League's Storm warning

The Basketball League have stepped in to find a new owner for the Derby Storm franchise, but the club's future looks bleak following the decision by the current owner, Mike Horton, to leave the sport.

Mike Smith, the League's chief executive, said: "We are more than happy to help trying to find a new investor for the franchise and with the close season approaching we have some time to do that." However, Smith discouraged comparisons with the League's successful management of the Birmingham Bullets between the return to Australia of the former owner Harry Wrublewski and his being succeeded by Chris Bown.

Birmingham had been successfully based at the NEC for a number of years, whereas the Storm only moved to Horton's own Thunderdome venue this season. Smith said: "Birmingham is a well established, arena-based club and there were ongoing commercial relationships to cover expenditure and wages while the changeover was handled."