A win for city and basketball

THE Battle of Cairns has been won.

The community, the Taipans and the Cairns Post have successfully fought to have the traditional New Year’s Eve match returned to the Far North.

In July last year the National Basketball League did the unthinkable and took away the traditional Cairns Taipans New Year’s Eve game and gave it to Brisbane.

The end-of-year event had been held in Cairns for 13 years and had been the showpiece of festivities on December 31.

It traditionally drew the biggest crowd of the season and set the tone for the rest of New Year’s Eve in town.

The decision outraged the Taipans, their supporters and the entire city.

But tomorrow the NBL will announce the marquee game will be held in Cairns on December 31 this year.

Taipans boss Mark Beecroft credits the Cairns Post and the public’s support for helping to bring the game back to Cairns.

After stripping Cairns of their NYE game this year, NBL chief Jeremy Loeliger is now elated the marquee game returns to the Far North.

“It’s great to have a game back in Cairns on New Year’s Eve,” Loeliger said. “This is a very popular game with the fans and we expect to see a capacity crowd there on what should be a great lead in to 2018.”

Last year’s removal is estimated to have cost the club $50,000 in revenue, a lot of money for the club which runs on the smell of an oily rag.

There is no doubt Taipans supporters and fans will fill the Cairns Convention Centre to the rafters and prove the worth of the date.

Heaven forbid if the NBL tries to take away our marquee game again. Nick Dalton nick.dalton@news.com.au