Lack of manager and players sees Peregrines leave league

Musselburgh-based East Lothian Peregrines have been forced to drop out of the Scottish National League for the coming season, citing lack of players and a coach.

Ninth out of 10 in the league last season, the Peregrines nevertheless were one of the most attractive teams to watch and seldom out of contention in any of their games.

But next season they will play only in the Lothian second division.

Team manager Brian Ramsay is stressing that this is only a temporary move: "We'll be back," he promised.

"I'll be making strenuous efforts to recruit a coach in the coming months."

Things have looked gloomy for Peregrines since their Scotland guard Grant Gibson announced that he was signing for Stirling Knights, to be followed by their Swedish centre Rob Jansson.

Edinburgh University's English centre Tom Hutchison, who represented Scottish Universities in Northern Ireland last April, is set to sign a one-year contract with Italian Division Three side Nereto Basket in Teramo Province.

Also bound for Nereto is Glasgow University's Lithuanian guard Aistis Keliauskas.