NEWCASTLE Eagles have the best business model in the country, but none of their success would have been possible without player-coach Fab Flournoy.

Flournoy was initially given the job in 2002 as a money-saving exercise as the franchise, which had only just broken even the previous year, struggled for survival.

However, the American, according to Paul Blake, has been integral to everything as he has thrown himself into the project with such zeal.

He said: “We were in a quandary and did not know what to do.

“I threw the option at him, it was only his second year here and he had hardly spoken to me in the first.

“He was very suspicious because he had bad owners in the past who had not treated him well.

“I knew what he was like from his time at Birmingham and one of the directors had told me he was the sort of guy you have to have at your club.

“He was a solid player, first and foremost. It was probably the best decision I have ever made to make him player coach.

“We would not have achieved what we have done on the court without him.”

The two men have become a hugely effective double act and Blake is adamant their relationship is nothing like employer and employee.

He explained: “He is my friend, first and foremost. Whatever happens we know we will never fall out, even if there comes a time when I have to say we need to move on or whatever.

“If he says he needs to move on, we will be friends. There are no issues.

“He cannot go on forever as a player, I don’t know whether he will be content just to be a coach.

“I would like him to stay, but it has to be what is best for him.

“I don’t agree with the player-coach role, but we had to do it from a financial point of view.

“Fab is incredibly under-rated as a coach, a motivator and an organiser.

“He is pivotal to our success, both on and off the court, because of the amount of time he spends working on the community side of things.”