Basketball: Jonny Bunyan's Caledonia Gladiators end season with loss

Fury legend Jonny Bunyan was named Gladiators’ new head coach in February (Photo: Michael Gillen)

Super League Basketball side Caledonia Gladiators, managed by Falkirk Falkirk hero Jonny Bunyan, rounded off their season with a narrow 83-87 loss against third-placed Sheffield Sharks, writes John Bunyan.

That four-point defeat however saw the Scots’ pro side hit their first 30-point quarter for the season with an outstanding 31-21 first period against the Sharks.

Gladiators have seen multiple coach and player changes during a turbulent season, but the fans can be satisfied with the impression made by Gladiators and Fury stalwart Bunyan, who has helped turn the fortunes of the senior men’s side around after taking on the role of head coach mid-season.

A 13-season veteran in the pro game with the Scots club, he was tasked with not only getting results but getting the players on the same page and once again developing a Scottish/UK feel and image to the pro East Kilbride side.

With only two wins in the SLB Championship before Bunyan took over and elimination from Europe, the BBL Trophy and BBL Cup - he guided Gladiators to five wins and remarkably pushed the team back to competing in the Play-Off race.

While the fight to get to the Play-Offs fell short, the team had a new spark and energy from the coaching staff of Jonny and Darryl Wood, eradicating the previous six months to then taking over, with a solid two months at the helm.

Fellow Scot and former Fury player Fraser Malcolm also made a huge contribution to the club's turnaround and it will be interesting to see in 2025-26 with a clean slate, what the playmaker can bring to the Gladiators team with his own input.