Leopards Basketball Club have announced that they intend to continue playing their home games at Wodson Park during the 2007/8 season.

The Big Cats, who were formed when the Leopards Alive supporters group merged with Ware Rebels in 2004, started last season at Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham, but returned to Ware in January due to poor attendances and problems with the East London venue.

At the time the club were unsure about their future, but following some encouraging attendances at Wodson they have now confirmed that the Ware venue is to be their home for the forseeable future.

"We were really pleased with the crowds during the second half of last season" said general manager Dave Ryan. "We appealed for basketball fans in the area to support us, and they responded. We still need to increase our attendances, but the crowds we attracted at the end of the season will give us something to build on.

"By playing at the same venue as our junior teams, we hope we can build a strong, united club and bring some of the junior players through into the senior team."

It is not only the increased the attendances that have persuaded Leopards to remain in East Herts, as Ryan explains: "The staff at Wodson have been fantastic as well. It was a constant battle to even get the court set up at Goresbrook, but everyone at Wodson has been really helpful, and we're looking forward to playing all of our home games there next season."

The club also intend to continue their extensive community coaching programme, which saw Leopards' players coaching primary school players throughout the East Herts area as well as coaching several of the Chauncey School teams.

The new season starts at the end of September, but the Big Cats have a prestigious summer friendly on Saturday August 18. They will host American college San Jose State University.

The Californian collage have produced a total of 15 players who have progressed to the NBA, and will provide an extremely tough test for the Big Cats. The game tips off at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced at £6.00 (including programme) for adults and £4.00 for children.