Local mini-leagues use the venue, and the club hosts a range of camps and courses, as well as recreational basketball sessions all year round. Again, one of few of its kind, it caters for skateboarders and what are most popularly known as BMX bikers. The Storm proved the suitability of The Thunderdome for top-level events by staging, in March, a televised boxing world title fight watched by a crowd of close to 2,000, and this is a clue to the overall future of the venue. While it is first and foremost the basketball club s home venue, the organisation sees no point in it sitting idle when there are no games. Roller hockey, for instance, is taking off in this country and The Thunderdome is to be one of only a handfull of venues with the facilities to stage an organised largely Midlands-based league.
Musical events are also under consideration.
When the boxing title fight was staged, it was significant that the organisers stated that there were large venues and small venues available but hardly any with a capacity that slotted comfortably between the two. The Thunderdome fits that bill. Transforming former industrial premises into a venue like this has been hard work, both financially and logistically, and unlike many sports operations, it has been achieved with no outside funding, neither in the form of grants or sponsorship. Nevertheless, it s Horton s view that developing bespoke venues is the way the game has to go, and he says he will be the first to applaud the next top-flight club that takes the plunge, not to mention be happy to advise. If you are interested in booking The Thunderdome for an event, call Chris Holt at Ewart Sports Promotions on Derby 340484.