Košarkaški klub Partizan
(, English: Partizan Basketball Club), commonly referred to as Partizan or Partizan Belgrade in English-speaking media, and for sponsorship reasons as Partizan Mozzart Bet, is a professional basketball team based in Belgrade, Serbia. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based club Partizan. The club is a founding member and shareholder of the Adriatic Basketball Association, and competes in the ABA League, the EuroLeague, and the Basketball League of Serbia.

Since 1945, Partizan has won 49 trophies and is the holder of the 21 national champion titles. They have also won 16 national basketball cups, 7 Adriatic championships and 1 ABA League Supercup, and most notably the European Champion trophy at the Final Four of the EuroLeague in Istanbul in 1992. The final game was notable for the buzzer-beater by Aleksandar Đorđević which ranks among the most famous shots in basketball history. They also won 3 Korać Cups in 1978, 1979 and 1989 and participated in four Euroleague Final Fours. In September 2009, Partizan became the first and to this day the only Serbian team to play an official game against an NBA team.

History

1945–1971: Formation and early years
The club was established on 4 October 1945, as a basketball section of the Sports Association of the Central House of the Yugoslav Army. The first club championship of Yugoslavia was held in 1946, and Partizan participated with a team consisting mostly of players from Yugoslav Army basketball team, which in 1945 won the unofficial state championship against the teams of Yugoslav republics. KK Partizan officially split from the Army in 1953, since the entire sports society became independent and was renamed as Partizan Yugoslav Sports Association (JSD Partizan).

Although with a strong roster, including many players who played for the national team of Yugoslavia, Partizan waited for the first title of Yugoslav champion until 1976. In the first 30 years of its history, most well-known Partizan players have included Mirko Marjanović, Božidar Munćan, Radomir Šaper, Vilmoš Loci, Lajoš Engler, Čedomir Stojičević, Borislav Stanković, Borislav Ćurčić, Branko Radović, Radovan Radović, Miloš Bojović, Dragutin Čermak, Slobodan Jelić and others. During this period Partizan finished second-placed in the championship of Yugoslavia on five occasions. On two occasions (in 1950 and 1951) it even had the same number of points as the winner, but barely missed the title of national champion.

1971–1981: Creating a powerhouse

The rise of Partizan into a major basketball club that will eventually become one of the most successful in Europe, started in the early 70's, when former players took over the management and the coaching job was taken by national team coach Ranko Žeravica. He selected a group of young players led by exceptionally talented Dražen Dalipagić and Dragan Kićanović. Since Žeravica, as the national team coach (until 1965 as an assistant to Aleksandar Nikolić and then as head coach), closely followed the trends of international basketball for more than ten years, including the NBA, he aimed to combine the best features of American and Soviet concepts of the game, and adapt them to the specifics and the mentality of the players from Belgrade, Serbia and the rest of Yugoslavia. He gathered around him other young coaches, and in the late 1970s, when Žeravica went coaching abroad, his former associates Borislav Ćorković and Dušan Ivković successfully took over the team.

This important period in the club's history was crowned with several trophies. The first of these was the title of Yugoslav champion in 1975–76 season. Partizan also started to make noise in the European competitions with two back-to-back titles in the European Korać Cup (1978 in Banja Luka, KK Bosna was defeated with 117–110, while in 1979 Partizan defeated Italian Arrigoni 108–98). The first double was won in 1978–79 and another national championship title came in 1980–81.

In addition to coaches Žeravica, Ćorković and Ivković, notable players included, above all Dražen Dalipagić and Dragan Kićanović, but also Dragutin Čermak, Goran Latifić (captain of the first championship team in 1976), Josip Farčić, Dragan Todorić, Dušan Kerkez, Miodrag Marić, Boban Petrović, Arsenije Pešić, Boris Beravs, Milenko Savović, Jadran Vujačić, Nebojša Zorkić, Žarko Zečević and others.

1985–1991: The new "Dream Team"
After a couple of quiet years and a generational shift, a new generation of top players developed towards the end of the 1980s, under the leadership of the new club director, Dragan Kićanović.

The generation of Željko Obradović, Milenko Savović and Goran Grbović, followed by younger Aleksandar Đorđević, Vlade Divac, Žarko Paspalj, Ivo Nakić, Miroslav Pecarski and Oliver Popović and led by young coach Duško Vujošević, brought Partizan back to the top of Yugoslav and European basketball.

That generation won the title of national champion in 1986–87, and in 1988, following a dominant performance in the quarterfinal round of the Champions Cup and victories over major European clubs including FC Barcelona, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Aris and Tracer Milano, qualified for the Final Four in the Belgian city of Ghent. After an unexpected loss in the semifinals to Maccabi Tel Aviv (82–87), Partizan defeated Aris (105–93) and finished in the third place in Europe.

In 1989, enforced by young Predrag Danilović, Partizan won the FIBA Korać Cup for the third time, triumphing over Wiwa Vismara Cantù. After losing the first game in Italy (76–89), Partizan won the return leg in Belgrade with 101–82. That same season, Partizan won the Yugoslav Cup by defeating the crowned European champions Jugoplastika (87–74).

Continental recognition of this second great generation of players attracted more talented basketball players to the club, but at the same time, interest from financially more powerful clubs in Europe and the United States for the best Yugoslav players significantly reduced their time spent in the home country. Partizan's Vlade Divac and Žarko Paspalj in late 1989, along with Dražen Petrović from Cibona became the first players from Yugoslavia who pursued their careers in the NBA league.

First team coaches in the mid-1980s also included Borislav Džaković, Vladislav Lučić and Zoran Slavnić.

1991–1992: At the top of Europe
After the departure of Divac, Paspalj, Grbović, Savović and other main players from the 80's, Partizan started the 1991–92 season with a rejuvenated squad, led by an exceptionally talented backcourt pair of Aleksandar Đorđević and Predrag Danilović. A previous team captain and former national team player with no coaching experience, Želimir Obradović, was chosen as a first team coach. Another former Partizan coach and player, an established European basketball expert, professor Aleksandar Nikolić became his counselor.

The season didn't start well at all - ethnic conflicts in the reagon had escalated towards the autumn of 1991 and FIBA decided not to allow teams from the former Yugoslavia to play their home games at their home venues. Belgrade's "Black and Whites" have opted to be "hosts" in the Madrid suburb of Fuenlabrada, in the Polideportivo Fernando Martín arena. This proved to be a right move as the Spanish crowd was very supportive of their adopted team.

Obradović's team began a long season of European and domestic matches, often traveling thousands of kilometers in just a few days, with performance gradually improving. Partizan finished the competition in the group stage in the Euroleague in fourth place with nine wins and five defeats. That meant that Partizan had to play crucial matches to qualify for the Final Four with Knorr Bologna. Bolognese had a strong team led by former Yugoslav national team player Jurij Zdovc. However, Đorđević, Danilović, Ivo Nakić, Zoran Stevanović, Vladimir Dragutinović, Željko Rebrača, Mlađan Šilobad, Slaviša Koprivica, Nikola Lončar and Dragiša Šarić came on top in three games and for the second time qualified for the Final Four.

At the Final Four held in Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul in April 1992, Partizan won the title of European champion. In the Final Four, Partizan won both games – in the semifinals they defeated Italian Philips Milano and in the finals Spanish Montigalà Joventut (71–70), with an iconic three-pointer in the last second by Aleksandar Đorđević. The average age of the team was only 21.7 years, and out of 17 games all but one (the quarter-final game against Knorr Bologna) were played on foreign grounds.

The season finished triumphantly with victories in the national championship and the Cup.

1992–1995: Time of Isolation
After the Istanbul triumph, Đorđević and Danilović moved to Italy. They ended in two clubs that Partizan defeated a few months earlier, during its "conquest of Europe" – Danilović in Knorr and Đorđević in Phillips. The departure of the back-court pair proved to be an irreparable loss. Because of the UN sanctions against FR Yugoslavia, Partizan was not allowed to defend the European title in 1992–93 season. In 1993–94 season, led by coach Željko Lukajić Partizan won the national cup, and the next season was again successful. The team coached by Borislav Džaković won both domestic league and cup. The new generation of players included Nikola Lončar, Miroslav Berić, Haris Brkić, Željko Rebrača, Predrag Drobnjak, Aleksandar Čubrilo. In 1995 the UN sanctions were lifted and Serbian and Montenegrin clubs were again able to compete in European competitions. Inexperienced squad didn't achieve any significant results in their returning season in Europe, but, under the guidance of Ranko Žeravica they still defended the national title in 1995–96 and secured another season in Europe's top competition.

1996–1998: Again at the Top

In 1996–97 season Partizan, led by new coach Miroslav Nikolić, qualified for the Top 16 of Euroleague where it was eliminated by later European champion Olympiacos. Partizan defended the title in the domestic league led by players such as Dejan Tomašević, Dejan Koturović, and Dragan Lukovski. Next season, 1997–98, was a success in Euroleague. Two years after the 3-season long UN sanctions ended, Partizan qualified for the Final Four for the third time. After a series of defeats in the group stage, Miroslav Nikolić resigned and was replaced by Milovan Bogojević and the results improved. Partizan first eliminated the reigning champion Olympiacos, and then, in the quarterfinals, the Russian champions CSKA. After the departure of Berić and Koturović, enforced with new backcourt pair Miroslav Radošević and Vladimir Đokić, Partizan went on to the Final Four in Barcelona where it took the fourth place, after playing eventual champions Kinder Bologna and Benetton Treviso. However, the season in domestic competition was unsuccessful, and some leading players like Predrag Drobnjak departed the club.

1998–2001: The new millennium and the return of the club legends
After a disappointing domestic league ending, Vladislav Lučić was appointed as a new head coach of the club. The domestic 1998–99 season was not completed due to the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, but Partizan still won the Yugoslav Cup, defeating KK FMP in the finals, in a game that was played to the sound civil defense sirens. Despite the ongoing air strikes, the game was completed. Partizan reached the quarterfinals of the 1999 Saporta Cup. At the end of the season, most of the players left the club, and another young squad was formed. Led by coach Nenad Trajković and players Radоšević, Đokić, Čubrilo, Nenad Čanak, Ratko Varda, Veselin Petrović, Dragan Marković Partizan defended the Yugoslav Cup trophy. 2000–01 season was marked by the comeback of experienced players Berić, Nikola Bulatović, Aleksandar Glintić, Branko Milisavljević while club legends Vlade Divac, Predrag Danilović and Žarko Paspalj returned as part of the club management. Darko Ruso was appointed as a coach, and Partizan reached the Top 16 of Euroleague. In December 2000 a fan-favorite Haris Brkić, who returned to club just weeks earlier, was shot and killed outside of Pionir Hall.

2001–2015: The Vujošević and Danilović era

Duško Vujošević's return to the position of a head coach in 2001 and Predrag Danilović's presidency marked the beginning of a rise in the fortunes of the club. Between 2001 and 2014, Partizan has been by far the most successful club in Serbia and the ex-Yugoslav region, winning thirteen consecutive national titles, six national cups (five consecutive from 2008 to 2012), and six Adriatic league titles (five consecutive from 2007 to 2011). From the turn of the century, Partizan also managed to remain fully competitive in the Euroleague, while still developing players, including some of the best big men in European basketball, such as Nikola Peković, Aleks Marić, Kosta Perović, Jan Veselý, Novica Veličković, Milan Mačvan and, before them, Nenad Krstić. The highlight of the era were the three consecutive Euroleague playoff appearances from 2008 to 2010, with the latter being the year in which the club once again reached the EuroLeague Final Four.

2001–2006: Beginning of the domination in Serbian league
In the period between 2001 and 2006 Partizan struggled with its results in Euroleague. However, on the domestic front, Partizan was highly successful and built up for European success in the following years. During these years, notable players from Partizan champion squads included Miloš Vujanić, Nenad Krstić, Vule Avdalović, young national team players Uroš Tripković, Luka Bogdanović, Kosta Perović, Boris Bakić, Dejan Borovnjak, Novica Veličković. They were supported by more experienced players such as Vlado Šćepanović, Đuro Ostojić, Dejan Milojević, Predrag Šuput, Petar Božić, Fred House and Vonteego Cummings.

2006–2010: Euroleague and Adriatic League success
In the 2006–07 season, In addition to the sixth consecutive title in Serbia, Partizan won its first Adriatic league trophy, defeating another Serbian club FMP, in the finals. Dušan Kecman, Milenko Tepić, Nikola Peković, with Veličković, Cummings, Perović, Bakić, Bogdanović also reached the TOP 16 of Euroleague. On 17 August 2007, Partizan signed an agreement with Bosnian club KK Igokea on technical cooperation, known as "Partizan Igokea". The season 2007–08 was a big come back to the top of European basketball. Partizan Igokea was successful in Euroleague, and strengthened with Milt Palacio, Slavko Vraneš, Čedomir Vitkovac Partizan Igokea knocked out of the competition European champions Panathinaikos, but was stopped in the quarterfinals by TAU Cerámica in a close fought encounter.

In the national league, Partizan Igokea won the first of four consecutive triple crowns, uniting the titles in national league, national cup and regional league.

In the 2008–09 season Partizan defended all three trophies. New players Aleksandar Rašić, Stéphane Lasme, Jan Veselý played well alongside established stars Veličković, Tepić, Tripković, Vraneš, Božić and reached the quarterfinals of Euroleague again, where they were eliminated by CSKA. On 5 March 2009, Partizan and its fans became record holders, setting a record crowd of 22,567 in a game against Panathinaikos, the highest ever attendance for any basketball game held indoors in Europe.  Coach Vujošević was given the highest coaching award in Europe, the Euroleague Coach of the Year Award, and Partizan was chosen by Euroleague to go on tour against NBA teams, becoming one of the selected few clubs to represent European basketball in the United States.

The 2009–10 season was one of the most successful seasons in the history of KK Partizan. Main players from the previous seasons Uroš Tripković, Novica Veličković, Milenko Tepić, Stéphane Lasme left the club. Experienced Dušan Kecman returned and Aleks Marić, Bo McCalebb, Lawrence Roberts were brought in. Partizan played better from one game to another, and Pionir Hall remained impregnable fortress for many European greats like Efes Pilsen or FC Barcelona. Partizan again went to quarterfinals and this time faced Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv. Partizan went past their opponent in big style and secured the fourth Final Four of Euroleague. In the final tournament of Euroleague held in Paris, Partizan played even with their rivals but was lost in the final seconds of the semi-final to Olympiacos 80–83 and in the 3rd place game to CSKA Moscow 88–90. Both games were decided in overtime. Partizan again defended national league and cup titles.

The final game of the 2010 Adriatic league remains as one of the most memorable in the history. Played in front of the sold-out Arena Zagreb against longtime rivals from Croatia Cibona. Cibona trailed 68–72 with a few seconds left, but back-to-back triples by Marko Tomas and Bojan Bogdanović gave their team a 74–72 lead with just 0.6 seconds left. Cibona players and the crowd already began to celebrate the title, but Partizan had the game's final possession and Dušan Kecman banked in a game-winning triple from midcourt at the buzzer, to make Partizan win another Adriatic League title in front of the shocked crowd and opposition players.

2010–2012: Vujošević departs
Before the 2010–11 season, Duško Vujošević, the most successful Partizan coach in history left the club after nine seasons to sign with CSKA Moscow. Vlada Jovanović, previously his assistant, became the new head coach. The change in coaching position was followed by changes in playing squad as Marić, McCalebb, Roberts, Vraneš, Rašić left the club. New players were brought in: Nathan Jawai, James Gist, Curtis Jerrells, Raško Katić. Along with crowd favorite Jan Veselý these players made the first five, the first time that Partizan relied mainly on foreign players. The departure of Vujošević initially affected the results, but as the season went on Partizan's play improved and the team again won three trophies – national double and the regional league. In Euroleague, Partizan achieved its primary goal and qualified for the Top 16 phase.

Again, most of the starters left the team before the 2011–12 season began. Serbian national team players Milan Mačvan and Miroslav Raduljica were loaned in, and young players Vladimir Lučić and Dragan Milosavljević got more playing time. Partizan took advantage of the NBA lockout to bring in its former player, center Nikola Peković. With most of the play revolving around him, Partizan got close to securing another Euroleague Top 16 spot, but due to an end of the lockout Peković returned to the NBA in early December. Without him, Partizan lost all three remaining fixtures and after five consecutive years, failed to qualify further. In the regional Adriatic League, Partizan was stopped in the semifinals, ending its five-year reign in the competition. On the domestic front, however, Partizan extended its success, winning another double.

2012–2014: Vujošević returns with the rejuvenated squad
The beginning of the 2012–13 season saw the return of Duško Vujošević to the club. Petar Božić, long-term captain, retired. Vladimir Lučić was appointed as captain, and Dragan Milosavljević became vice-captain. Dušan Kecman and Milan Mačvan were also among the players who left. The squad was rejuvenated, with the oldest player Marko Čakarević being just 24 years old. Initially, the results in Euroleague suffered, with Partizan's supertalented but inexperienced squad being knocked-out of the group stage. After mixed performances in the ABA League regular season, Partizan performed well in the final four, winning its sixth regional title, and securing another season in Euroleague. In the Serbian championship, Partizan successfully defended the trophy and brought its record to twenty national titles, the last twelve being consecutive. The season was marked by the rise of young players such as Dāvis Bertāns, Bogdan Bogdanović, Léo Westermann and Nikola Milutinov.

The 2013–14 season started with a success in Euroleage, where Partizan returned to the Top16 group, with youngsters such as Joffrey Lauvergne, Bogdanović, Bertāns, Westermann, Milutinov leading the team and enforced by a former NBA player Aleksandar Pavlović. However, Partizan suffered at the Final Four of the Adriatic League with a defeat at a buzzer by Cedevita in the semifinals. Despite the shocking loss, the team bounced and finished the season by winning its thirteenth consecutive national title, again defeating their archrivals Crvena zvezda by 3–1 in the final series.

2014–2021: Difficult years

2014–2017: Financial troubles
Having lost an ABA league title and therefore a place in Euroleague after almost a decade and a half, a talented generation from the previous two season's disbanded and Partizan entered the 2014–15 season with an almost brand new squad. Despite the efforts of experienced Pavlović, Mačvan, Tepić and younger Edo Murić Partizan struggled to finished fourth in the regular season of the Adriatic League, only to be eliminated in the playoff semifinals. In Eurocup, Partizan was eliminated in the first round. Partizan was also eliminated in the Serbian Cup and failed to defend the Serbian League title, losing to Red Star Belgrade in the final series. Without any silverware won, the season was the worst in fourteen years and marked the beginning of a three year long dry spell.

The summer of 2015 included many organizational and roster changes. The board of directors suggested Nikola Peković, former Partizan player, for the next team president, after the resignation of Predrag Danilović. Soon after that, longtime head coach Vujošević departed and Petar Božić was offered a head coach position. Main players also left the club, with young Vanja Marinković becoming the new team captain.

At the beginning of 2016, Partizan severed the contract with Petar Božić after a worst half-season in recent Partizan history. Aleksandar Džikić was appointed as a new coach, and managed to finish Adriatic League season on the 5th position, and finish the Serbian League at the second place, losing to Crvena zvezda in the finals.

In 2016–17 season Partizan played in Basketball Champions League, having withdrawn from the Eurocup. The team captain was Novica Veličković who returned to the club. In the group stage, Partizan finished as 3rd and passed to the play-off where they were eliminated by PAOK. After being eliminated in the Adriatic League in the playoff semifinals and Serbian League also in semifinals Partizan ended up without a single trophy won for a third consecutive year.

2017–2021: Rebuilding the image

In the summer of 2017, club's president Peković stepped down, and Ostoja Mijailović replaced him. Partizan started the 2017–18 season with Miroslav Nikolić as new head coach. However, due to poor results, he was sacked in December 2017. During the same month, president Ostoja Mijailović stated that Partizan owes around 7.19 million euros and that creditors are considering blocking its bank account. On 14 December 2017, former player Nenad Čanak was named as the head coach of Partizan. There were many roster changes throughout the season. One of the best players Patrick Miller left Partizan and the club signed Kwame Vaughn and Bandja Sy. After a good run in next two months, Partizan again finished on the 5th position in Adriatic League. In February 2018, Partizan won the first trophy after almost four years, Radivoj Korać Cup, defeating their archrivals Crvena zvezda 81–75 in final. Partizan played in the Eurocup but finished with a 1–9 record and last place in their group. The Superleague campaign also finished unsuccessfully because Partizan lost to Crvena Zvezda in the Playoff semifinals thus failing to win the League title for a fourth consecutive season. Nigel Williams-Goss marked this season as the top player and left for Olympiacos and later NBA.

Partizan acquired Jock Landale, Rade Zagorac, Marcus Paige and several other mostly younger players during summer 2018. After a difficult start to the 2018–2019 season, including losing five consecutive games both in the ABA League and the 2018–19 EuroCup Basketball season, Čanak resigned and was replaced by Andrea Trinchieri as the new head coach. Under Trinchieri, the performance improved and Partizan finally captured some of their former European success, qualifying for the Top16 in the EuroCup. A home loss to Rytas prevented Partizan from qualifying for the playoffs, finishing with a 2–4 record in the Top16. In regional ABA League competition, Partizan finished in fourth place of the regular season and eventually lost the semifinal series to Crvena zvezda with 2–1. Partizan defended the trophy in the Radivoj Korać Cup, again by defeating Crvena zvezda 76–74 in the final.

For the 2019–20 season, Marinković, Sy and Landale departed and Nemanja Gordić, Rashawn Thomas, Corey Walden, William Mosley and several others were brought in. Partizan started the season strongly, but eventually the season was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020–21 season, Partizan failed to qualify to the ABA League Playoffs, lost to Mega in the semifinals of the Serbian League and finished in Top 16 phase of EuroCup.

2021–present: Obradović era
In the summer of 2021, Željko Obradović became the team's new head coach, and Partizan started complete roster rebuild. The roster has been strengthened with players like, Kevin Punter, Mathias Lessort, Zach LeDay, Yam Madar, Alen Smailagić and Aleksa Avramović. During the 2021–22 EuroCup season Partizan finished second in the group A, but was eliminated in the eightfinal by the 7th seed of group B Frutti Extra Bursaspor 95–103 in Belgrade. Partizan also made it to the Playoffs Finals series of the 2021–22 ABA League, where they lost with 3–2 in closely contested series and marked with off-court incidents, to Crvena zvezda. Because of these incidents, Partizan withdrew from the semifinal series of the 2021–22 Basketball League of Serbia.

In the summer of 2022, Partizan received a wild card from the EuroLeague to compete in the competition for the 2022–23 season; it would be return to the competition after eight years. Several new players joined the roster, Dante Exum, Ioannis Papapetrou, James Nunnally and Danilo Anđušić. On 20 October 2022 Partizan won their first game in EuroLeague after 3.121 days by beating Virtus Bologna 90–62 in Štark Arena. At the end of the EuroLeague Regular Season, Partizan finished in sixth place with 20 wins and 14 losses and secured participation in the Playoffs. In the Playoffs, Partizan was defeated by Real Madrid 3–2 in the series. The series was marked by a massive brawl between the players that occurred in the second game with 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining when Sergio Llull made Flagrant foul on Punter. The fight resulted in the injury of Dante Exum after a brutal move by Guerschon Yabusele. The Euroleague imposed suspensions for Punter and Mathias Lessort on the Partizan side and Gabriel Deck and Yabusele on the Real side. Partizan ended the 2022–23 season by lifting the ABA League championship trophy, after 3–2 score against Crvena zvezda in the Finals series; team captain Punter won the ABA League Finals MVP award for his performances.

Sponsorship naming
Partizan has had several denominations through the years due to its sponsorship:

Supporters

Grobari (Serbian Cyrillic: Гробари, English: The Gravediggers) are supporters of the Belgrade football club Partizan. They generally support all clubs within the Partizan multi-sport club, especially football and basketball club. According to the "Ultras World" organization, which gathers over 400,000 fans on social networks, they are ranked in the TOP 10 supporters in the world. In March 2009, in Kombank Arena in the Euroleague TOP 16 game between Partizan and Panathinaikos, Grobari appointed the league's attendance record – 22,567. Partizan has been the most watched team for many years in a row in Adriatic League. In the 2022–23 EuroLeague season, Partizan set a record with the highest total attendance of 340,816 spectators.

Seasons

Home arenas

Partizan until recently played most of their home games at Aleksandar Nikolić Hall, located in the Belgrade municipality of Palilula. The arena, then named Pionir Hall, was built in 1973 in eleven months, by Energoprojekt. Basketball was popular in Yugoslavia at the time, and although Hall Aleksandar Nikolić hosted many different sport events (volleyball, handball) it became known as a basketball arena. It has a seating capacity of 8,000. Aleksandar Nikolić Hall is also the home of Partizan's main rival Red Star Belgrade. In the first twenty-three years (1945–1968), the club played their home games at open basketball courts on Belgrade Fortress before moving to Ranko Žeravica Hall. For 24 seasons (1968–1992), Partizan played their home games at Ranko Žeravica Hall, located in Belgrade municipality of New Belgrade.

In the 2008–09 season, Partizan played their home games of the EuroLeague Top 16 in the Kombank Arena. On 5 March 2009 against Greek team Panathinaikos, a record crowd of 22,567 was set for the EuroLeague. Partizan also holds the record for highest single-game attendance in the ABA League history, with 16,531 fans attending the match against KK Budućnost on 9 February 2020. Partizan has been involved in the top 4 single-game attendances in the history of the regional competition (three of them as a host).

In June 2019, Partizan signed a contract with Štark Arena to be its main home arena until the end of 2023–24 season.

Players

Numerous Partizan players have won medals competing for their national teams and several have been internationally recognized for their outstanding contribution to the game of basketball:

 Dražen Dalipagić: enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004, enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007, included in 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors.
 Vlade Divac: enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019, enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010, included in 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors.
 Dragan Kićanović: enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010.
 Aleksandar Đorđević: included in 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors.
 Predrag Danilović: included in 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors.

Partizan has provided a number of NBA players since 1989. In total, thirteen were drafted while at Partizan with five of them selected in the first round of the NBA draft, with the highest pick being the 6th place on the 2011 Draft for Jan Veselý. Most notable NBA players who came through the ranks of Partizan include the likes of Hall-of-Famer Vlade Divac and rookie-all stars Željko Rebrača, Nenad Krstić and Bogdan Bogdanović.

Current roster

Depth chart

Head coaches

There have been thirty head coaches for Partizan since the founding of the club in 1945. The first head coach was Božo Grkinić who coached Partizan for two seasons. The first coach to bring Partizan an official trophy was Borislav Ćorković. He won Yugoslav League with Partizan in 1976. Club won the first international trophy in 1978, while being coached by Ranko Žeravica. Željko Obradović lead the club to the most significant trophy, Euroleague in 1992. Duško Vujošević is the most successful coach in the club's history. In his four stints with Partizan he won a total of twenty-three trophies.

Several Partizan coaches have been recognized internationally for their contribution to the game of basketball:
 Aleksandar Nikolić: enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, FIBA Hall of Fame (class of 2007) and included in 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors.
 Dušan Ivković: enshrined in FIBA Hall of Fame(class of 2017) and included in 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors.
 Ranko Žeravica: enshrined in FIBA Hall of Fame(class of 2007).
 Željko Obradović: included in 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors.

Another former Partizan coach, Borislav Stanković, was also enshrined in both the Basketball Hall of Fame and FIBA Hall of Fame, although not as a coach but as a contributor.

Honours

Partizan has won thirty-seven domestic trophies, including twenty-one championships, of which thirteen were won consecutively, and sixteen cups, of which five were won consecutively. They have also won seven Adriatic championships, first five of them consecutive and one ABA League Supercup. In European competitions in the late 1970s, they won two back-to-back Korać Cups in 1978 and 1979. They also won another Korać Cup in 1989.  In 1992, Partizan won the club's first – and to date only – EuroLeague title, downing Joventut Badalona 70–71 on a miraculous buzzer-beater by Aleksandar Đorđević, which ranks among the most amazing shots in European basketball history. Overall, Partizan has won forty-eight trophies, which makes it the most successful basketball club in Serbia.

 Shared record

Season by season

In European and worldwide competitions

Matches against NBA teams
Partizan is the first and so far only club from Serbia that played games against NBA teams. On the 2009 Euroleague American Tour, Partizan played against Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns.

Players in the NBA draft

Notable players

  Danilo Anđušić
  Vule Avdalović
  Aleksa Avramović
  Miroslav Berić
  Dāvis Bertāns
  Bogdan Bogdanović
  Luka Bogdanović
  Petar Božić
  Haris Brkić
  Dragutin Čermak
  Vonteego Cummings
  Dražen Dalipagić
  Boris Dallo
  Predrag Danilović
  Vlade Divac
  Aleksandar Đorđević
  Vladimir Dragutinović
  Predrag Drobnjak
  Lajoš Engler
  Semih Erden
  Dante Exum
  James Gist
  Goran Grbović
  Milan Gurović
  Fred House
  Vlado Ilievski
  Ognjen Jaramaz
  Nathan Jawai
  Curtis Jerrells
  Frank Kaminsky
  Dušan Kecman
  Raško Katić
  Dragan Kićanović
  Tarence Kinsey
  Slaviša Koprivica
  Nenad Krstić
  Jock Landale
  Stéphane Lasme
  Joffrey Lauvergne
  Acie Law
  Zach LeDay
  Mathias Lessort
  Nikola Lončar
  Vladimir Lučić
  Dragan Lukovski
  Yam Madar
  Milan Mačvan
  Aleks Marić
  Vanja Marinković
  Mirko Marjanović
  Bo McCalebb
  Vladimir Micov
  Dejan Milojević
  Dragan Milosavljević
  Nikola Milutinov
  Edo Murić
  Dallas Moore
  William Mosley
  Dejan Musli
  Ivo Nakić
  Rasho Nesterović
  Aleksandar Nikolić
  James Nunnally
  Željko Obradović
  Marcus Paige
  Milt Palacio
  Ioannis Papapetrou
  Žarko Paspalj
  Ivan Paunić
  Aleksandar Pavlović
  Miroslav Pecarski
  Nikola Peković
  Kosta Perović
  Arsenije Pešić
  Svetislav Pešić
  Veselin Petrović
  Boban Petrović
  Mateusz Ponitka
  Kevin Punter
  Radovan Radović
  Miroslav Raduljica
  Aleksandar Rašić
  Željko Rebrača
  Lawrence Roberts
  Predrag Samardžiski
  Radomir Šaper
  Milenko Savović
  Vlado Šćepanović
  Mlađan Šilobad
  Zoran Slavnić
  Alen Smailagić
  Borislav Stanković
  Zoran Stevanović
  Milenko Tepić
  Rashawn Thomas
  Dragan Todorić
  Dejan Tomašević
  Uroš Tripković
  Novica Veličković
  Ratko Varda
  Jan Veselý
  Čedomir Vitkovac
  Slavko Vraneš
  Jadran Vujačić
  Miloš Vujanić
  Corey Walden
  Léo Westermann
  Nigel Williams-Goss
  Rade Zagorac
  Žarko Zečević
  Nebojša Zorkić

Management

Sponsorships

See also
 List of basketball clubs in Serbia by major honours won
 KK Partizan in Europe (EuroLeague)
 Crvena Zvezda–Partizan basketball rivalry

References

External links

 KK Partizan at euroleague.net
 KK Partizan at abaliga.com

Basketball teams in Yugoslavia
Basketball teams established in 1945
EuroLeague-winning clubs
Basketball teams in Belgrade

KK Partizan


Activity may refer to:

 Action (philosophy), in general
 Human activity: human behavior, in sociology behavior can mean all basic human actions, economics may study human economic activities and along with cybernetics and psychology may study their modulation
 Recreation, or activities of leisure
 The Aristotelian concept of energeia, Latinized as actus
 Activity (UML), a major task in Unified Modeling Language
 Activity, the rate of catalytic activity, such as enzyme activity (enzyme assay), in physical chemistry and enzymology
 Thermodynamic activity, the effective concentration of a solute for the purposes of  mass action
 Activity (project management)
 Activity, the number of radioactive decays per second
 Activity (software engineering)
 Activity (soil mechanics)
 HMS Activity (D94), an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy
 "Activity", a song by Way Out West from Intensify
Cultural activities, activities referred to culture

Activity


Kindernothilfe (KNH) is a charity organization and was founded in 1959 by a group of Christians in Duisburg, Germany, in order to help needy children in India. Over time, it has become one of the largest Christian organizations in Europe for children's aid.

Today it supports almost 2 million children and young people in 31 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. KNH aims to give needy children in the poorest countries of the world a chance to a good start in life. That means a basic school education and vocational training, good nutrition and health care, as well as community-oriented support to the families of the children.

KNH works together with partner organizations located abroad, usually churches, congregations or Christian organizations. However, the support of children is always granted irrespective of religion.

The head office is in Duisburg. Here, staff members and volunteers coordinate the work abroad and carry out administrative, educational and lobby work as well as launch publicity campaigns.

Finances

Donors

KNH is a registered charitable organization and a member of the Diaconic Services of the Evangelical Church in Germany. More than 90 percent of the work is financed through donations from 245.000 people who support Kindernothilfe. KNH heeds its Christian values and responsibilities as reflected in the life of Jesus.

Child sponsorships

Child sponsorships is Kindernothilfe's most important aid form which can accompany children until they become responsible for themselves.

Grants and subsidies

As well as this, it receives subsidies from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) and from the European Union as well as church grants: It also benefits from the payment of fines.

Seal of approval

Every year since 1992 Kindernothilfe has received the DZI seal of approval. This is awarded by the German Central Institute for Social Affairs (DZI) to charity organisations that uses the money received in a reliable, transparent and responsible manner.

Foundation

Kindernothilfe started the Kindernothilfe Foundation in 1999. The chairman of the foundation committee is Dr. Norbert Blüm, a former cabinet minister. The yields from the foundation capital of approx. 6.3 million Euro flow directly into Kindernothilfe projects.

Kindernothilfe works on national and international levels by joining alliances, co-operating with networks and other organisations to achieve a global improvement of economic, social and political structural conditions. It participates in campaigns or initiates its own campaigns.

Kindernothilfe is above all committed to the implementation of the UN Convention on the Right of the Child which forms an important base for its work. At the beginning of 2004 Kindernothilfe was granted consultative status with the economic council and social council (ECOSOC) and this now enables it to draw more attention to the needs of children.

One of the founders of Kindernothilfe was Lüder Lüers.

Alliances and campaigns

Kindernothilfe is a member of these alliances and campaigns:
 Verband Entwicklungspolitik deutscher Nichtregierungsorganisationen (VENRO)/Association for Development Policy of German Non-Government Organizations
 Ecpat
 Forum Kinderarbeit/German Anti Child-Labour Forum
 erlassjahr.de
 Deutscher Initiativkreis für das Verbot von Landminen
 TransFair
 International Coalition to stop the Use of Child Soldiers
 German National Coalition for the implementation of the UN-Convention on the Rights of the Child
 Action against AIDS Germany
 Werkstatt Ökonomie (Workshop Economy)
 Forum Menschenrechte (Forum Human Rights)
 Global campaign for Education

References

External links

Children's charities based in Germany
Foreign charities operating in India
Christian charities
Development charities based in Germany
Organizations established in 1959
Non-profit organisations based in North Rhine-Westphalia
Duisburg
1959 establishments in West Germany

Kindernothilfe


I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue is a BBC radio comedy panel game. Billed as "the antidote to panel games", it consists of two teams of two comedians being given "silly things to do" by a chairman. The show was launched in April 1972 as a parody of radio and TV panel games, and has been broadcast since on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service, with repeats aired on BBC Radio 4 Extra and, in the 1980s and 1990s, on BBC Radio 2. The 50th series was broadcast in November and December 2007.

After a period of split chairmanship in the first series, Humphrey Lyttelton ("Humph") served in this role from the programme's inception until his hospitalisation and subsequent death in 2008, which led to the cancellation of the 51st series. The show recommenced on 15 June 2009 with Lyttelton replaced by three hosts: Stephen Fry, Jack Dee and Rob Brydon. Dee went on to host all episodes of the 52nd series later that year, and continues in that role. The chairman's script was most recently written by Iain Pattinson, who worked on the show from 1992 until his death in 2021.

History

I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue developed from the long-running radio sketch show I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again, the writers of which were John Cleese, Jo Kendall, David Hatch, Bill Oddie, Tim Brooke-Taylor and especially Graeme Garden who suggested the idea of an unscripted show which, it was decided, would take the form of a parody panel game. A panel game with no competition was not itself a new idea: the BBC had a history of successful quiz shows designed to allow witty celebrities to entertain where winning was not important. Examples include Ignorance Is Bliss, Just a Minute, My Word! and My Music on the radio and Call My Bluff on television.

The pilot episode (at that time titled I'm Sorry, They're At It Again) opened with Graeme Garden and Jo Kendall singing the words of "Three Blind Mice" to the tune of "Ol' Man River" followed by Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor performing the lyrics of "Sing a Song of Sixpence" to the melody of "These Foolish Things". Dave Lee, who was bandleader on I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again, was at the piano and a number of rounds were introduced by a short phrase of music. Other rounds included "Dialogue Read in a Specific Accent" and "Songs Sung as Animals". In 1974 Bill Oddie was replaced by Willie Rushton, with Barry Cryer as Graeme Garden's teammate, and Humphrey Lyttelton as chairman, and the personnel remained constant from this point until Rushton's death in 1996, although occasional guest panellists appeared in the 1980s and early 1990s (see below). Since then the panel has featured a variety of guest comedians.

The show has over two million listeners on Radio 4 and its recording sessions typically fill 1,500-seat theatres within a week of being advertised. At least one recording for the spring 2006 series filled all its seats within three hours of the free tickets being made available, and the London recording of the autumn series in that year sold out in ten minutes. Although there are twelve Clue shows broadcast per year these are the result of just six recording sessions, with two programmes being recorded back-to-back. The show was recently voted the second funniest radio programme ever, after The Goon Show. It has a large following among professional comedians such as Armando Iannucci, who turned down opportunities to work on it as he preferred to remain a listener.

The official, authorised history of the show and ISIRTA, The Clue Bible by Jem Roberts, was published by Preface Publishing in October 2009.

Participants

Chairman
Humphrey Lyttelton, primarily known as a jazz trumpeter and bandleader, and known as Humph to his friends, was invited to be chairman because of the role played by improvisation in both comedy and jazz music. In the first series Lyttelton shared the role of chairman with Barry Cryer but he made it his own (especially once Cryer replaced Cleese as a regular panellist) and continued as chairman until his death on 25 April 2008. He read the script introducing the programme and segments in an utterly deadpan manner. He claimed the secret was just to read what was in front of him without understanding why it was funny. He adopted the grumpy persona of someone who would really rather be somewhere else, which he attributed to worrying that, surrounded by four professional comedians, he would have nothing worthwhile to chip in. He did occasionally depart from the script, however, often bringing the house down with an ad-lib. He was credited by the regular panellists as being the chief reason for the show's longevity.

On 18 April 2008 the producer of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, Jon Naismith, announced that, owing to hospitalisation to repair an aortic aneurysm, Humphrey Lyttelton would be unable to record the scheduled shows and that they would have to be postponed. The final show of the 2008 Best of tour on 22 April would be presented by Rob Brydon. Following Lyttelton's death there was speculation that the series might be cancelled because replacing him would be extremely difficult if not impossible. In a eulogy in The Guardian, Barry Cryer did not allude to the future of the programme but said that there's "got to be an agonising reappraisal" and that Lyttelton was the "very hub of the show". Cryer, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden all ruled themselves out as hosts: Cryer did not think the programme would work if a panellist became chairman and it "would need somebody of stature to be parachuted in". Jeremy Hardy also ruled himself out, saying "Humph had big shoes to fill and I wouldn't do it."

In the Clue mailout for September 2008 Naismith stated: "Despite the rumours, we've made no decisions about possible replacements for Humph, and are unlikely to make any decisions this year at least. Certainly I don't envisage us selecting anyone on a permanent basis for several series." It was announced that the show would continue recording beginning in 2009. The first new shows would be hosted by rotating guest presenters (similarly to the format of Have I Got News for You) before a permanent replacement host was decided. In the Clue mailout for February 2009 Naismith announced that Stephen Fry, Jack Dee and Rob Brydon would host two shows each, to be recorded in April, May and June 2009 respectively. The programme returned on 15 June 2009, chaired by Fry with the usual panellists and special guest Victoria Wood. Every series since then has been chaired by Dee.

Panellists
The regular panellists for much of the show's history were:
Graeme Garden was a member of the I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again team from which the programme grew and has been a panellist since the first episode. Lyttelton described him as very dry, biding his time before stepping in with a perfect punchline. Garden was absent from January 2016 for the whole of series 65, 66 and 67. On 12 October 2017, Garden announced that he would be rejoining the team, but has only appeared infrequently since then. Following the death of Barry Cryer, Garden is the last surviving original panellist.
Barry Cryer hosted six episodes in the show's first series before moving to a permanent seat on the panel. He was credited by then-chairman Lyttelton as being the show's "bricks and mortar", providing quick-fire one-liners in any situation. There is a running joke in the programme that he is a dirty old man with a drink problem. He died aged 86 in January 2022.
Tim Brooke-Taylor was also part of the I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again team and was also with the show from the start until his death in April 2020. He was very popular with the crowd and adopted a vulnerable persona. Garden and Brooke-Taylor had previously worked together on television in The Goodies and Brooke-Taylor in particular would occasionally drop references to that show into some of the games, eliciting cheers from the audience.
Willie Rushton was one of the regular panel members from 1974 until his death in 1996. The other panellists have fond memories of his off-the-wall sense of humour and quick-fire puns. Since Rushton's death his seat has been turned into a permanent guest spot, which was often filled by the late Jeremy Hardy when on non-broadcast tours. Guests have also appeared when one of the regulars was unavailable.

Producers
The show has had a number of producers over the years:
David Hatch (produced only the pilot episode in 1972)
John Cassels (1972–74)
Simon Brett (1975–77)
Geoffrey Perkins (1978–81)
Paul Mayhew-Archer (1982–86)
Paul Spencer (1987–89)
Jon Magnusson (1990–91)
Jon Naismith (1991–present)

Musical accompaniment
Early episodes featured Dave Lee, who provided piano accompaniment on I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again. However, Colin Sell now usually fills this role. He is often the butt of jokes about his musical ability, to which he is unable to respond as he has no microphone.  For example: "When music experts hear Colin's compositions, they say he could have been another Berlin, Porter or anybody else employed by the German State Railway." Guest pianists are called in when Sell has been unable to attend (or the ISIHAC team have "won the coin toss" as Lyttelton once said on the show), including Neil Innes, Denis King and Matthew Scott. Lyttelton's band also appeared on a couple of Christmas specials. On one occasion when Innes was guesting, Lyttelton outlined the musician's career, concluding that this "has brought him to where he is today: standing in for Colin Sell." In another appearance Innes sang along to his own composition "I'm the Urban Spaceman" during a round of "Pick Up Song".

The theme music is called "The Schickel Shamble", by Ron Goodwin, and is from the film Monte Carlo or Bust! It was chosen by David Hatch.

Scorers
Since 18 May 1985 (in the episode in which Kenny Everett made his debut), the show has included a fictional and completely silent scorer "whose job is eased by the fact no points are actually awarded". Usually this is "the lovely Samantha", who sits on Humph's left hand. There is a seat with a microphone next to the Chairman which is "used" by Samantha. During the introductory music, Humphrey Lyttelton would stand up and "help" Samantha into her seat. In practice, the seat and microphone were only used by the producer to welcome the audience, to introduce the participants and to give any other information to the audience such as the expected date of broadcasting, and to supervise re-recordings of fluffs made in the programme.

Lyttelton would describe Samantha's social activities, usually in an apology received from the unseen character who had been detained, often with a "gentleman friend". His comments included sexual innuendo and double entendres, like "Samantha likes nothing better than a little potter in the woodshed in the morning", though many were far more daring and explicit. During early episodes of Samantha's appearance on the show, it was not completely clear that she was a fictional character, garnering complaints about the sexist and humiliating treatment she received. Producer Jon Naismith recalled "when we [Naismith and Iain Pattinson] took over the show we used to get quite a few letters accusing us of sexist references to Samantha" (the character was named after the page 3 topless model Samantha Fox). Samantha's inabilities as score-keeper often form the basis for humour; in a programme from 1997, Humph said: "It's just occurred to me that Samantha hasn't given us the score... since 1981."

Samantha has sometimes been replaced by a Swedish stand-in, Sven, or occasionally another substitute, Monica. When Margaret Thatcher left office in 1990 Lyttelton introduced a scorer named Margaret. In an episode in November 1991 both Samantha and Sven were present but occupied with each other and unable to award points.

The programme's scoring is completely non-existent. Most of the show is scripted, but in rounds such as "Sound charades", where one team of panellists have to guess the charade of the other team, the answer may be obvious (usually a pun) but the opposing team are not told the answer. In recording, it has taken them many minutes to come up with the correct answer, most of which has to be edited out before broadcast.

In rounds in which the panel must not see what the audience sees, there is the "advanced laser display-board" (in reality, a sign with the answer written on, held by Jon Naismith). These boards are sometimes described in more elaborate terms and as "so generously funded by our hosts". The names and phrases on them are conveyed to "listeners at home" by the "mystery voice", alluding to the 1960s radio programme Twenty Questions.

Correspondence
A regular feature on the programme, preceding the game Mornington Crescent, is a fictional letters section which begins with the chairman's comments ("I notice from the sheer weight of this week's postbag, we've received a little over no letters" and "I see from the number of letters raining down on us this week that the Scrabble factory has exploded again"). The invariably single letter each week is from "A Mrs Trellis of North Wales" (one of the many prompts for a cheer from the audience), whose incoherent letters usually mistake the chairman for another Radio 4 presenter or media personality. "Dear Libby" (she writes), "why oh why ... very nearly spells YOYO", or "Dear Mr Titchmarsh, never let them tell you that size isn't important. My aunt told me that, but then all my new wallpaper fell off."

Format

Introduction
The chairman introduces the show.

Games

Many games are played on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, some frequently and dozens less often. A few have been played only once, either because the joke works only once or because they were not particularly successful. Popular games include "One Song to the Tune of Another", "Mornington Crescent", "Sound Charades", "Late Arrivals", "Double Feature", "Cheddar Gorge" and "Uxbridge English Dictionary". "One Song to the Tune of Another" is always introduced using a complex analogy, despite its self-explanatory title, often ending with a joke at the expense of Colin Sell.

Most episodes follow a format, and the same games are played in sequence in most series. The first, third and fifth episodes of a series (recorded first of two shows in each location) usually includes "One Song to the Tune of Another" as its second round, and the alternate episodes feature "Pick-up Song" in the same slot. "Uxbridge English Dictionary" usually begins the second recording session, and the same session will usually include "Mornington Crescent". "Sound Charades" is typically featured in the odd-numbered episodes. This pattern is more consistent in later episodes.

The panellists play as individuals or as two teams. "Celebrity What's My Line?" completely destroyed the intent of the original — for players to guess the occupation of a third party by asking yes/no questions. The I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue version once employed the famous actress (and fan of the show) Dame Judi Dench in this role and the renowned television gardener Alan Titchmarsh. Each began by performing a mime illustrating their occupation, giving a cryptic clue to the panel (appearing to a radio listener as a short silence punctuated by exclamations from the panel and laughter from the studio audience), before fielding apparently serious questions from the teams (e.g. "Is that your own hair?" or "Do you kill people for money?"), who pretended not to know who they were.

Musical games often involve incongruities such as singing "One Song to the Tune of Another" or playing a song using only a swanee whistle and a kazoo. In "Just a Minim" – a parody of Radio 4's Just a Minute – panellists must sing a specified song avoiding repetition, deviation, or hesitation: the chosen songs often have extremely repetitive lyrics.

Humour is derived from wordplay such as puns or mockery of styles of speech. For example, in a round based on suggesting television programmes from biblical times:
They Think It's All Jehovah
I Love Lucifer
The Exodus Files

In "Uxbridge English Dictionary" the panellists contribute humorous redefinitions of words; "Puny: the Roman Catholic equivalent of tennis elbow". More puns are found in the "Arrivals at the Ball" section, of the form "Mr and Mrs X and their son (or daughter)...." the child's name forming a pun, preferably laboured and feeble. This grew out of the "drama" section of later shows in the I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again series, for example, at the Criminals' Ball, "Mr and Mrs Knee, and their Swedish son, Lars Knee".

According to Tim Brooke-Taylor, twenty per cent of the show is ad-libbed. According to Willie Rushton, it is more like fifty per cent, but he didn't think that a bad thing.

Time, destiny, fate and eternity
The show draws to a close with the chairman imparting some final words of wisdom intended to evoke time, destiny, fate and eternity, undercut with silliness. For example: "...And so, as the hunter of time blasts the moose of eternity, and the dairy counter worker of fate sighs and grabs her mop..." Lyttelton's final sign-off on the show, shortly before his death in April 2008, was:

Humour
Most of the humour is detached from the real world. Steve Punt cites it as one of his favourite radio shows because "there's no points being made or targets being attacked." Contemporary references occasionally made by participants are usually asides. The show does occasionally comment on the outside world, though from an innocent perspective. The game "Complete George Bush Quotes" was once played, in which the teams had to supply endings for phrases that George Bush had begun (see Bushism), the teams complaining that they couldn't be any funnier than the original; similar rounds with guessing or completing quotes of other well-known public figures and personalities have also been played.

The regular panellists are represented by the chairman to be unfunny, struggling comedians who have been doing the same act for many years. The supposed personalities of the panellists as demonstrated by the chairman, fictitious but drawn from their public personas, is also a recurring theme. Barry Cryer was often represented as a tight-fisted alcoholic who could not wait to get to the pub (but who never bought a round of drinks), while Tim Brooke-Taylor was often represented as willing to take any small performance job in his quiet career and always campaigning for repeats of The Goodies (something which Brooke-Taylor himself played upon in many rounds). The late Humphrey Lyttelton often delivered mock comments of how boring and low quality the show was and, particularly in his later years on the show, preferring to doze off rather than listen to the rounds. Pianist Colin Sell, meanwhile, is often the butt of jokes regarding his supposedly terrible musical skills (despite in reality being an accomplished musician).

According to Willie Rushton, "The show gets quite filthy at times, but the audience love it."
After fifty years on the air, one of the most important aspects of the show is its huge stock of running gags which, if not always funny in themselves, can elicit huge anticipatory laughter from the studio audience. The mere mention of Lionel Blair will often bring roars of laughter in anticipation of an outrageous double-entendre based on his supposed homosexuality (he was not gay); Similarly, particular mention of points scorer Samantha or her occasional replacement Sven (neither of whom actually exists) will typically bring anticipatory laughter in anticipation of a sexual double-entendre.

In the "Film Club" round, any reference by Graeme Garden to Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is sure to cause a similar response. The game "Wobbling Bunnies" was introduced several times by Humph, often with eager anticipation by the panel and audience, but time pressures always meant the game was never actually played. Graeme Garden and Barry Cryer frequently played the characters of two Scots, Hamish and Dougal, whose skits usually began with the phrase "You'll have had your tea?", as a stereotypical Scots miser when receiving a guest never offers any food or drink. The characters were developed into their own Radio 4 show, Hamish and Dougal. Another long-running gag involves one of the panellists putting forward a challenge of "hesitation" when another panellist leaves a long pause in the middle of speaking, a reference to Radio 4's other long-running panel show Just a Minute. (Likewise, occasionally on Just a Minute, a panellist will make a challenge of "Mornington Crescent".)
Chairman Humphrey Lyttelton frequently poked fun at Just a Minute and its chairman Nicholas Parsons. Lyttelton's successor, Jack Dee, has continued with and expanded upon this, mimicking Parsons by constantly emphasising the long experience of some panellists, and the fact that the programme can be heard all over the world.

Awards
The programme has won the Gold Sony Radio Comedy Award three times:
 1995: featuring Humphrey Lyttelton, Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Willie Rushton
 2002: featuring the usual cast and Jeremy Hardy.
 2004: I'm Sorry I Haven't A Christmas Carol, featuring the usual cast with Stephen Fry, Andy Hamilton, Jeremy Hardy, Tony Hawks, Sandi Toksvig and Linda Smith.

Other awards:
 1995: Best Radio Comedy, British Comedy Award
 1997: Radio Programme of the Year, British Press Guild
 1997: Radio Programme of the Year, Voice of the Viewer and Listener
 2003: Radio Programme of the Year, Voice of the Viewer and Listener
 2003: Radio Programme of the Year, Television and Radio Industries Club
 2003: Best Comedy, Spoken Word Award
 2005: Radio Programme of the Year, Television and Radio Industries Club

In 2020 the programme was voted the greatest radio comedy of all time by a panel convened by Radio Times.

BBC Audiobook releases
Volume 1 ()
Volume 2 ()
Volume 3 ()
Volume 4 ()
Volume 5 ()
Volume 6 ()
Volume 7 ()
Volume 8 ()
Volume 9 ()
Volume 10 ()
Volume 11 ()
Volume 12 ()
Volume 13 ()
Volume 14 ()
Volume 15 ()
Collection 1 () [Vols 1–3]
Collection 2 () [Vols 4–6]
Collection 3 () [Vols 7–9]
Anniversary Special () [Collection of Three programmes: "30th Anniversary Special", "Sorry I Haven't A Desert Island", and the first episode broadcast (11 April 1972)]
I'm Sorry I Haven't A Christmas Clue ()
Live 1 ()
Live 2 ()
In Search of Mornington Crescent ()
I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue: Humph in Wonderland ()

WTBS recordings
Episodes of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue were included in the package of programmes held in 20 underground radio stations of the BBC's Wartime Broadcasting Service (WTBS), designed to provide public information and morale-boosting broadcasts for 100 days after a nuclear attack.

References

External links

 (Previous website)

The officially unofficial I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue website featuring background information and news.
The I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue Info Site featuring lists of episodes and games (with quotes)
 353 episodes.

1972 radio programme debuts
1970s British game shows
1980s British game shows
1990s British game shows
2000s British game shows
2010s British game shows
2020s British game shows
BBC panel games
BBC Radio 4 programmes
BBC Radio comedy programmes
British panel games
Improvisational television series

I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue


Melaleuca dichroma is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is unusual for its genus in that its flowers are yellow or creamy-white but age to a pinkish-red.

Description
Melaleuca dichroma is a shrub which can grow to a height of . The leaves are arranged alternately, linear to narrow oval in shape,  long,  wide and lack a stalk.

The flowers are arranged in heads near the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering, sometimes in the upper leaf axils. There are one to four groups of three flowers in each head, the heads up to  in diameter. The flowers appear in spring and are initially pale yellow to creamy-white but fade to pinkish-red. The petals are  long and fall off as the flowers age. The stamens are arranged in bundles of five around the flower, with 6 to 13 stamens in each bundle. Flowering occurs from August to November and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules  long in clusters.

Taxonomy and naming
Melaleuca urceolaris subsp. virgata was first formally described in 1867 by George Bentham in Flora Australiensis. In 1999 it was raised to species status as Melaleuca virgata by Lyndley Craven and Brendan Lepschi but the name was not valid. The name was changed in 2001 to Melaleuca dichroma by Craven and Lepschi in Australian Systematic Botany. The specific epithet (dichroma) is from the Greek di- meaning "two" or "double" and chroma, "colour", referring to the two colour phases of the flowers as they age.

This species is closely related to Melaleuca urceolaris, differing mainly in the arrangement of the flowers.

Distribution and habitat
Melaleuca dichroma occurs in the Arrino, Hill River and Moora districts in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions. It grows in sandy, gravelly and loamy soils.

Ecology
Melaleuca gnidioides is a distantly related species whose flowers also change colour as they age. It may signal to pollinators that a reward is no longer available.

Conservation status
Melaleuca dichroma is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Use in horticulture
This species is not well known in cultivation, but the similar Melaleuca urceolaris has been grown successfully for its showy flowers and interesting foliage, suggesting that Melaleuca dichroma may also have horticultural merit, especially for its two-tone flowers.

References

dichroma
Myrtales of Australia
Plants described in 1867
Endemic flora of Western Australia
Taxa named by Lyndley Craven

Melaleuca dichroma


Deutschlandsender (, Radio Germany), abbreviated DLS or DS, was one of the longest-established radio broadcasting stations in Germany. The name was used between 1926 and 1993 to denote a number of powerful stations designed to achieve all-Germany coverage.

History

Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany
Deutschlandsender I at first was the name of a powerful transmitter situated at Königs Wusterhausen in Brandenburg near Berlin, put into operation on 7 January 1926. The station was run by the Deutsche Welle GmbH, a commercial company – unconnected to today's similarly named international broadcaster – which had been set up by the Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft (RRG) network for nationally relaying programmes from Germany's nine regional broadcasting stations.

Broadcasting on long wave (182 kHz) from what was then a central position in the German Reich, the Deutschlandsender I transmitter enabled programmes from these stations to be heard throughout the country and its name was adopted as a station identification. The first programme broadcast was a concert from the RRG Berlin regional station, the Funk-Stunde AG. With effect from 1 January 1933, the Deutsche Welle company was renamed Deutschlandsender GmbH. Within a few weeks of this date the Nazi Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda was to take over direct control of all broadcasting in Germany in the course of the Gleichschaltung process.

A second transmitter, Deutschlandsender II, broadcasting from nearby Zeesen, had been opened on 20 December 1927. Also in Brandenburg, Deutschlandsender III, then with a height of  the world's second largest structure after the Empire State Building, started its transmissions on 19 May 1939 from Herzberg. These transmitters were destroyed and dismantled by the Red Army in 1945.

During World War II the name Deutschlandsender was used to denote the long-wave service which covered most of Germany (and indeed Europe) while the regional medium-wave stations were normally identified as Reichssender [...] with the name of the city at or near which they were based.

East Germany
In the immediate post-war period, in 1947, a new long-wave radio transmitter, known as Deutschlandsender IV, was erected at Königs Wusterhausen. From 1 May 1949, the IV was dropped and the station became known as simply the Deutschlandsender programme of what was to become the Rundfunk der DDR broadcaster. The transmissions from the newly established German Democratic Republic (GDR) aimed at listeners in West Germany. The long-wave frequency used was 185 kHz and the station also broadcast via short wave.

In 1952 the GDR government began a programme of centralisation, which included concentrating all broadcasting in East Berlin, and built a new studio centre in the Oberschöneweide district, known as the Funkhaus Nalepastraße. In September 1952, the short-wave Deutschlandsender service was renamed "Berlin I" and given a political programming emphasis. The long-wave Deutschlandsender service became "Berlin II", with an emphasis on culture and society. Both changes were, however, soon abandoned. In August 1953, the Deutschlandsender was relaunched as an "all-German" service, with FM coverage added.

A further reorganisation occurred when, in 1971, the State Broadcasting Committee of the GDR decided to merge the main station aimed at both sides of Berlin, Berliner Welle, with the Deutschlandsender to create Stimme der DDR ("Voice of the GDR"). This new information and news service began in November 1972.

German reunification
In 1989 the Peaceful Revolution in East Germany and the Fall of the Berlin Wall took place. In February 1990, the "Voice of the GDR" changed its name to Deutschlandsender. In May of the same year, it was combined with the existing national Radio DDR 2 to form Deutschlandsender Kultur, with headquarters at Funkhaus Nalepastraße.

Broadcasting started on 16 June 1990. As set out in the German Reunification Treaty of October 3, East German radio stations were to be closed, DS Kultur's operations therefore lacked a legal basis. Temporarily affiliated with the national ARD and ZDF public-service broadcasters, it was merged with the former West Berlin RIAS station to form Deutschlandradio Kultur with effect from 1 January 1994. With the Federal Republic's all-Germany service, Deutschlandfunk at Cologne, it today forms the Deutschlandradio broadcasting organisation, providing two nationwide radio stations for the reunified Germany.

See also
Eastern Bloc information dissemination
Rundfunk der DDR

Eastern Bloc mass media
German radio networks
Defunct radio stations in Germany
1926 establishments in Germany
1993 disestablishments in Germany
Defunct radio stations in East Germany
History of telecommunications in Germany
Radio stations established in 1926
Radio stations disestablished in 1993

Deutschlandsender


The Commercial Bank of Scotland Ltd. was a Scottish commercial bank. It was founded in Edinburgh in 1810, and obtained a royal charter in 1831. It grew substantially through the 19th and early 20th centuries, until 1958, when it merged with the National Bank of Scotland to become the National Commercial Bank of Scotland. Ten years later the National Commercial Bank merged with the Royal Bank of Scotland.

History

Formation

The Commercial Bank of Scotland was formed in 1810 in response to public dissatisfaction with the three charter banks (Bank of Scotland, British Linen Bank and The Royal Bank of Scotland): "it was felt by many of the Scottish people that the three old Banks had become too…devoted to their own interests…to be the real promoters of the general good." Checkland argued that the project was "without precedent" for the proposed joint stock company relied not on a restricted group of wealthy men but on "a very large group of investors, including those of more modest means, numbered in hundreds, distributed throughout Scotland".

The original bank premises were created by David Sandeman at 22 Picardy Place at the head of Leith Walk in Edinburgh.

The early years

It was always the intention to create a national branch structure and Bank's note issue was used as a form of early advertising: "it was the policy of the directors to arrange for note `circulators` throughout the country as a preliminary to actual agencies, the object being to familiarize the general public with the new Bank". The Commercial enjoyed immediate success and within twelve months it was "doing a fair proportion of the Banking business in Edinburgh and Leith", and had five branches outside the City. Within two years there were 11 branches and 30 by 1830. This success was despite the first manager having no banking experience and being "slow to learn" to the extent that he was removed in little more than a year. His successor, Alexander MacArtney, had been trained by private bankers and "was a man of real depth and ability".

In the late 1830s, a sizeable sum was stolen from the bank during a major highway robbery in Armadale, when the stagecoach between Glasgow and Edinburgh was robbed by four assailants. In the robbery, some £6000 in notes, gold and silver coins was stolen from a cargo trunk belonging to the bank. Two of the robbers, George Gilchrist and George Davidson were found guilty of the robbery and sentenced to death. While Gilchrist was hanged in public on the 3rd August 1831, Davidson managed to escape with the aid of relatives and escaped on a ship, eventually settling in New York.

The bank had been keen to obtain a royal charter from the outset but it did not succeed until 1831.  The title figure chosen to be the nominal head of the bank was James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale, the first of four Earls of Lauderdale to serve as governor over a period of fifty years.

In 1834, after several years of success, they built a hugely impressive new headquarters on George Street in Edinburgh, designed by David Rhind.

Branch expansion

Although "still anxious to extend branches" MacArtney proposed that the bank investigate the possibility of acquiring distressed provincial banking businesses. In 1826, the bank duly acquired the sole-partner Caithness Bank in Wick. With the exception of the two-office Arbroath Bank in 1844, that was the limit of the bank's acquisitions. From then on the story of the Commercial Bank was of steady organic expansion, accelerating as the century progressed: from 56 in 1860, the number of branches rose to 127 in 1890 and 167 in 1910, the bank's centenary. The bank's relative success towards the end of its century was emphasised by its rise from fifth place in 1895 in terms of deposits to second place in 1914. However, one area where the bank lagged was that it was the last of the seven large banks to open a London office – not done until 1883.

Amalgamation

The inter-war period saw continued branch expansion, the number rising from 240 in 1920 to 385 in 1940 when it owned the largest network in Scotland. However, the post-war period was one of radical change for Scottish banks with mergers and fresh links with English Banks. In 1953 an outsider, Ian Macdonald, had been appointed general manager of the Commercial. He presided over a bank "that had been particularly aggressive in branch formation…with somewhat modest capital". Macdonald set out a ten-year programme both to find an amalgamation partner and to diversify. The diversification came in the form of hire purchase and in 1954 the Commercial became the first British bank to enter the hire purchase business when it acquired the Scottish Midland Guarantee Trust.

Finding a new partner took longer. Discussions with British Linen came to naught but then Lloyds Bank approached the Commercial  offering to sell its 100% holding in the National Bank of Scotland in return for a minority stake in the enlarged entity; the merger took place in 1958 creating the National Commercial Bank of Scotland.

References

External links

Commercial Bank of Scotland, design for £20 note, British Museum
The Commercial Bank of Scotland, bankingletters.co.uk

Defunct banks of Scotland
Banks established in 1810
Companies based in Edinburgh
Royal Bank of Scotland
1810 establishments in Scotland
British companies established in 1810

Commercial Bank of Scotland


Slugs is an open-source autopilot system oriented toward inexpensive autonomous aircraft.
Low cost and wide availability enable hobbyist use in small remotely piloted aircraft. The project started in 2009 and is being further developed and used at Autonomous Systems Lab of University of California Santa Cruz. Several vendors produce Slugs autopilots and accessories.

Overview
An autopilot allows a remotely piloted aircraft to be flown out of sight. All hardware and software is open-source and freely available to anyone under the MIT licensing agreement. free software autopilots provide more flexible hardware and software. Users can modify the autopilot based on their own special requirements, such as forest fire evaluation. The free software approach from Slugs is similar to that from the paparazzi Project, PX4 autopilot, ArduPilot  and OpenPilot where low cost and availability enables its hobbyist use in small remotely piloted aircraft such as micro air vehicles and miniature UAVs. Such frameworks are common in Open-source robotics.

Software
The open-source software suite contains everything to let airborne systems fly.

See also
Crowdsourcing
Micro air vehicle

References

External links
Slugs Homepage

Avionics
Aircraft instruments
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Free software

Slugs (autopilot system)