Basketball: Dorsey joins former team-mate Flournoy at Newcastle Eagles

Newcastle Eagles became a lot more serious about defending their clean sweep last season of four domestic titles yesterday when they announced the signing of Tony "Dynamite" Dorsey, the 6ft 7in multi-title-winning veteran who played last season in Italy.

The Atlanta-born naturalised Briton, now 36, won championships with the former BBL clubs Birmingham Bullets and Manchester Giants.

Dorsey played alongside the Newcastle coach Fab Flournoy in Birmingham's "Famous Five" line-up which took the title in 1998 despite resources which rarely saw them stretching to playing even a sixth man. Dorsey averaged more than 25 points in nearly 200 BBL games.

Flournoy said: "When I was younger everyone learnt from Tony and he is a classy player. Our younger players will get the opportunity to learn from one of the best. Our fans love to give the players nicknames but I can tell you that he already has one that describes him perfectly and that is Dynamite." Dorsey will make his debut tomorrow at Plymouth Raiders.

The season restarts today for Worcester Wolves. At least so hopes Josh Cooprider, the Wolves' coach whose team have lost seven on the bounce and recorded just one win since stepping up to the BBL from the English Basketball League's first division.