ANDY Thomson wants Newcastle Eagles to rediscover their home comforts this season.

The Eagles were famously difficult to beat at the Metro Arena but lost three times on their home court last season – a trio of defeats that cost them dear in the title shake-up. Thomson was on the opposition side when Mersey Tigers rolled out of Sport Central in April with the BBL title on the back of a memorable 80-75 win that ended the Eagles long stranglehold on British basketball.

Now a Newcastle player, he is desperate to help them reclaim their crown – a bid that begins tonight with the visit of a strong Guildford Heat side to the North East. “A strong start is pretty essential but the most important thing for us is that we take care of our home games – that is a given,” he said.

“Fab is very big on making our home court a difficult place to come and I can see how important that is. It we get a couple of wins here then it builds confidence.

“I know from before that Newcastle is a tough place to come and if we can go on a streak of wins then it builds it up even more, so we want to make a good start against Guildford. They have the look of a very good side.”

After making his mark in the hat-trick of Trophy wins against Durham Wildcats and Glasgow Rocks, the former Mersey Tiger is looking to maintain that momentum for the start of the serious business tonight.

It has been a rapid integration into an Eagles set-up that demands defensive discipline and determination but under the tutelage of taskmaster Fab Flournoy, Thomson has proved a quick learner. “I think as a team we have started reasonably well – there are still things to iron out and a few issues that need to be sorted,” he said.