Can two dads and 20 million quid make Birkenhead the British basketball capital again?

Dear readers – Basketball! What does it mean to you? Very little, probably: something Americans do when they happen to grow sociopathically tall. 

And yet, this is the fastest growing sport in the country – and one rooted in local history. As late as the 1930s, the best team in the country was from the Wirral. And in recent decades, the sport has enjoyed a small renaissance at the schoolboy-and-girl level — largely the work of one man, the indefatigable school teacher Tony Whitehead. 

But the facilities are, to put it politely, inadequate. Wirral teams often have to play their “home” games in North Wales, Warrington or even Manchester. And the Wirral’s prestige as the erstwhile centre of British basketball is long forgotten.

Two men, however, have a dream — one that could solve all that. 

All that still to come; but first, your regularly scheduled Post briefing.

Hello there! It's Abi here. At The Post, we’re covering the stories that matter to you and the ones you didn’t know you wanted to read. Today’s story is about a subject seldom discussed on Merseyside or even the country in general: basketball, and how it can change lives, enrich families and even help regenerate communities. We’d love to know what you think, so if you appreciate this kind of journalism, why not become a fully-fledged Post member today? Just click the button below and for just £7 a month you’ll be able to access every article, comment underneath, suggest topics for us to cover in future and be the first in-the-know about all our upcoming live events.

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A consultation has opened about plans to move maternity services from Liverpool Women's Hospital to the Royal. Since the proposal was first made in 2016, doctors and clinicians have repeatedly raised concerns about the capacity for the Royal to cope with additional patients. However, doctors have highlighted pre-existing problems with a lack of emergency resources at the Women’s, which means women have been rushed in an ambulance to the Royal Liverpool, resulting in cases where some have almost died. Lesley Mahmood, the co-founder of the Save Liverpool Women's Hospital campaign, described a potential move as the “thin end of the wedge”, with the Royal lacking in wraparound services for newborns, breastfeeding and mental health. In response to criticism, Dr Fiona Lemmens — executive clinical director for Cheshire and Merseyside — described the relocation as “making care safer for a small group of really high-complex women…that we currently can't provide at the [Women’s]." The consultation is running until mid-July — read about it here.

Liverpool Football Club have reached a verbal agreement with Andoni Iraola to replace Arne Slot. The Atlantic report that Iraola is to sign a two-year deal with the Merseyside club. The Spaniard left Bournemouth at the end of the season, having led them to within three points of Liverpool and Champions League qualification. Specialising in a dynamic, high-pressing style, Iraola is seen by some as a natural successor to Jurgen Klopp, but at only 43 would be one of Liverpool’s youngest and least experienced appointees. In other football news, Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish has confirmed he is undergoing treatment for cancer, drawing “best wishes and love” from the club. Meanwhile, fellow former Liverpool forward and two-time European Cup winner Kevin Keegan has revealed he has stage four cancer, meaning it has spread to other parts of his body. 

And an eighth arrest has been made in relation to the murder of Ellix Cox. 19-year-old Cox was shot and killed on the Liver Industrial Estate in Aintree in June 2024. Since then, Merseyside Police have been appealing for information about the murder and have made a number of arrests – all of whom have been released on conditional bail. Now, another 24-year-old man from Walton has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. Police have stated that they are continuing to appeal for information, with a £40,000 reward in place.

Can two dads and 20 million quid make Birkenhead the British basketball capital again?

“I want Birkenhead to be the centre of basketball in Britain again,” Michael Holt tells me. We’re chatting on the phone and at this point, Michael pauses – perhaps taking a moment to admire the grandeur of his plan. Like Lord’s is for cricket, or Wimbledon is for tennis, he tells me. Right, I say. I’m taken aback, but his enthusiasm is infectious, and, for a moment, I can see the vision. Who needs New York, anyway? 

Obsessions and grand plans are difficult to foster alone. You need someone to go back and forth with – a fellow fanatic who’s bought in enough to hash out the tedious and granular details alongside you. So it’s no surprise to me that Michael’s quest to revive basketball in Merseyside began on meeting a second evangelist of the sport, Rich Stubbs.