What response have they had to the subscriber campaign they have launched this week?
In 24 hours we had over 60 registrations, so I can only say that we are doing very well. The people of La Bisbal and basketball, who already had the habit of coming to the pavilion, will continue to be by our side and more people will be added to the cause. We are clear that we want to do something big, that involves the municipality, the City Council, the Baix Empordà region … because we are aware of the dimension of playing EBA for a club like ours.
Has it been a bit unconscious to take on the challenge of making the leap to the EBA League right now?
I understand the question. If you see our reality from the outside, it might seem like it, but if you see the pavilion on match days, how people follow us … more than madness as a concept for us it is a sporting and organizational challenge like a club. It has always, historically, cost us little to launch. The club was founded in 1994, in La Bisbal there has been basketball since 1963, with several clubs, and that year they all came together in one. Last season we mobilized between 240/250 players, almost on par, and for us it is also important to spread basketball among the girls. A couple of years ago we had the female categories complete. In total we have 23 teams.
What makes Bisbal Bàsquet a different club?
A sense of belonging, people feel theirs, people feel important and involved. We start from humility and good roll together.
A bit like the Handball Bordils, for example?
Bordils could be a similar case, yes, but more extreme because there are hardly any other sports there and the boys play handball and the girls play volleyball. In La Bisbal there is football and other sports. Especially since the promotion to the Copa Catalunya, in La Bisbal, people talk about it and live it, that of basketball. We quickly get used to the good stuff and sometimes we see the pavilion with 3/4 part entrance and we think no people have come, but then you go outside and you realize how lucky we are. The match is over and the rivals themselves tell you that what we have in La Bisbal is priceless. People cheer from respect, everyone applauds, wins or loses, and everyone wants to stay and sing the anthem with the players on the court.
Why go up to the EBA now?
It’s very simple: because we have the opportunity. They contacted us to tell us that there were vacancies in the category, because at the beginning we didn’t think about it, that of the promotion, it was good for us to be in the Copa Catalunya. When the option comes out, we value it internally, from two angles, the sports and the economic part. If we could find a way to move forward, perfect. We spoke with the City Council, with the Provincial Council, and with our sponsor, Sol Gironès. Everyone told us he was willing to collaborate, and here we are, already making the template.
Who will be the coach?
We are tying it. We had a very similar one but it depended on a job issue and it has not been possible. We are talking to people outside. Joan Ferrer, until now the coach, will be second, coordinating the entire logistics issue.
Wouldn’t Ferrer have liked to train at EBA?
We were clear that all the work involved in making the jump could not be eaten by a single person. It was one of the things we talked about, he immediately raised it, that we needed to look for someone with experience in the first coach category and that he would already do second. Sure sportingly we would all be excited to bring this project but he is a club man and where he can give a better hand is to do it this way.
What will be the goal?
If playing in the Copa Catalunya was already a dream for Bisbal, doing so at the EBA would not know how to describe it. The goal should be to enjoy it and try to save as much as we can. It moves us to continue placing La Bisbal as a sports and basketball reference point in the Baix Empordà and Girona. However, we will not leave the people of La Bisbal alone, it will also have its place in the team and in the club. We are clear that not to dress one saint will we undress another.
Do they suffer if the health crisis prevents them from being made public in the pavilion?
The membership campaign has the added value that will allow the fans to reserve their seat, we did not want to leave the most loyal members, and now it will not happen what if you are late you may have to stand in the stands. With the issue of covid-19 everything is uncertain. From the City Council, which is the one that sets us the closest guidelines, we have not received any restrictions, in fact they have not yet started leagues and perhaps have not even considered it. We explained the membership campaign to them and had no negative comments. It would make us angry to play EBA with the empty pavilion, it would make no sense. We wanted to go up for the people. In the Old Pavilion we can put about 250 people in the stands, which with chairs at the foot of the track could reach 350.
Will there be foreigners on the roster like Hopewell or Walker?
First we are looking if there are people from Girona willing to come but we do not rule it out. Two seasons ago Terry (Hopewell) did very well, we kept in touch and we had even considered recovering him but he plays in two categories in France above EBA, with good conditions. We wanted Bisbal to be a springboard for him. We might consider bringing in someone from outside for the inside game, but if you make a team with all the outside players doesn’t make sense, we would lose DNA. We are aware that the demand is high in EBA and that we may have to expand the radius when looking for players, although right now we are negotiating with a couple from Girona.
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