While this would have ended the club's long association with the English Basketball League, the chance to realize their long-held ambition to become a fully professional team was too good to ignore.

The British Basketball Association was due to commence operations in November 2007, but the league never materialised and the Crusaders renewed their application with EBL Division 1 for the 2007/08 season.

Despite the disappointment of the new league failing to appear, the club underwent a major transition the following year, with former player Scott Neely taking over as Head Coach, and almost a complete changeover in the playing roster.

[4] More changes took place at the top for 2010/2011, with Roger Payne taking the reins both on and off the court in the dual role of Head Coach and General Manager.

The promised bright new dawn never came though, with sponsorship and investment hard to come by in a tough recession climate, leaving Payne to personally bankroll the Division One team.