but I am always willing to see if a better idea comes along that may improve basketball down here in Mexico, here's hoping...

SEN 1116 are currently debating the Tigers name change:
http://www.sen.com.au/mediaplayer

Hopefully it works for them otherwise it could blow up in there face.

The Tigers were making money (just) in there curernt state but obviously with risks of other teams and wanting to make more cash the owners have made this call.

It is a brave call and people out in club land will be very happy but it will take time to build the new brand.

Best of luck to them but with what they hope to gain i hope they haven't lost a number of Tigers supporters along the way.

Also as a person whom always played against the Tigers i still supported them at NBL level....not sure i can just jump ship like these marketing people seem to think everyone can.

I really hope that "United" is just their slogan or #hashtag because it's a horrible name for a basketball team.

I loathe this move.

I love hating the Tigers and the rivarly.

I love the old skool of Gaze, Bradtke, Copeland etc as Tigers.

Wrong move

Could've kept the colours and modernised the brand to make it distinct from the junior ranks, but stayed largely as the Tigers they and we know.

If a second team comes in using traditional Victorian colours and picks up fans, surely that's a good thing for the Tigers to have solid cross-town rivals for derbies and the like.

Anon - #849 you have posted this...

'sounds like the same reason the Geelong Supercats can't build a supported base from their region outside of their own club. They're a club that's the same as Bellarine and Corio Bay trying to market to those two associations for attendance...doesn't work clearly'.

Not sure what you are trying to imply with this post anon, it is like comparing Dandenong, Knox, Ballrat or Bendigo SEABL programs with the Melbourne Tigers NBL, two very different entities!

The Supercats have a wonderful fan base and market to the whole region, basketball supporters in the area can choose to watch SEABL or Big V, at two locations and sometimes two different time slots, how lucky are we in the Geelong area to have such variety and quality basketball for everyone to enjoy...

Bellarine is still building and is no where near this level, only a domestic Association with some representative junior teams, I don't believe you have a sound knowledge of basketball in the Greater Geelong region, your post is very much off track for this thread IMHO.

Obviously not my team, but have a bad feeling about this.

This is absolutely gutting. I've supported the Tigers since the early 90's, as a young kid. I honestly have no idea how I'm meant to stick with a club now that won't even stick with itself.

Copeland's reaction about his retired jersey being associated with the new brand:

"Not at all. Let me make the call.. Please take my singlet down. I don't want my jersey hanging in the rafters.. I don’t want mine (jersey) affiliated with the new team, I want nothing to do with it."

“I’m gutted. I don’t want a part of it anymore. It makes you sick to your stomach.”

i would have thought sticking with a NBA/basketball style name rather than soccer would have made more sense?

i hated the idea yesterday....today i just dislike & take offence to its inference to another sport!

I know I am a little slow sometimes, but can we recap on the situation and the facts. Can we confirm the following:

* The "Melbourne Tigers" monika is owned by a third party?
* A naming fee is paid to that third party.

@Isaac - I would wholeheartedly expect and support those Tiger legends who are filthy at the thought of risking losing a part of the club's history they are so proud to have been a part of.

I wouldn't expect anything less of their club legends than to react this way at such news, we can only hope that at 11.00am the actual strategic plan for the club can make some sense, because right now we are speculating the worst case scenarios...

Crap idea
Crap name
Extremely disappointing

So, reading between the lines, is it possible that this is a decision based on club politics and ownership issues where certain board members and owners are unable to come together on amicable terms?

Is this decision really in the best interest of the club, its supporters, the game of basketball, the NBL, or is it a knee jerk reaction caused by a lack of cooperation in the back room, I wonder???

Logo unveiled - aaaaand it's still shit.

Interesting.

It seems like extremely poor judgement, especially after all the people they've got on board the Tigers the past two years.

I have heard the owners want to also own the new second team, so I am hoping this is all a part of that plan, but it seems an odd way to go about it.

If not, it's just a strange move with low reward, high risk.

Another REALLY BAD logo.

Well, there goes my theory about it being a interim nickname. What a weird concept.

I prefer to logo to the Tigers logo but I have a feeling this is going to be a very poor move unless they have big money for interesting innovative marketing.. because they have lost their own fans by doing this.

I've been an avid Tigers fan for over 25 years. I'm massively disappointed with this decision.

It makes me more curious about Gazes comments about the Tigers re-emerging in another form, especially if the same owners do want to own another team.

Could this be a way of getting around the Seamus owning the rights to the tigers brand issue, or making it alot cheaper for them to buy it off him in the near future by making it non-existent.

Not sure i am a fan of the idea of changing the name of a iconic club, and am not a fan of the United name, also think it feels like a soccer team name,

but at the end of the day if the put a good team on the court, playing a good brand of basketball is it the end of the world? does a name of a team matter that much? You are still essentially watching the same game/product.

Yep,that is weird.....reeks of a dumb Anstey idea!

New team management, trying to make their mark and but made a (massive) rookie mistake?

Bad team name IMO, terrible logo.

This could undo all the good work they have done over the past couple of years in building their profile with grassroots. They are trying to secure new members ahead of a 2nd Melb team but have only gone so far as to alienate their existing member base.

We seem to hear about a second Melbourne team every year but I'm thinking that will get put back a while until we see how melb united go. I can see why Copeland is annoyed.

OMG, please don't tell me that is the logo and name they are going with!

Looks like Melbourne Heart, but in blue...
Looks like soccer, but with the wrong ball on top?!!
Has no attraction to it, no appeal towards basketball...

So far, not a great look, sorry to whoever had the job to design this, nothing personal.

Word around is they wanted to shut out third party from entrying the melbourne market and this is part of there plan to do so.....they will sell the story about getting away from Juniors conflicts etc and touching all junior associations but thats BS as they had pretty much got away from it over the last 2 years and the marketing/crowds had shown this plus extra engagement they had from junior clubs.

It is all a plan to have control NBL in Melbourne....expect if a certain irish guy wasn't in business with these owners he'd be putting the Tigers back in the game but doens't have the will to get it done.

I suspect you are on the money Tiger Watcher.

I have heard the owners want to also own the new second team, so I am hoping this is all a part of that plan, but it seems an odd way to go about it.

I actually like the changing of the colours to the state colours of Victoria to entice more supporters, but to lose the Tigers mascot is a step backwards IMO.

What's with there social media u think with announcement today they would have twitter and Facebook sorted out like the Melbourne tigers twitter is getting used but they changed there logo on it , until stuff changes everyone will still think this is the tigers

No offence Jack, but for us down here and in respect to basketball, state colours are not going to cut it, nothing wrong with the Tigers colours at all mate...

Tiger Watcher I suspect the conspiracy theories will come out in the wash and we will learn more as time rolls on, but I too am very concerned about the reasons why this is actually occurring...

I just don't see the necessity!

Does the NBL have to approve all of this, is there still a process where this crazy concept can be knocked on the head? I wonder what the reaction of the other NBL clubs is going to be and whether or not they can have a say in it....?

Anstey never sounds convincing when he talks to the media.When asked about his personal thoughts on the change he was hesitant and the journos went after him. Got out of jail by playing the company line.

@anon 475030

Whatever you reckon - I've been one of those supporters who has put their hand in their pockets and supported the club for years. Supported them through one crap decision after another, in fact.

In this past season, we've seen the crowds grow massively from previous years - there's been a huge growth in supporters and membership as the NBL and the Tigers slowly get back on their feet. It actually wasn't depressing to go to Hisense for the first time in ages, cause seats were filled and people were getting behind the team.

So, impeccable timing there - just as you start to engage old and new fans back into the team and the brand, you just chuck it away, in a ridiculous attempt to corner the entire market. Don't blame the fans and ex players for this - it's squarely on the owners.

Great concept and logo, for to many years there have been people getting kickbacks and living in the bubble(or the 70's & 80's basketball). For the better of the game it has to move forward. This has will put Melbourne Basketball back on the map, sorry to many kids don't know who Andrew Gaze is, or care who Lindsay was. The younger generation are coming better wise up dinosaurs or you will become extinct too.

Great logo? Ha!

Funny post there young BOB911, one day you might look down and wonder where those years have gone too my fine feathered friend...

Do you follow cricket or any other sports for that matter?

Maybe you don't quite get the concept of history, passion and tradition! These things are not easily created, they take time and dedication.

There are things out there you may want to check out, they are called books, every heard of them??

The comments on the Tigers Facebook announcement are overwhelmingly negative. It's quite sad to read as the owners would not have expected such a backlash.

Honestly Isaac, the simplest rule of change management is slowly with consultation. They have done the exact opposite, if they have any feel for human nature they must have known this would be the reaction.

There seems to be alot of talk about History will be lost & it wont work.

I also undertand the arguement that the Tigers are he only surviving Melbourne team after so many have come & gone.

Lets put some things into prospective.

*2500-3000 voices are not enough, If 8-10k people still attended games the owners may not have thought they had to go down this road
*AFL teams have made the same decision (Footscray) who have had 10x the members & people have still turned upto the games

Im not saying i agree with the decision but i can guarantee that come October or for some October 2015 they (Tiger Fans)will be back at the Basketball following United. And when you do, bring a friend or two so we can get basketball to where it should be.

If you are on this site I dosnt matter if you are in Perth, Sydney or Melbounre, one thing is the same, we are UNITED in our love/passion for the game

If Melbourne does not Unite, there will be a problem as there will be no Basketball to follow regardless of the name.

Well, BOB911 you can of course follow whomever you like, however your examples are slightly confusing.

Big Bash is not the State based national cricket league, it is a specific competition I believe. How are those Redbacks going, getting many to their shield games these days are they?

Big bash was created for a purpose, I don't see the NBL as anywhere near the same thing there brother.

Port Adelaide Power was created through moving into a bigger competition, a comparison there would be if they existed as an AFL/VFL club and completely changed their identity, not the case my fine fellow.

As for the Sixers, I guess all of the Adelaide basketballing public who now support them would have to vote with their feet on that one, ask them, personal choice...

Go the Adelaide Ants, woooohoooo!

Once again, the Blaze example is the same as any franchise in the NBA that changes it's identity, it isn't the fact that they change it, it is the fact that success comes with improvement at board level, player level, coaching level and improving the culture of the club.

Those are the factors I am refering to, so when I talk about history and tradition being lost and not easy to replace with just a change of identity, then that is my point.

Follow who you like, but understand how success is created and how hard it is to stay in the game compared to how easy it is to fall from grace...

This is a risky move by the powers to be at the former Tigers basketball club, I just hope it doesn't destroy something that is slowly but surely improving and gaining momentum for the sake of a few egos...

I agree with Paul, could of eased into this process rather than the sledgehammer approach.As ive said it will either be boom or bust.

Roy Ward:

Larry Kestelman said today that the club retains ownership of the Melbourne Tigers rights and identity for pro basketball.

NBL Chief Executive Fraser Neill said the decision to move in this direction was taken by the club more than 18 months ago.

"This has obviously been a long time in development and is based on extensive research and analysis by the club," Mr Neill said.

I dont get why the tigers went back to tradition last season by changing back to that antiquated logo.....now a back flip?
It doesnt make sense and with nothing else to add/tempt or excite fans other then a dumb soccer name and a very un-basketball logo....to execute change for the sake of change is a very dangerous business plan.

Go United then I guess!

They spoke with a number of the associations and got support from some key power brokers for this change.

Time will tell if it was right or wrong.

The associations that will benefit most from the change will be pushing the new brand very hard.

But, what if everything else stays the same?

Same players, same coaching, same board, same venue and same results...!

Do they look at their colours and logo and say, damn, we have to change to something more spectacular and attractive. Let's change to red/yellow/black and go for a cool logo that looks like, I don't know just guessing here; Something like a big jungle cat perhaps?!!

:]

I think the real point is being missed here. There are approximately 10,000 kids playing in the VJBL every Friday night. The Melbourne Tigers Junior Basketball Club is no at all liked - for many reasons by any of these kids or their parents. These kids and parents are in no way interested in supporting the name "Melbourne Tigers" in any way. Most people are not aware that the Melbourne Tigers NBL team is not associated with the Melbourne Tigers Boys or Girls junior teams - a myth that the Melbourne Tigers Junior Clubs have perpetuated in order to poach players from opposition clubs.
The owners have recognised this issue and realised that if they want to grow their attendances and memberships by targeting those 10,000 kids and their families - then they must distance their team from the most unpopular and disliked club in junior basketball

Anybody seen what the new jersey looks like? Nate Tomlinson got plenty to say on twitter. Thought they may of asked the players to lay low for a couple of days rather than stoke the fire.

Anon, if you went to Melbourne Tigers games you would see juniors from associations around Melbourne. The current management had made great inroads in this respect.

But even with that factor the Tigers have survived, when all the other "independent" Melbourne teams have fallen by the wayside.

Maybe this is a good opportunity for Victorian SEABL teams to get a few more bums on seats. Could we start seeing more people attending Spectres, Rangers, Raiders and Supercat matches?

Sad day for NBL basketball. The Melbourne Tigers have been one of the greatest teams I love to hate. This is poor and I cant see the benefit of such a drastic move.

Sorry Bear, but you need to be a little bit more innovative, the NBL has been in this hole for 5-8 years and going nowhere. This is the first of may things which will have "A League" written all over it, this is a very strategic move to be called Melbourne United. They have one word for it CHANGE!! Get use to it, as there will be plenty more to come..

@Anon #084, your point is not lost on those who know that of the thousands of kids that play VJBL, those not involved in the Melbourne Tigers junior program are not big supporters of the Tigers brand.

The perception is that the NBL Tigers are one in the same as the Association based Tigers is also something those families and kids have in common.

I would argue, however, that I have not observed the NBL Tigers promoting, educating and being proactively involved in establishing themselves as anything else!

If as you say, they want to connect with 10,000 or so juniors who are out there every Friday night, then why is it that the NBL Tigers have not done so with their proud name and history thus far?

Were they not proud enough, organised enough, did they not care enough, up to now to connect with those thousands of kids who had no idea they were a separate entity?

I understand your post and if true, I understand the thinking behind this, however it seems to be a risky way to do this as they will now have to explain that they are the old Tigers, but wearing a new skin...

They will still have to get out there and do the ground work regardless, so why not try it before now?

Just seems like they never really gave this a shot and have given up on themselves, or at least it looks that way from the outside.

Paul - Ask any of the Frankston U18 Boys program if they like the "Melbourne Tigers" I am certain they will tell you that they can't stand them - after they poached their best player at the end of phase one grading this year!
How can you expect support from juniors for the name "Melbourne Tigers" when this type of activity is consistently happening - these kids or their kids will never support the name "Melbourne Tigers"

I used to coach Frankston U18 boys, I understand the various feelings that exist about the Tigers.

The question is, are some negative feelings worth abandoning your history and alienating your fanbase? Is it worth changing the branding of the team with the second highest membership in the NBL? Will those disconnected basketball players actually support a new name? Or will they go to the pub as they do already?

The bigger question for the NBL, is what happens when the current owners lose their wealth or interest? How does a club with no genuine base then exist?

If all goes well this idea could succeed, but when has all gone well in Australia basketball?

Personally I've been waiting impatiently for a second Melbourne club to be announced so I can throw all my support (and time and cash) behind it.

I love basketball and I love to hate the Tigers. What professional club changes its whole identity because of junior club politics?! This is not Tiger behavior. The Tigers are meant to be (excuse the poor choice of words) a giant of the Aus basketball landscape. A club with an untouchable legacy. They could point to their rafters and say "See that number 10 singlet? He's a legend of the game AND A TIGER!"

I want the Tigers in the NBL because I want to watch my new team play against the Tigers as the "second Melbourne team". Second because the Tigers have earned the right to be the number 1 Melbourne team. I passionately want my new team to be the upstarts, the underdogs, little brother to the Tigers. The Tigers are supposed to intimidate the "other" Melbourne basketball fans, not invite us in for a nice cup of tea and be "united".

As a second-Melbourne-team fan, this feels like Darth Vader slapping on a wig and asking politely if we'd like to join him..."it's ok, we're not the dark side anymore, we're the united side"

I think the club would've had a better reception (Facebook, etc) if this had been presented in conjunction with players. Fans don't respond as well to owners as they do the players they support at games.

Even just how Nate Tomlinson made his case on Twitter is going to resonate far better than the original announcement and press conference from suits.

Oh, and the logo looks like toilet paper

If they own the brand and want to dissociate from the junior club every hates so much, why didn't they make the junior club change name?

Not sure if it's been mentioned but has anyone noticed that the mane United kinda sounds like a soccer team?

This is what they emailed to all us members a few hours ago....


Dear friends and fans,

Today marks a very exciting milestone for Melbourne's oldest basketball club, a team with a very proud history.

As the NBL’s longest-standing Victorian club, the Melbourne Tigers have faced and survived many different challenges to get to where we are today, something that would not have been possible without the continued support of our loyal members, fans, corporates and sponsors. For this we thank you.

However, the time has come to look to a bright new future for professional basketball in Victoria. After winning four National Basketball League championship titles in as many decades, the Melbourne Tigers will today move forward with a new name and a new vision as Melbourne United Basketball Club.

As the sole representative of professional basketball in this city, we know that Melbourne United Basketball will bring a new level of commitment and success both on and off the court. Respectfully representing the legacy of the Tigers and the twelve other Melbourne-based NBL teams who have been before us, Melbourne United aims to create a professional basketball powerhouse which is impossible for Australian sports fans to ignore.

In order to do this, we are committed to building the most professional organisation possible, and this has prompted another change to be introduced by CEO and part-owner Michael Slepoy.
Michael Slepoy:

From day one of my tenure as Melbourne Tigers CEO, my mission was to find a clear and solid direction to steer the organisation forward. In two years, we implemented key strategic goals and have made huge progress both on and off the court.

As a Melbourne Tigers family membership holder for more than twenty years, the decision to embrace our bright future as Melbourne United is not one we took lightly. We, like the thousands of other Melbourne Tigers fans are passionate about our club, its history and ultimately its survival in years to come.

Now, we have an opportunity to take this club to the next level, and, in order to follow that direction it is critical to engage the best people to carry that vision forward. As such, I am happy to announce Vince Crivelli as the first CEO of Melbourne United Basketball. Vince has a deep understanding of grass-roots basketball across Australia, and his relationships with associations and communities in the sport are second to none. Vince's experience and his dedication make him the ideal candidate for this position and he enters the role with my full support.

Thank you all for your ongoing support during my time as Chief Executive Officer. It has been an incredible time in my career and an opportunity I have cherished dearly. I look forward to seeing you all at what will be a historic Game 1 for Melbourne United and am certain the years ahead will be filled with success.

Since becoming involved in basketball I have gained a deeper understanding about the disconnect that exists between grass roots and the peak league in this country, the NBL. Whilst basketball remains one of the most popular sports at junior level, I was most unpleasantly surprised with the lack of pathways for new talent within Australia. For basketball, and importantly our club to thrive in years to come, the relationship between communities, up-and-coming players and the league itself must be greatly strengthened.

I am certainly still a board member and will endeavor to ensure a prosperous future for the club. Given the enormous opportunities that await, I personally feel I cannot maintain the full time commitment as is required by the CEO and I am confident that Vince is the right person to lead us into our new and exciting future. I am thrilled to continue pursuing other roles within the organisation, and will remain a 50% owner of the club as well. Together with Larry Kestelman, we have committed to the financial and professional support of the club for years to come.

So please join me in welcoming Vince as the new CEO of Melbourne United Basketball Club.

Warm Regards, Michael Slepoy

As owners, we are committed to creating and growing grassroots connections and working together with Basketball Victoria and its associations to achieve excellence in basketball. We will rely on the ongoing support of you, our members and we want to work with you to make Melbourne United Basketball as successful as it can possibly be.

We are excited about the new bold, bright and exciting era this club is headed into, and we are dedicated to being the number one sporting entertainment experience in Melbourne.

We are here to deliver a team that you can stand behind proudly, because you know it will stand behind you.

A team that unites ALL of Melbourne.

Melbourne United Basketball Club.

Yours Sincerely,

Larry Kestelman
Michael Slepoy, Co-owners.

Melbourne United Basketball Club

So soccer dominated countries have basketball teams with soccer sounding names.

Stop the presses!

This is the smartest thing ever, all the publicity is awesome for the team. Ive never seen so many people care about basketball in Australia so much. And so much to those true tiger fans complaining who have never been to a game. Its time for a new change and I'm sure people will embrace it!

Are you allowed to bring flares to the games?

This name change and logo are even worse than Nate Tomlinson's jump shot.

I think it is great that the NBL are embracing soccer. Why not ride the coat tails of the number 1 sport in the world. Melbourne United speaks to soccer fans throughout Australia and the world with the most identifiable soccer (football) name. I am a huge fan of the Man United and the local Fremantle United Soccer Clubs so it is great to have a basketball team with the United soccer name.

I love this bit of the release ...

"We, like the thousands of other Melbourne Tigers fans are passionate about our club, its history and ultimately its survival in years to come"

....so we have decided to kill the club.

This only makes sense if Melb are actually going to get a new, competitive side.

Jervis in and Goulding out, Wortho another year older ....yes I am fearful that Perth Hibernians and Adelaide Rovers will struggle to hold United next year.

@BOB911, no worries, I accept your apology.

You are implying that innovation and change is more important than tradition and history, I am saying they should have introduced change through innovation and kept their tradition to enhance their history!

We will see how it goes down the track a bit I guess, cheers...

I think everyone needs to calm down and have faith in the upper management. These guys know what they are doing. Don't forget that they brought us that awesome new tigers logo 2 years back based on their thorough market research. These guys are marketing heads and know what is a winner.

^^thats funny...clip art fan !!

WE (supporters of other NBL teams) were always led to believe that the Tigers were the only BB team in Australia that actually had a playing career path for their juniors.
If they were good enough they just moved up the ladder till they signed an NBL contract. Tigers all the way.
That hasn't been happening for some time has it?
The NBL team is very removed from the grass roots of juniors, even the State League in Victoria. Correct?

Okay, so let's do a little process on this press release and see if we can't sort through it...

Today marks a very exciting milestone for Melbourne's oldest basketball club, a team with a very proud history.

- If so proud of the club's history, why do this? -

As the NBL's longest-standing Victorian club, the Melbourne Tigers have faced and survived many different challenges to get to where we are today, something that would not have been possible without the continued support of our loyal members, fans, corporates and sponsors. For this we thank you.

- Sounds like everyone did it tough, but wait for it -

However, the time has come to look to a bright new future for professional basketball in Victoria. After winning four National Basketball League championship titles in as many decades, the Melbourne Tigers will today move forward with a new name and a new vision as Melbourne United Basketball Club.

- So the future is bright, but we acknowledge previous success as the Tigers! Hmmm, me thinks there is maybe another motivating factor at play? -

As the sole representative of professional basketball in this city, we know that Melbourne United Basketball will bring a new level of commitment and success both on and off the court.

- Wow, now we are saying the commitment on and off the court has not been good enough are we? -

Respectfully representing the legacy of the Tigers and the twelve other Melbourne-based NBL teams who have been before us, Melbourne United aims to create a professional basketball powerhouse which is impossible for Australian sports fans to ignore.

- Okay, here we go on the nostalgia road, if there is respect being shown in this process I would argue former Tiger legends of the game don't necessarily agree... -

In order to do this, we are committed to building the most professional organisation possible, and this has prompted another change to be introduced by CEO and part-owner Michael Slepoy.

- Thanks former CEO, you appear to acknowledge it has been too tough to continue and someone else can take the reigns -

From day one of my tenure as Melbourne Tigers CEO, my mission was to find a clear and solid direction to steer the organisation forward. In two years, we implemented key strategic goals and have made huge progress both on and off the court.

- I don't get it, now we appear to be saying what a great job the old regime has done in the past two years! So, what's the problem now? -

As a Melbourne Tigers family membership holder for more than twenty years, the decision to embrace our bright future as Melbourne United is not one we took lightly. We, like the thousands of other Melbourne Tigers fans are passionate about our club, its history and ultimately its survival in years to come.

- This just makes me cry for them, sorry, how is it that survival is being questioned here? -

Now, we have an opportunity to take this club to the next level, and, in order to follow that direction it is critical to engage the best people to carry that vision forward.

- Okay, here is his chance to bail and take the club to the next level, I thought the NBL was the next level, so maybe the point is something I am missing? -

As such, I am happy to announce Vince Crivelli as the first CEO of Melbourne United Basketball. Vince has a deep understanding of grass-roots basketball across Australia, and his relationships with associations and communities in the sport are second to none.

- Okay, now we are talking, let's get down to grass roots and engage the Associations, great idea, I like this. But wait, why not do this before, under the Tigers banner? Maybe there is an explanation... -

Vince's experience and his dedication make him the ideal candidate for this position and he enters the role with my full support.

- Nice -

Thank you all for your ongoing support during my time as Chief Executive Officer. It has been an incredible time in my career and an opportunity I have cherished dearly. I look forward to seeing you all at what will be a historic Game 1 for Melbourne United and am certain the years ahead will be filled with success.

- Again, that word, history! -

Since becoming involved in basketball I have gained a deeper understanding about the disconnect that exists between grass roots and the peak league in this country, the NBL. Whilst basketball remains one of the most popular sports at junior level, I was most unpleasantly surprised with the lack of pathways for new talent within Australia.

- Yes, we are all concerned in relation to pathways for basketball and appreciate the research which has been done to identify the disconnect between grass roots level, but how is a new brand going to change any of this? -

For basketball, and importantly our club to thrive in years to come, the relationship between communities, up-and-coming players and the league itself must be greatly strengthened.

- Agree, this is crucial (should have been all along) -

I am certainly still a board member and will endeavor to ensure a prosperous future for the club. Given the enormous opportunities that await, I personally feel I cannot maintain the full time commitment as is required by the CEO and I am confident that Vince is the right person to lead us into our new and exciting future.

- Thanks for the sentiment and we appreciate everyone is very busy, however don't you have a vested interest in this organisation? -

I am thrilled to continue pursuing other roles within the organisation, and will remain a 50% owner of the club as well. Together with Larry Kestelman, we have committed to the financial and professional support of the club for years to come.

- Ah, yes, of course. Great to have you on the board, as you have done a great job and are very dedicated, we can see this. -

So please join me in welcoming Vince as the new CEO of Melbourne United Basketball Club.

Warm Regards, Michael Slepoy

As owners, we are committed to creating and growing grassroots connections and working together with Basketball Victoria and its associations to achieve excellence in basketball. We will rely on the ongoing support of you, our members and we want to work with you to make Melbourne United Basketball as successful as it can possibly be.

- Once again, we are talking about grass roots and connections with the masses, this is a wonderful idea, why is it only now that this organisation acknowledges the importance of such strategies? -

We are excited about the new bold, bright and exciting era this club is headed into, and we are dedicated to being the number one sporting entertainment experience in Melbourne.

- Okay, this is warm and fuzzy, but still no answers and nothing I can really find to provide evidence with which we can judge why the Tigers brand is gone for a new one. -

We are here to deliver a team that you can stand behind proudly, because you know it will stand behind you.

- Wow, okay well that is it, sorry I couldn't really deliver a real answer on this one, maybe my good mate HO can help me out... -

You may draw your own conclusions as to why they would drop such an iconic brand and turn their backs on so many great years of club history and success, I for one can't see why it is such a great idea at this point in time. Time, however, as they say will tell!

I can't really see myself supporting it.

It's about time we start to bring some professionalism to this game, instead of part time people, always doing it the old way. The NBL is a business and there is no room for centimeter, it has to make money. Can't wait for the next new team to be announced and then some good old rivalries started. Bring it on about time, and Bear your long winded speech surmounted to what exactly !! Oh that's rights nothing. Stop being part of the problem and become some of the solution old timer.

Um, think you just proved my point BOB911, thanks!

It's like this - you grow up hating Collingwood. At no stage will you ever support them. You will not "magically" change your feelings towards a club where you despise both the club and it's supporters. Why would you ever want to support them - why would you want to watch them or buy a membership?
This is how juniors and their families and friends feel towards the Melbourne Tigers Junior Basketball Club. They wear the same colours and pretend that they have a glide path to the NBL. They don't have their own domestic competition to draw players from so where do they get their players? - They poach from other associations and appeal to these parents with the lure of NBL.
By distancing themselves from the Junior Melbourne Tigers, the owners will allow all these basketball participants to have a true Melbourne team to support.
It will not be the end for Melbourne United I know that many will embrace this initiative. The Karma train however has arrived at the Melbourne Tigers Junior Basketball Club and the undue influence that they have had over Victorian Junior Basketball for years will come to an end - how will they attract players? Everybody will know that they have absolutely no connection to the NBL! It may be the end of the Melbourne Tigers Junior Club.

It's about time we start to bring some professionalism to this game, instead of part time people, always doing it the old way. The NBL is a business and there is no room for centimeter, it has to make money. Can't wait for the next new team to be announced and then some good old rivalries started. Bring it on about time, and Bear your long winded speech surmounted to what exactly !! Oh that's rights nothing. Stop being part of the problem and become some of the solution old timer.

Alan Westovers comments on Facebook:
The Melbourne Tigers becoming the Melbourne United, just isn't right. If you don't want to be a TIGER-as an owner, worker, coach, player, fan or sponsor, then go some place else. The TIGERS aren't for everyone, and everyone isn't for the Tigers. But there enough of us around that are proud to be. Love them, or leave them!!

Glad to see Alan Westover have a say.

Here, here Westover

I think that the owners canvassed their own kids on the change of name and they also drew up the new logo ;)

In all seriousness I have been trying to come to terms with what the ownership group have gone and done.

This is a massive risk. Massive.

For the sake of the NBL and hoops fans in Melbourne, I do honestly hope it works and is in hindsight proven to be a masterstroke. However if the 2nd team in Melbourne eventuates as is apparently planned, then I believe it will turn out to be a big failure. Most will gravitate towards the new entity IMHO.

And the 2nd team is called??? Melbourne Tigers

This is not the way you go about rebrand.

Did the club consult a single basketball fan?

It's more likely this was a top-down decision based on some ill thought out marketing philosophy made behind the closed doors of a board room. The Brisbane Lions did something similar, although not nearly as dramatic, just a few short years ago and are still suffering because of it.

I'd find the whole thing unbelievable, but this is the NBL, where stupidity happens.

I think I just found something less popular than Tony Abbott!

Great move. This sort of thinking is much better for basketball than the "same as usual" approach we so often see. Yet again, the very limited brainpower of the basketball community will harshly judge this move. The sport is suffering as basketball simply doesn't attract many people with clues. It is a dumb persons game.

When I first heard that this was happening I was pretty gutted and was totally against it but now I'm starting to warn to the idea, let's be honest something in the NBL had to change. This is the first time in along time that there has been this much media attention and hype about basketball/nbl in Victoria

Where do I buy blue flairs to set off at the game?

I think if Andrew Gaze has the fire, he will bring in a 2nd NBL team in Melbourne and call it the Melbourne tigers. All is ex player mates, Copeland, Bradtke etc would be apart of it, I am sure Andrew Gaze would get lots of corporate support. Watch this space. Melbourne Tigers will be in the NBL 2015-16

Is this a sneaky way of getting the 2nd Melbourne team off the ground?

This will test how passionate a fanbase the Tigers have and if they really can get good support from a fan base to sustain a team, and if they can, i wouldnt be shocked to see someone like Gaze head up a bid to bring them back.

By this time you have the for the Tigers set up, being United who took away the Tigers and the alternative to those who hate the tigers.

A clever way to kick off a rivalry and bring in 2 Melbourne teams maybe??

If the Tigers legends and thousands of fans really are angry about this they should put there money where there mouths are and put in a bid and bring back the Tigers, then also go to all the games, promote them heavily and support them.

To me this is like the ultimate test of how good a fanbase the Tigers have.

Not that i agree with what has happened and i dont really like the United name, but this could kick off something big in Melbourne if someone can bring the Tigers back.

Whats Seamus upto???? he seemed to have plenty of $$ for basketball, wasnt he forced out by the Dodo guys also???

I have no knowledge of anything, just potentially a really interesting story unfolding here, as i wouldnt be surprised if a Tigers team does exist, Gaze sort of hinted at it didnt he?

Nice comment anonymous. Probably the comeback I would expect. Surprised you found the Caps Lock key. There is the odd brainiac in basketball and luckily I am one if the chosen ones. How can one man have so much talent?

"I think if Andrew Gaze has the fire, he will bring in a 2nd NBL team in Melbourne and call it the Melbourne tigers."
"If the Tigers legends and thousands of fans really are angry about this they should put there money where there mouths are and put in a bid and bring back the Tigers"

United's owners still own the Tigers IP. There can be no Melbourne Tigers NBL team without them agreeing to it.

They could have changed the name to Melbourne City Tigers to try and broaden the appeal.

United says soccer. http://www.melbourneunited.org/

Melbourne Tigers iconic name. Will be much harder to get corporate dollars to a team with an unknown and wishwashy team name.

Also lets not forget the NBL fans outside of Melbourne who tune into watch the games. Tuning into games Hawks v United, may as well just turn it off.

what the hell is a United anyway?

The irony is that it has united people, united nearly everyone into opposition of such a sill change.

Bestflights anyone.

This also serves to show why the Brisbane Spartans bid is failed in Brisbane, as the Spartans are hated in South East Queensland as much as or more than the Tigers. There will be thousands of basketball people who would never support the team with a Spartans name or associated individuals.

Looks like the only thing Melbourne United have done is generated dislike, in unison.

Honestly, I hope the Uniteders are succesful, generate lots of buzz in the League and make the playoffs.

If Dennis is as good as they say, it just might happen.

And lets face it, its better for the League if the Uniteders succeed, packed out Hisense, more people at their away games. Maybe pack out a 6'er home game if a new Rivalry is formed.

Like someone said earlier, first and foremost I support basketball, local basketball, then the team second.

All the best Uniteders.

Also the new website has broken links all over it.
http://www.melbourneutd.com.au/

The blue is a nothing blue, it isn't an iconic blue.

The logo, especially the UTD. part is really ordinary. Nobody seeing the logo is really going to know what sport it is, or even the team's name.
It should at least say United at the base of it.

May as well change it to UDL and get some sponsorship. The Melbourne UDL's where the fun begins.

Back in 2009 the Melbourne Victory had a crack at the NBL and straight away the Tiger's jumped back on board, looking at the European leagues this Football/Basketball concept is very successful with most major Euro league teams aligned to a major football team.
I would like to see a second team in Melbourne and I think Victory already have a loyal and established following that could crossover with a basketball team.

Really the way to move forward for basketball is not to reinvent the wheel, but take some good things from other competitions around the globe and take what works and implement it here.

I think this would work and be a healthy non basketball aligned option to the new Melbourne United team.

FWIW, I'd just like to say that I'm amazed at the number of apparent Tigers supporters that have come out of the woodwork. Would love to know where all these people with such strong feelings about the club have been all these years.

Not saying the move is right or wrong or anything in between however, maybe if there were more people who were this vocal and showed this level of support for the Tigers a re-branding wouldn't be necessary to try and grow the clubs supporter base.

Would also like to say that as a Victorian, who is a basketball fan, an NBL fan, although not a Tigers supporter, the discussions I've had with people in the same boat (and there are many) have been mostly positive. Don't think anybody is a fan of the name however, most non Tigers supports I've spoken with see the logic in the decision and the need to have a viable non Tigers entity that people can support.

In Victoria it doesn't seem to matter how old you are, if you've played jr basketball against the Tigers or your kids play against the Tigers there really is a deep resentment towards the NBL club regardless of whether they are aligned or not.

It's not a rational resentment, but that's one of the things about sport. It's about emotion. And emotions are not always rational.

If the concerns are that they will not be able to build a supporter base I don't think you need to look any further than the Melbourne Victory to see what can be don't with time and commitment from the club. They've been very successful in building a large supporter base from the fragmented NSL supporters.

Surely Melb Unt would be starting in a better position than that, so if they promote the game properly and make a solid effort to do what they claim they want to do, they certainly have a big enough market of potential supporters to draw from to be successful.

Ok, i've had a few days to digest it now....maybe they are right,maybe it is that 'old boys club' mentality that holds back the league....maybe it is me/us that are thinking wrong.....one step backwards to take two steps forwards??

Anon, it would be unreasonable to ask the Melbourne Tigers jr club to change their name. The original Tigers NBL club grew out of the jrs. The Jr's have been around for over 60 years and have volunteers have have given more of their life and more of their money to that club than most NBL supporters ever have, while receiving very little in return.

Similarly, asking a 60 year old jr club which has helped produce some of Victoria's greatest players to just fold would also be completely unreasonable. This would be akin not just to re-branding the Melbourne Tigers NBL club, but actually shutting it down all together and paying no recognition to it at all.

People don't like change.

As a result the reasons for any change must be clearly articulated and communicated to stakeholders. In this case, I am not too sure if the Club has made it clear why the change is necessary and if the changes are positive.

In this case there are multiple changes: Team Name, Team Colours, Team Mascot, Team Logo.

As an aside, take the Footscray AFL Club. They rebranded their name from Footscray to Western Bulldogs to try to increase their appeal, but kept their colours and mascot, while making some slight changes to their logo to soften it. The jersey changed a little bit too, but the changes were made progressively.

North Melbourne too rebranded as the Kangaroos for a time is lieu of preparation for an interstate move to try to garnish more supporters and become more financial. That didn't happen, but the supporters understood the call and North Melbourne stayed in Mebourne, rather than be the Kanberra Kangaroos.

From what has been discussed, the Tigers name is owned by someone else and they have been paying royalty for the use of the name. The Tigers name seems to divide the Vic basketball community so it seems they were forced to drop the Tigers name. (could they not buy it?) Perhaps they could have made the name change, kept the team colours but introduced the state navy blue and called themselves the Melbourne Pumas? (Blue for pumas) or Melbourne Lions? (I know that is a bit of a Fitzroy ripoff with the colours navy blue,red and yellow and also the Sixers colours)

The bottom line for me is that they seemed not to have undertaken any market research at all. If they had, i would love to see what they did and who they spoke to.

"From what has been discussed, the Tigers name is owned by someone else and they have been paying royalty for the use of the name."
Random people on the internet have said that. The actual United owners have confirmed that they do own the Tigers name. I'd believe the latter over the former.

The Bulleen Boomers in the WNBL changed to the Melbourne Boomers in the previous season.
My understanding was that they did this so that they could connect with the Melbourne basketball public and not just the Bulleen juniors and supporters.
How has this gone - was it a success last season?

Here's my take on it for anyone interested - http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/05/21/melbourne-united-step-backwards-nbl/

In a way I think the Wildcats victory in both the financial sense and on the court sense, started this. It probably wasnt the whole cause, just one of many. They might of seen a team that sells itself well, represents an entire capital city and thought 'We need to be able to generate a profit too, appeal to a wider basketball fan. To do that we need to get rid of the Tiger Component from our names'

Now Im not sure it was the right thing to do, but from the press release I got some dire facts like the guys started the rebuild with 400 members.. thats .. wow. I had expected 1-2 thousand but 400 was so low I never considered it. They seriously need to get their membership up to 3000-4000 members.

Whilst I think its a big loss to the league to lose the Tigers name, I just hope this is the start of something better for the Melbourne club.

On another note, does the old mascot get retired? Keeping the Tiger might be a nice ode to days gone by.

@Michael D, I found your article quite interesting, especially in the Sydney Spirit comparison.

I do hope that it does not end up this way, I want basketball to succeed in Victoria and the NBL, however I just have a gut feeling that they have blundered here.

What do we, the basketball adoring public do about this?

Do we wait and see if a second team eventuates, support one and the other and start some form of rivalry fresh from the blood spilled after the Tiger crucifixion?

That is a hard call for the public to swallow, because sport is not seen as a business to us...

I get that the NBL teams want to make money and they need to to survive and thrive, but the sports fan is not so concerned with the business side of basketball.

Yes, if it turns to mire financially, we are the first to dip into our pockets in trying to save a club as has happened many times in the past.

However, as a sport fan close to Melbourne I want the passion, the rivalry, the excitement, the history and the game; Not the business and the politics!

I just wish there was another option here, for me I would have loved a second team like South Dragons to some in again and that rivalry would have generated huge excitement, sure of it...

Now, not so sure of anything really!



Too many lies, too much politics. Not enough passion and no loyalty.

Matthew, the Tigers membership is already over 4000.

or should I say was this past season, given they don't exist anymore.

Little birdy told me that they wanted the name boomers to be in line with the WNBL team and ride the popularity of the Australian National team.

The Bulleen board wouldn't come to the party and so they changed it to United......

As much as I don't like United, makes sense to change the name as Tigers supporters are but a small fraction of the overall basketball fanbase. They are the Collingwood of bball and more people hate them than like them. This was killing their ability to attract fans to games as so many basketball fans don't want to support a team they grew up hating and would rather go and watch their footy/Soccer teams play.


Had to open the fan base, even though I don't like the name. Had to be done.....

That logic doesn't really hold up given the improved crowds they were starting to attract, especially with the stadium full of kids.

Where all of the extra tickets paid for in full or freebies/heavily discounted??

Crowd size can be a bit of a false indication at times imo.

It also assumes non-Tigers fans will start coming along just because the name changed.

If the Tigers were so well supported as some are saying this move wouldnt have been done imo.

There has been many vocal people including ex players, but how many of them buy season tickets, invite friends along,etc.

Its all well and good to criticize, etc say its a sports team so its about passion and not money when your not the person who puts there hand in the pocket and pays for the bills, loses money on the club each year, etc.

If the Tigers could get Wildcats like crowds, passion, etc this move wouldnt have happened or been required.

As i said im not a massive fan of it either, but i think the supporters need to take some responsibility too, as im sure many of those who are heavily criticising the move are not buying tickets for every game, merch, etc to support the club and make it viable (there would have been those who did, but none of them would have lost the money the owners did so still unfair to totally bash them).

I still reckon if there is a passionate enough fan base, and the ex players are as passionate as they say, they should all put there money where there mouth is, get a license, buy the Tigers IP, (it couldnt be that expensive could it?) and bring back the tigers.

My point being, if you are a club legend or fan who loves the club, any club in the NBL, get along to as many games as possible, buy a season ticket, buy some merch, sponsor the club if in a position to do so, to help the club stay viable so it wont have to try these types of things.

If we sit on our hands and not support the club, then the clubs will struggle to exist/survive and will have to try these types of things, whether we think its a good thing or not.

We as fans have that responsibility to support the club, we cant do nothing, then just complain when the club becomes extinct or makes a change we dont like.

Jonno's 2 posts above sums it up correctly. Support your club so this type of stuff doesn't happen. I know its not a good thing for all the reasons stated in other posts, but if it means having a team thats viable and can grow its supporter base over the long run, then accept it.

Sometimes bold controversial moves are needed to get the shakeup required. Let's just hope it doesn't blow up on them. This is massive for the NBL and success or failure is a very fine line here.

FWIW what i personally hope happens is the Tigers make a 'comeback' under new ownership in the near future, so all the Tigers fans can have their club, and the 2nd club exists for all those who dont like the Tigers to support.

But again the onus is on the fans to support the clubs properly, obviously where they can afford to.

I personally hope many fans do support United, so it survives, and then the Tigers/2nd melbourne team can come back and we have 2 good teams in Melbourne as it would be great for the NBL.

The worse thing is if United dies and then there is no team in Melbourne in the NBL, that could be fatal for the whole league,

So Melbourne basketball fans please support this club/the 2nd melbourne club if/when it happens, as even if they have a soccer name its better than having no Melbourne club/potentially no league at all.

calling themselves the boomers in the NBL would have been much worse for their popularity than United.

Has their been any public showing of support from anyone in Vic Bball for the move to United, that isnt involved with tigers? Former Magic, Giants etc players? Current Vic Club officials?

I think this whole change may have been accepted much better if it had been announced by a panel of formers players like maybe Gaze, Copes, Slamin Sam, john Dorge or whoever. To show a United front to the people. Whether that support from anyone is there, i dunno...hope so.

The decision has been made on this...it needs to be accepted and supported. Too much at risk.

A change back would look the league look like more of a semi pro 2nd rate comp than it already is seen as by some. And another club collapse, before any expansion has occurred would be brutal.

I am a Sixer fan though, I have no real emotional connection to any Vic NBL Club other than passion for seein us destroy them on the court. So to say to jus accept it and support it is easy, but to see the NBL possibly disappear cos a couple of rich mates bought the Tigers and made a dumbass decision would suck.

Heritage round this season will be interesting for Melb. Could wear a different Uniform from each of the clubs that put their backing behind Melb Utd at home games.

Away games could wear Uniforms old old Vic NBL clubs that the home team may have had a rivalry with, or classic game back in the day...but instead of having old clubs name on the uniform, have United. Match it up with a way back wednesday video that sixers do weekly.

"FWIW what i personally hope happens is the Tigers make a 'comeback' under new ownership in the near future, so all the Tigers fans can have their club, and the 2nd club exists for all those who dont like the Tigers to support."
Would've worked a lot better if the new team came in to take the 'second club' spot, while the Tigers stayed the Tigers. The league would've been better off, basketball in Victoria would have been better off, and the Tigers may have been better off. That rivalry is a draw in and of itself.

Their plan seems to be to take those fans before the new team comes in, thus killing the rivalry. If it works, it'll hurt the league but be fantastic for them. If it doesn't--and that seems to be the way it's going--it's going to be a complete disaster not just for the Tigers, but for the league.

I agree Koberulz, but yea since the name change has already happened, the next best thing imo is a Tigers 'comeback'.

Will be a big test to see how much support the Tigers really do have imo.

The current owners obviously decided they didnt have enough and this is an attempt to get more and make it viable. Whether they did it well and if it actually works could be a different story and one we are yet to see.

Interesting times ahead imo.

Always been a fan of conspiracy theories, this one is out there but who knows, weird things happen in Australian Basketball all the time....

Maybe the owners want to have their fingers in both basketball pies in Victoria?

They have tried to make the Tigers profitable but for whatever reason its not giving them the ROI they wanted so they have decided to kill off the brand and go with a new direction. They now move into next season aiming for a whole new audience to follow their united brand. They do their utmost to put a superb team on the floor and really make people take notice with a highly competitive and exciting team that will demand public attention simply by the quality of the players.

All the while in the background they find a way to get Andrew Gaze or other high profile ex Tiger to on board and start a campaign to bring back the Tigers the following year. The Gaze led Tigers would build a groundswell of support of people wanting to be involved with their reborn club and all the Tigers faithful sign back up in droves to support Gaze and the Club in sticking it to the upstart United team and their callous owners who tried to kill them off.

United then get the flow on from the other non Tigers supporters who hadn't jumped on board because of the perceived Tigers link and history and they join up to United to support the team who isn't the Tigers.

So maybe the owners see this as a way of galvanising support for the Tigers long term while also allowing them to own the 2nd team in Melbourne as well?

love it statman and must admit i was thinking the same sort of thing.

I've heard previously the owners do want to own both Melbourne teams, FWIW, and from someone I think would know.

Not sure if anyone had heard the interview with Lindsay Gaze, on SEN he basically said, been therefore will do it again.

This will not be last of the Tigers, theses a few more chapters to go in the book.

The Melbourne Tigers are an Australian sporting icon. People of most ages know what sport you are talking about and still have memories of Andrew Gaze. Poor decision.

I'm kinda sick of the blame the fans attitude. The amount of time love and money I've put into the Tigers over the years isn't insignificant, and there's a lot of other people in that boat too. Certainly a lot more than the "400" number that's being bandied about. The last two years has seen a marked increase in the number of people getting to games, and the quality of the games themselves is something you can really get people along to.

The fact is that at the end of the day, the current owners weren't making as much money as they'd like to - NOT that the club or the fans had actually failed.

From where the Tigers were, they stood to benefit massively from the introduction of a second team, the renewal of a rivalry, and the continued successful building of a fan base from community interaction and involvement. Now, that's all lost.

For the NBL to allow it to happen too is worrying - it sets a dangerous precedent for owners to screw with long standing, iconic clubs, and really messes with the 2 melbourne clubs model. What's the point of having two separate clubs that are effectively trying to pick up the south eastern suburbs market from 10+ years ago?

And to respond to the people saying it's better for basketball in australia and we need to look at the big picture - for starters, I completely disagree that it actually *is* better, it's a massive long shot at best, and secondly, why on earth would anyone expect loyalty from fans who have been burned by their clubs and their league, and who can now have 0% trust in the next team they invest their time and passion in to actually return just a modicum of respect to its fans?

In some respects you can understand the reason for the change. There is such hatred and discontent of the Melbourne Tigers simply because of their junior program. They rape and pillage every other association in the state with promise after promise just as Bulleen in the WNBL did for years. The Tigers have no domestic program to draw from, which actually makes me wonder why they are in the VJBL in the first place, but that's another story.

So kids play against them on a Friday night playing against teams stacked from other associations and then they expect us to cheer for them on the weekend? Not going to happen.

I was told by a former general manager of the Tigers that the NBL team owned the name and that the juniors used it under license. I was also told two years ago that the NBL team had told the juniors they had to change their name and it was a done deal that the juniors were to the become the Albert Park somethings (can't remember the name). That never happened for some reason.

Bulleen made an effort to change to get rid of the stigma of being associated with the juniors but it was a pretty poor effort and isn't fooling anyone at this stage.

I think the Tigers should have kept the name, got rid of the juniors that aren't associated with them anyway and over time it would have worked out, although it would have been a slow process.

I can see both sides of the argument.. but to put things in perspective.. what we are REALLY get in a fit about is a team name and uniform colours.

Break it all down, it is really as simple as that.

I understand that sports loyalties don't always make logical sense.. there is a certain nostalgic appeal to the name "Melbourne Tiger's" but as has been said, we can't live in the 1990's forever.

A new team name, colours.. and even an "united" loyalty between teams doesn't erase the past. Andrew Gaze, Lanard Copeland, Mark Bradtke.. all these guys came in the Australian Sporting landscape and became household names regardless of whether the team name in 2014 is the 'Tigers', 'United', 'boomers', or 'the Flint Tropics'

There is an element of the "old boy's club" here.

Everyone wants to sit there and reminisce about the past.. The ex players want to relive the glory days in their own mind.. maybe see a new breed of tigers reach the heights they did, they probably want to see that for generations to come. But in many ways that is a selfish wish. We can't keep trying to keep sinking ships afloat to appease people who really aren't giving enough to the cause except for receiving free lifetime season memberships and heroes welcomes.

The Melbourne Tigers were here for 30 years, they won their share of titles.. they even had a 'second dynasty' if you will in the 00's when it all was Dragons/Tigers and Kings/Tigers.. They have well and truly had their run and no one is going to forget the Melbourne Tigers any time soon..

However, obviously Melbourne basketball has been crying out for a change for a long time. Whilst the Tigers crowds had been improving I think they feel threatened by an incoming Melbourne team.. they are doing what they can to offset the damages. Tigers have always been a 'niche' team in Melbourne anyways, Iconic.. but niche.. They are making this decision from a business stand point..

Logically, some fans will be lost. But I find those fans to be a bit fickle to be honest, if the 36ers change their name tomorrow.. I will be pissed off and annoyed, I might even rant on facebook about not following them or something.. But a few weeks into the season, you put a good team on the court.. and I will find my way back there. I suggest Tigers fans do the same.

What I think Tigers fans need to do (In time) is accept past is past, this decisions been made for a logical reason, you want Basketball in Melbourne? Do you care about name and colours more then Basketball knowing that this essentially IS the Melbourne Tigers? .... Grow up and support them.

Having said that, people are childish and United has a fight ahead

@GWB,

I am not a Tiger fan, but you have admitted that you would be pissed off at the 6'ers if they changed their name and colours until they put a decent team on the court and I would suggets you are implying then that you would go back to watch an Adelaide team play in the NBL.

Isn't that the major issue though, to put a winning team on the court?

If the Tigers won this year's title and got it right off the court, then a new Melbourne team came in like the Dragons (for want of a better name), then a rivalry begins and both teams had some success, would we even be debating this move?

I just wonder if it is a premature decision, we will see...

It's not childish - it's supporting a team for over 20 years and having it taken away from you in one fell swoop. The team wasn't broke, and a second team was already on its way into Melbourne. They've simply beat that team to the punch and cornered the market it would potentially be aiming for, leaving Tigers fans out in the cold.

You say it's the same club, just the banner, colours and name have changed... well what more would you need to change to make it a different club? Maybe every capital city team should become "United" now, and embrace all the local clubs in the area and change colours... after all, it's for the best, isn't it?

Clubs aren't defined by their players - players come and go - what they are defined by is their history under a name, a banner - something continuous that over time forms a culture of its own. That is lost to Tigers fans now - trying to hang tigers and magic championship banners side by side is an insult to both of those clubs, it doesn't compliment either, and it just warps the history and culture of both, turning great rivalries into really bloody odd hand holding.

I'm hopeful the Tigers will return in some way shape or form, hopefully sooner rather than later so I can get back in the fray, but to expect us to turn around and support United is like expecting us to magically become 36ers fans overnight for no apparent reason. If you've stuck with a club for 20+ years, there's reasons you haven't changed who you support during that time.

#475527

What gives any club the right to just make the call that it will "inherit" the history of other clubs where there has not been a formal merger?

Melbourne United have not merged with Magic and Giants and Spectres and Saints yet they are going to represent their history?

"For the NBL to allow it to happen too is worrying"
The NBL had no choice.