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Portsmouth FC Basketball Club were a British professional basketball team based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, who played in the top league of UK basketball from 1985-88. They won the league championship in the 1986-87 and 1987-88 seasons and also reached four major cup finals, including those of all three main domestic knockout competitions in 1987-88.
Virtually all home games were played at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth, which had bleacher seating on either side plus a balcony around one end and one side. Part of the side balcony was reserved for directors and guests. Two matches in 1986-87 were hosted by Havant Leisure Centre eight miles away, and one in 1984-85 by Fleming Park Leisure Centre in Eastleigh, a 23-mile trip for home fans.
Formation and 1984-85 Season
The club was created in January 1985 when Portsmouth Football Club chairman John Deacon, having failed in a bid[1] to bring Solent Stars to the Mountbatten Centre, instead bought the top division Telford Turbos franchise and moved it to Portsmouth midway through the 1984-85 season.
Their first appearance under the Portsmouth FC banner was a 91-106[1] defeat at Solent. They had lost 87-123 [1] at home to Solent earlier in the season while still at Telford and playing in a former aircraft hangar.
Portsmouth were soon back at Solent's Fleming Park venue, but this time for a 'home' match when they were unable to use either of their usual courts. Kingston Kings were the visitors, and Portsmouth lost 72-115.[1]
But with no threat of relegation such heavy defeats did not matter and Deacon allowed the existing players to complete the campaign, eventually finishing second from bottom.[1]
Major Investment
Deacon recruited Danny Palmer as coach during the summer of 1985 and provided the budget to bring a host of star players to the south coast. Steve Nelson and Dave Harris remained from the original Turbos squad. Players recruited were Alan Cunningham, Colin Irish, Larry Dassie, Trevor Anderson, Kalpatrick Wells, Dan Lloyd, Joel Moore, Joe White, Andrew Bailey, Eddie Fontaine and Michael Hayles.[2][3]
1985-86 Season
The new Portsmouth line-up, with an all-blue first choice strip and all-white change colours, played on a green and terracotta roll-out carpet court at the Mountbatten Centre during 1985-86. After remaining unbeaten in a series of friendlies, including one against a German side at the Mountbatten Centre on September 8th, they made a tremendous start to the season, winning their first 17 matches, including 11 in the league. The first match was a 96-91 home National Cup win over Crystal Palace on September 20th 1985, followed by their first league game two days later, an 83-68 home victory over Solent. [3]
On October 23rd Portsmouth went to the Tolworth Recreation Centre in Surrey and beat league champions Kingston 99-86. There was now a fierce battle for supremacy between these teams which defined Portsmouth's period in the UK game. The easy 65-mile drive up and down the A3 also meant large away followings for both clubs in these matches.
_against_Crystal_Palace_at_the_Mountbatten_Centre_on_March_26th_1986.jpg)
Interest was rising among the Portsmouth public and on November 9th the 72-71 home win over Manchester United - another team owned by a football club - was watched by 1,064 people.
The unbeaten run ended in the National Cup semi-finals, which were both held at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre in Birmingham in a 'final four' day [3] covered by Channel 4 television. After following up their first round win over Crystal Palace with a victory away to second tier side Tower Hamlets and a quarter-final success at Tyneside, they faced another tussle with Kingston.
But when Joel Moore suffered serious eye injuries in a road accident, American guard Jose Slaughter was brought in to replace him. This meant an enforced absence for Alan Cunningham, as only two overseas players could be selected for any game, and the revised Portsmouth line-up suffered a 75-92 defeat which denied them a trip to the Royal Albert Hall in London for the final. [3] [4]
In the next game, three days before Christmas, mid-table Hemel & Watford Royals inflicted their first league defeat with a shock 82-79 win at the Mountbatten Centre. Another Sunday afternoon home loss followed on January 12th 1986, Leicester Riders pipping Portsmouth 114-113. But six victories in 18 days set up what was expected to be a title decider at home to Kingston on February 5th.
A crowd of 1,511 crammed into the Mountbatten Centre, standing three deep on the balcony and sitting on the floor in front of the bleachers. Kingston, in red vests and yellow shorts, dominated the early exchanges and took a 2-15 lead, but Portsmouth outscored them by two points to one in the remainder of the first half. They took the lead at 24-21 and held their biggest advantage, 16 points, at 58-42 before a Martin Clark basket made it 58-44 at half-time.
Kingston made some inroads after the break but when Colin Irish sank a three-pointer with 4 minutes 34 seconds to go Portsmouth still looked in control at 103-95. Two quick turnovers then cost them four cheap points, but the hosts regained command at 106-99 with 3 minutes 30 seconds left.
The pace of the game then quickened and baskets were traded, but Portsmouth still led 112-109 with 1 minute 23 seconds remaining. Steve Bontrager, who had scored Kingston's previous four points, sank two free-throws to draw Kingston within one, then with 63 seconds on the clock Kalpatrick Wells dunked to make it 114-111 to Portsmouth and drew a foul in the process. Kingston coach Kevin Cadle instantly called a time-out.
When the teams returned to the court amid a frenzied atmosphere, Portsmouth allowed victory to slip away. Wells missed his free-throw after the foul, then with 50 seconds remaining Joel Moore fouled Bontrager as he launched a three-point shot. Bontrager made all three from the line to tie the score at 114.
On Portsmouth's next offence Dan Lloyd moved deep into Kingston territory, only for Bontrager to steal the ball near the endline. Bontrager dribbled into the Portsmouth half, set up a diversionary play then drove through the lane and shot off the glass to put Kingston 114-116 ahead, their first lead in more than half an hour of play.
With five seconds left Portsmouth worked the ball up the court to Irish, who was fouled just outside the three-point line. He hurled up a shot which barely found the backboard in an effort to have it called a shooting foul, but the officials deemed that the foul was committed before the shot, and with Kingston in team fouls the rules at the time dictated that Irish would have a 'one and one' - make the first free-throw to receive a second - with one second on the clock.
_lays-up_before_the_National_Cup_semi-final_on_November_30th_1986.jpg)
Irish's first shot bounced twice on the rim, players of both sides fought for the rebound and eventually Clark pawed the ball to safety as the buzzer sounded. The Portsmouth players disappeared straight out of the arena as the Kingston contingent celebrated on their court. [5]
Within three days two more defeats at Brunel Uxbridge and Manchester United had ended Portsmouth's title bid, with United ultimately going on to win the crown. Portsmouth won three of their last four league games to finish [6] third, but Danny Palmer resigned and Alan Cunningham took on a caretaker coach role for the remainder of the campaign.
Portsmouth played sixth placed Birmingham Bullets in the National Championship - commonly known as the playoffs - quarter-finals, and having opened with a 92-86 away win they had two chances at home to secure the best-of-three series and a trip to Wembley Arena for the 'final four' weekend on March 21st and 22nd. But 85-93 and 91-95 defeats ended their hopes and left them with just the British Masters trophy to play for.
The British Masters began early in the season, Portsmouth beating lower division sides Caercastell and Plymouth Raiders away in the opening rounds. Victory at home to Bracknell Pirates at the end of October took them into the second qualifying stage in March, when they won 82-74 at Hemel & Watford and finished the job with a 101-99 success in the second leg. That brought a quarter-final with Crystal Palace, and expectations were raised by a comeback from 16 points down to win 108-107 at the National Sports Centre. But again it went wrong at home, and a 106-118 defeat brought a premature end to Portsmouth's season on March 26th 1986.
1986-87 Season
The carpet, the original kits and the caretaker coach had all gone by the time action resumed six months later, as had many of the team. Slaughter, Dassie, Wells, Bailey, Harris and Hayles all departed, while Lloyd took on a player-coach role. [4] New faces were American Danny Williams, Mike Spaid and Karl Tatham.[7] Trevor Anderson was on the squad list at the start of the season but his number 4 vest was later filled by American Lawrence Held.
_attack_against_Calderdale_Explorers_on_November_30th_1986.jpg)
The new team began with a 94-87 home win over Leicester on September 20th 1986, but they suffered a setback at home to Kingston a week later. Steve Nelson missed a free throw with the scores tied at 93 at the end of the game, and the visitors pulled away to win 106-97 in overtime.[8]
Eleven league wins in a row kept them well in contention for the title but the run ended with an 89-74[8] defeat in the return game at Leicester on January 9th 1987.
Six more wins followed before another decisive clash with Kingston at Tolworth on February 11th. Portsmouth needed to win by at least ten points to win the 'head to head' contest with Kingston and move to the top of the league. Colin Irish hit two three-pointers in the opening seconds and Portsmouth ran out 106-88[8] winners.
The title[9][6] was confirmed when Alan Cunningham made a lay-up with two seconds left to secure a 90-88[8] victory away to Hemel & Watford at the Dacorum Leisure Centre in Hemel Hempstead on February 18th.
The trophy was presented after the final home game two nights later, an 85-90 defeat by Manchester United. All the seating tickets were sold in advance and the balcony began to fill up two hours before tip-off.
Third place in the league in 1985-86 had given Portsmouth a place in the Korac Cup,[4] and their first venture into European competition brought a 96-76[8] home win over Yugoslavian side Sibenka on October 1st 1986. The return a week later ended in an 89-62 defeat[8] and a seven-point loss on aggregate.
They went much further in the National Cup, a home win over second tier side Lambeth Topcats (121-81) and a comfortable success at Hemel & Watford (127-99) taking them to another Channel 4 semi-final day at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre on November 30th. Portsmouth squeezed past Calderdale Explorers 82-78[10] to set up a final against holders Kingston at the Royal Albert Hall on December 15th. But Colin Irish was forced to miss the game with a leg injury and Kingston prevailed 95-87[8][11][6] in front of the Channel 4 cameras and a crowd of 4,200.
After clinching first place in the league Portsmouth wrapped up their playoff quarter-final with eighth placed Hemel & Watford in two games, and turned their attention to the British Masters while waiting for Wembley weekend. Birmingham and Derby Rams were eliminated to set up yet another meeting with Kingston in the semi-final. Portsmouth lost 107-103 at Tolworth but led by four points at the end of normal time at the Mountbatten Centre on March 25th. As the two-legged tie was decided on aggregate, the second leg went into overtime. Again Portsmouth held a four-point lead at the buzzer, but Kingston got the upper hand in a second period of overtime, eventually winning the game 135-133 and the tie by six points.
Portsmouth played BCP London in the first playoff semi-final at Wembley Arena on April 3rd, and fell to a 106-102 defeat[8] against a BCP side inspired by Argentinian star Julio Politi. They earned some consolation the following day by beating [8] Manchester United 99-89 in the third place match.
An 'International All Star' tournament was held at the Mountbatten Centre on December 29th and 30th, featuring Portsmouth, Solent, Sao Paulo from Brazil and the Australian Institute of Sport. Portsmouth beat the Australians 104-44[10] in their semi-final and then defeated Solent 103-95[8][10] in the final.
_attacks_the_Kingston_basket_in_the_National_Cup_final_on_December_15th_1986.jpg)
Larry Dassie, who had left Portsmouth just a few months before, died in a road accident[10] in December 1986. As a tribute to him, and to raise some money for his family, the Larry Dassie Testimonial Match was held at the Mountbatten Centre on April 12th 1987. The players of Portsmouth and Kingston suspended hostilities for the evening and formed two mixed teams who produced a 114-114 tie.
1987-88 Season
Dan Lloyd finally swapped tracksuit for suit in 1987-88, concentrating solely on coaching. Held, Fontaine, White, Moore and Williams also left the playing staff. Coming in were Americans Marc Glass and Kenny Stancell, soon to be replaced by Rich Strong, local star Jason Colgan, Roy Lewis and Russell Taylor. Larry Dassie's number 8 vest, vacant since he left the club at the end of 1985-86, was officially retired as a further tribute to him.
Portsmouth embarked on a five games in five days tour of France [12][13] to prepare for the new season, clocking up 1,400 miles of travelling as they pitted their talents against French top division clubs. They lost to Tours and Gravelines in the first and last matches of the trip but won two of the other three.
They started their title defence with a 102-88[12] win at Solent on September 19th 1987, but a week later Manchester United pinched a 70-69 victory at the Mountbatten Centre to leave the champions playing catch-up again.
In their next league match Portsmouth gained instant revenge on Manchester United with an 81-73 win in the away game to start a run of seven successive league victories.
The sequence ended with a 99-82 hammering at Kingston on November 25th, but that was to prove Portsmouth's last-ever league defeat, as they reeled off 18 more league wins in a row to clinch back-to-back titles.
For three months though it was looking like a fruitless pursuit of Kingston, until Calderdale recovered from a poor start to win 89-82[14] at Tolworth on February 14th 1988.
This meant that six nights later Portsmouth needed merely to beat Kingston at the Mountbatten Centre to take over at the top, rather than having to repeat the previous season's 18-point success to win the head-to-head.
Just like two years previously the balcony was packed, although this time a row of advertising boards prevented anyone sitting on the floor. The visitors wore a more conventional all-yellow strip and their supporters waved and released dozens of matching balloons, many grabbed and burst by some of the more partisan young Portsmouth supporters. At regular intervals the tunes of the 'Pompey Chimes' and Mike Oldfield's 'Portsmouth' were played on a drum and an amplified glockenspiel.
This pivotal clash matched the quality and pace of the 1986 encounter, but with more emphasis on defending and less long runs of scoring. Portsmouth edged into a 17-13 lead, Kingston responded to go up 23-24, the scores were level again at 35 then Portsmouth regained a four-point advantage, going into half-time leading 43-39.
With 11 minutes 20 seconds to go Portsmouth led 65-59, but they were held scoreless for more than two minutes as Kingston levelled at 65. Marc Glass and Steve Bontrager traded long two-pointers, then a Mike Spaid dunk and a Colin Irish basket gave Portsmouth daylight at 71-67 before a Bontrager three pulled Kingston back to within a single point.
Spaid made it 73-70 but Irish's fourth foul could not stop Kenny Scott, whose free-throw drew Kingston level with 4 minutes 20 seconds left. Paul Stimpson then gave Kingston a 73-75 lead before Alan Cunningham took over, sinking four consecutive free-throws then stealing the ball and racing away for a lay-up to put Portsmouth 79-75 clear with 2 minutes 39 seconds remaining.
Colin McNish made one from the line and Dan Davis laid up to bring Kingston back to 79-78, then Rich Strong sank a pair of free-throws to edge Portsmouth clear again at 81-78.
With a minute remaining former Portsmouth star Joel Moore, who had received a frosty reception from the home fans on his return, tied the scores at 81 with a three-pointer from the top of the key.
But with just 48 seconds left McNish fouled out and Strong made both free-throws to put Portsmouth up 83-81. A desperate shot from Moore was blocked and Portsmouth broke clear, drew another foul and sank one final free-throw to win 84-81 and prompt joyous scenes among the home support.[5]
_hope_for_an_offensive_rebound_on_December_14th_1987.jpg)
There was still a little work to do, but victory at Livingston meant a 94-80 win at Bolton & Bury Giants on February 27th was enough to retain the crown.[9][15][16] The trophy was handed over following the last league game, a 109-57 romp past bottom club Crystal Palace at the Mountbatten Centre on March 4th.
In Europe, Portsmouth went to Czechoslovakia, where Zbrojovka Brno took a decisive 94-76 lead after the first leg of their European Cup tie. Portsmouth gained some consolation with a 97-95 win in the return, but lost by 16 points on aggregate.
For the third year in a row Portsmouth's National Cup run was ended by Kingston, and for the second season running defeat came at the Royal Albert Hall. This time 6,000 people and Channel 4 saw them lose 90-84[11][17][18] in the final on December 14th 1987. Colin Irish was struck by injury again, trying to play despite being unable to shoot using his normal hand. Portsmouth had reached the final with home wins over Bracknell Tigers (85-82), Sunderland 76ers (98-88)[18] and, in a non-neutral semi-final, Manchester United (107-90).[18]
Portsmouth travelled to the Granby Halls in Leicester for the 'Tournament of Champions' on January 1st 1988, but after holding a 13-point lead in their semi-final with Kingston they unravelled to an 86-93[14] defeat in the last three and a half minutes.
The League Cup replaced the British Masters in 1987-88, and after home and away group stage [19] victories over Solent[12] and Bracknell, Portsmouth once again met Kingston in a semi-final. Portsmouth won the first leg at the Mountbatten Centre 94-87[19] on March 23rd, but three nights later at Tolworth they trailed 80-72 with one second left and were seemingly heading out of the competition.
Then Karl Tatham was fouled attempting a three-point shot on the buzzer. After lengthy discussion among the officials Tatham was awarded three free throws. He sank the first two then threw the third up towards the ceiling to celebrate Portsmouth's one-point aggregate victory.[19]
Marc Glass hit a three-pointer from the halfway line at the end of the first half of the final against Livingston at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre on March 30th, but that proved Portsmouth's high point of the evening as the Scottish side took the trophy with a 96-91[11][20][19] win.
Home and away wins over eighth placed Solent in the playoff quarter-finals[20][12] took Portsmouth back to Wembley Arena for the 'final four' weekend on April 9th and 10th, and this time they won their semi - beating Manchester United 98-90[20] - to ensure they achieved the hat-trick of major final appearances that season.
But once again there was disappointment as Livingston inflicted another defeat, this time 81-72,[11][15][20] in what would later prove to be Portsmouth's last-ever match.
A Sudden End
Shortly after the season concluded John Deacon announced his intention to move his franchise to the newly-built Rivermead Leisure Centre in Reading, then in May 1988 he sold Portsmouth Football Club. With nobody offering to finance a basketball club in either Portsmouth or Reading, ownership of the franchise reverted to the league. Portsmouth FC Basketball Club's financial affairs were formally wound up in March 1989.[21]
Cunningham and Irish's Coastal Tour
Alan Cunningham and Colin Irish maintained their south coast links during the rest of their careers. Together with Steve Nelson and Mike Spaid they formed the core of the Worthing Bears' top tier title winning side in 1992-93. They also found the secret to winning major knockout competitions, with three playoff titles and a National Cup before departing in 1996. Having played to the east of Portsmouth for Worthing, they then went west to Eastleigh in 1997, taking Solent to a third tier championship in 1997-98 and a second tier title in 1998-99.
Irish made his last competitive appearance for Solent in a 63-80 second tier playoff final defeat against Teesside Mohawks at Wembley Arena on May 6th 2000, and his final game in England before moving to the USA came at the Mountbatten Centre on May 30th 2000, when he scored 15 points in a 103-100 overtime friendly victory for a Portsmouth Pirates Select side against the University of Gettysburg.
Cunningham, who scored 38 points in that game, had been due to retire too, but when Solent struggled with a young team the following season he made a comeback. His last game, at the age of 47, came in another second tier playoff final against Teesside, this time at the Coventry Skydome on May 12th 2002. Solent lost 117-127 in double overtime but Cunningham played superbly, scoring 29 points, and in a fitting end to his career he had the ball in his hands as the final buzzer sounded.
League Tables
1984-85
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston Kings | 26 | 24 | 2 | 48 |
| Manchester United | 26 | 19 | 7 | 38 |
| Manchester Giants | 26 | 18 | 8 | 36 |
| Solent Stars | 26 | 17 | 9 | 34 |
| Worthing Bears | 26 | 17 | 9 | 34 |
| Leicester Riders | 26 | 15 | 11 | 30 |
| Hemel & Watford Royals | 26 | 15 | 11 | 30 |
| Bracknell Pirates | 26 | 15 | 11 | 30 |
| Sunderland Maestros | 26 | 12 | 14 | 24 |
| Crystal Palace | 26 | 12 | 14 | 24 |
| Doncaster Panthers | 26 | 10 | 16 | 20 |
| Birmingham Bullets | 26 | 6 | 20 | 12 |
| Portsmouth FC | 26 | 1 | 25 | 2 |
| Bolton & Bury Hawks | 26 | 1 | 25 | 2 |
1985-86
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 28 | 25 | 3 | 50 |
| Kingston Kings | 28 | 24 | 4 | 48 |
| Portsmouth FC | 28 | 22 | 6 | 44 |
| Manchester Giants | 28 | 18 | 10 | 36 |
| Crystal Palace | 28 | 17 | 11 | 33 |
| Birmingham Bullets | 28 | 15 | 13 | 30 |
| Brunel Uxbridge | 28 | 14 | 14 | 28 |
| Leicester Riders | 28 | 14 | 14 | 28 |
| Hemel & Watford Royals | 28 | 13 | 15 | 26 |
| Solent Stars | 28 | 12 | 16 | 24 |
| Worthing Bears | 28 | 12 | 16 | 24 |
| Bracknell Pirates | 28 | 11 | 17 | 22 |
| Sunderland | 28 | 8 | 20 | 16 |
| Bolton & Bury Hawks | 28 | 3 | 25 | 6 |
| Tyneside | 28 | 2 | 26 | 4 |
(Crystal Palace were deducted one point)
1986-87
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth FC | 24 | 21 | 3 | 42 |
| Kingston Kings | 24 | 21 | 3 | 42 |
| Manchester United | 24 | 19 | 5 | 38 |
| BCP London | 24 | 17 | 7 | 34 |
| Leicester Riders | 24 | 16 | 8 | 32 |
| Bracknell Tigers | 24 | 11 | 13 | 22 |
| Calderdale Explorers | 24 | 10 | 14 | 20 |
| Hemel & Watford Royals | 23 | 8 | 15 | 16 |
| Birmingham Bullets | 24 | 8 | 16 | 16 |
| Sunderland 76ers | 24 | 7 | 17 | 14 |
| Solent Stars | 24 | 7 | 17 | 14 |
| Bolton & Bury Hawks | 23 | 6 | 17 | 11 |
| Derby Rams | 24 | 4 | 20 | 8 |
(One of the Hemel v Bolton fixtures was not played and Bolton were deducted one point because of this)
1987-88
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth FC | 28 | 26 | 2 | 52 |
| Kingston Kings | 28 | 24 | 4 | 48 |
| Livingston | 28 | 22 | 6 | 44 |
| Manchester United | 28 | 21 | 7 | 42 |
| Calderdale Explorers | 28 | 20 | 8 | 40 |
| Bracknell Tigers | 28 | 17 | 11 | 34 |
| Birmingham Bullets | 28 | 14 | 14 | 28 |
| Solent Stars | 28 | 14 | 14 | 28 |
| Leicester Riders | 28 | 14 | 14 | 28 |
| Bolton & Bury Giants | 28 | 12 | 16 | 24 |
| Hemel & Watford Royals | 28 | 9 | 19 | 18 |
| Sunderland 76ers | 28 | 8 | 20 | 16 |
| Derby Rams | 28 | 4 | 24 | 8 |
| Oldham Celtics | 28 | 3 | 25 | 6 |
| Crystal Palace | 28 | 2 | 26 | 4 |
Competitive Results
1984-85
| Venue | Opponents | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEL | Solent Stars | League | Lost 87-123 |
| Away | Solent Stars | League | Lost 91-106 |
| FP | Kingston Kings | League | Lost 72-115 |
(All other results from this season are currently unavailable TEL - Home match while still Telford Turbos FP - Fleming Park Leisure Centre)
1985-86
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 20th | Home | Crystal Palace | National Cup 1st round | Won 96-91 |
| September 22nd | Home | Solent Stars | League | Won 83-68 |
| September 28th | Away | Leicester Riders | League | Won 105-93 |
| October 3rd | Away | Caercastell | British Masters 1st round | Won 132-68 |
| October 8th | Away | Plymouth Raiders | British Masters 1st round | Won 98-84 |
| October 12th | Away | Sunderland Maestros | League | Won 114-102 |
| October 13th | Away | Tyneside | League | Won 64-61 |
| October 16th | Away | Hemel & Watford Royals | League | Won 84-78 |
| October 20th | Away | Tower Hamlets | National Cup 2nd round | Won 111-69 |
| October 23rd | Away | Kingston Kings | League | Won 99-86 |
| October 30th | Home | Bracknell Pirates | British Masters 1st round | Won 110-96 |
| November 2nd | Home | Manchester Giants | League | Won 83-73 |
| November 9th | Home | Manchester United | League | Won 72-71 |
| November | Away | Tyneside | National Cup quarter-final | Won |
| November 30th | Away | Birmingham Bullets | League | Won 90-88 |
| December 7th | Home | Worthing Bears | League | Won 104-80 |
| December 18th | Away | Bracknell Pirates | League | Won 101-92 |
| December | AVLC | Kingston Kings | National Cup semi-final | Lost 75-92 |
| December 22nd | Home | Hemel & Watford Royals | League | Lost 79-82 |
| January 5th | Home | Birmingham Bullets | League | Won 88-77 |
| January 8th | Away | Worthing Bears | League | Won 96-92 |
| January 12th | Home | Leicester Riders | League | Lost 113-114 |
| January 15th | Home | Bracknell Pirates | Home | Won 108-87 |
| January 22nd | Away | Crystal Palace | League | Won 123-112 |
| January 25th | Home | Sunderland Maestros | League | Won 103-98 |
| January 26th | Home | Brunel Uxbridge | League | Won 100-92 |
| January 29th | Away | Solent Stars | League | Won 94-83 [3] |
| February 1st | Away | Bolton & Bury Hawks | League | Won 84-66 |
| February 5th | Home | Kingston Kings | League | Lost 114-116 |
| February 7th | Away | Brunel Uxbridge | League | Lost 100-104 |
| February 8th | Away | Manchester United | League | Lost 101-112 |
| February 15th | Away | Manchester Giants | League | Won 94-85 |
| February 16th | Home | Bolton & Bury Hawks | League | Won 103-87 |
| February 19th | Home | Crystal Palace | League | Lost 108-118 |
| February 23rd | Home | Tyneside | League | Won 114-95 |
| March 1st | Away | Birmingham Bullets | National Championship QF game 1 | Won 92-86 |
| March 5th | Home | Birmingham Bullets | National Championship QF game 2 | Lost 85-93 |
| March 7th | Home | Birmingham Bullets | National Championship QF game 3 | Lost 91-95 |
| March 15th | Away | Hemel & Watford Royals | British Masters 2nd round 1st leg | Won 82-74 |
| March 18th | Home | Hemel & Watford Royals | British Masters 2nd round 2nd leg | Won 101-99 |
| March 24th | Away | Crystal Palace | British Masters quarter-final 1st leg | Won 108-107 |
| March 26th | Home | Crystal Palace | British Masters quarter-final 2nd leg | Lost 106-118 |
(AVLC - Aston Villa Leisure Centre)
1986-87
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 20th | Home | Leicester Riders | League | Won 94-87 |
| September 27th | Home | Kingston Kings | League | Lost 97-106 OT |
| October 1st | Home | Sibenka | Korac Cup 1st round 1st leg | Won 96-76 |
| October 4th | Away | Bracknell Tigers | League | Won 108-84 |
| October 8th | Away | Sibenka | Korac Cup 1st round 2nd leg | Lost 62-89 |
| October 12th | Home | Sunderland | League | Won 109-72 |
| October 18th | Home | Lambeth Topcats | National Cup 2nd round | Won 121-81 |
| October 25th | Away | Derby Rams | League | Won 89-71 |
| November 1st | HLC | Calderdale Explorers | League | Won 114-90 |
| November 8th | Away | Bolton & Bury Hawks | League | Won 91-72 |
| November 12th | Home | Birmingham Bullets | League | Won 113-91 |
| November 15th | Away | Hemel & Watford Royals | National Cup quarter-final | Won 127-99 |
| November 26th | Home | Solent Stars | League | Won 133-101 [10] |
| November 30th | AVLC | Calderdale Explorers | National Cup semi-final | Won 82-78 |
| December 6th | Away | Manchester United | League | Won 102-94 |
| December 13th | Home | Hemel & Watford Royals | League | Won 107-101 |
| December 15th | RAH | Kingston Kings | National Cup final | Lost 87-95 |
| December 20th | Away | Sunderland | League | Won 97-89 |
| December 29th | Home | Australian Institute of Sport | International All Star semi-final | Won 104-44 |
| December 30th | Home | Solent Stars | International All Star final | Won 103-95* |
| January 7th | Away | Solent Stars | League | Won 98-85 [10] |
| January 9th | Away | Leicester Riders | League | Lost 74-89 |
| January 21st | Home | BCP London | League | Won 91-81 |
| January 24th | Home | Derby Rams | League | Won 112-92 |
| January 28th | HLC | Bracknell Tigers | League | Won 95-86 |
| February 1st | Away | Calderdale Explorers | League | Won 83-67 |
| February 5th | Away | BCP London | League | Won 93-85 |
| February 7th | Home | Bolton & Bury Hawks | League | Won 114-86 |
| February 11th | Away | Kingston Kings | League | Won 106-88 |
| February 14th | Away | Birmingham Bullets | League | Won 96-92 [8] |
| February 18th | Away | Hemel & Watford Royals | League | Won 90-88 |
| February 20th | Home | Manchester United | League | Lost 85-90 |
| February 28th | Away | Hemel & Watford Royals | National Championship QF game 1 | Won 95-76 |
| March 4th | Home | Hemel & Watford Royals | National Championship QF game 2 | Won 119-87 |
| March 12th | Home | Birmingham Bullets | British Masters 2nd round 1st leg | Won 117-92 |
| March 15th | Away | Birmingham Bullets | British Masters 2nd round 2nd leg | Won 117-97 |
| March 17th | Home | Derby Rams | British Masters quarter-final | Won 120-83 |
| March 22nd | Away | Kingston Kings | British Masters semi-final 1st leg | Lost 103-107 |
| March 25th | Home | Kingston Kings | British Masters semi-final 2nd leg | Lost 133-135 2OT |
| April 3rd | WEM | BCP London | National Championship semi-final | Lost 102-106 |
| April 4th | WEM | Manchester United | National Championship 3rd/4th | Won 99-89 |
(*Recorded at [10] as 105-97 HLC - Havant Leisure Centre AVLC - Aston Villa Leisure Centre RAH - Royal Albert Hall WEM - Wembley Arena)
1987-88
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 19th | Away | Solent Stars | League | Won 102-88 |
| September 23rd | Away | Zbrojovka Brno | European Cup 1st round 1st leg | Lost 76-94 |
| September 26th | Home | Manchester United | League | Lost 69-70 |
| September 30th | Home | Zbrojovka Brno | European Cup 1st round 2nd leg | Won 97-95 |
| October 3rd | Away | Manchester United | League | Won 81-73 |
| October 10th | Home | Hemel & Watford Royals | League | Won 92-72 |
| October 18th | Home | Bracknell Tigers | National Cup 2nd round | Won 85-82 |
| October 31st | Home | Oldham Celtics | League | Won 110-52 |
| November 7th | Home | Birmingham Bullets | League | Won 97-77 |
| November 11th | Home | Sunderland 76ers | National Cup quarter-final | Won 98-88 |
| November 14th | Home | Derby Rams | League | Won 98-68 |
| November 18th | Away | Bracknell Tigers | League | Won 84-71 |
| November 20th | Home | Leicester Riders | League | Won 104-81 |
| November 25th | Away | Kingston Kings | League | Lost 82-99 |
| November 27th | Away | Derby Rams | League | Won 91-73 |
| November 29th | Home | Manchester United | National Cup semi-final | Won 107-90 |
| December 2nd | Away | Sunderland 76ers | League | Won 105-82 |
| December 5th | Home | Bolton & Bury Giants | League | Won 73-72 |
| December 12th | Away | BCP London* | League | Won 116-87 |
| December 14th | RAH | Kingston Kings | National Cup final | Lost 84-90 |
| December 16th | Home | Bracknell Tigers | League | Won 97-78 |
| December 19th | Home | Solent Stars | League | Won 84-81 [12] |
| December 22nd | Away | Calderdale Explorers | League | Won 75-74 |
| January 1st | GH | Kingston Kings | Tournament of Champions semi-final | Lost 86-93 |
| January 9th | Away | Hemel & Watford Royals | League | Won 102-83 |
| January 13th | Home | Livingston | League | Won 100-93 |
| January 16th | Home | Calderdale Explorers | League | Won 74-68 |
| January 23rd | Away | Oldham Celtics | League | Won 115-92 |
| January 30th | Home | Sunderland 76ers | League | Won 124-87 |
| February 6th | Away | Birmingham Bullets | League | Won 121-92 |
| February 10th | Away | Solent Stars | League Cup South 2 group | Won 103-75 |
| February 12th | Away | Leicester Riders | League | Won 92-84 |
| February 17th | Home | Bracknell Tigers | League Cup South 2 group | Won 91-84 |
| February 20th | Home | Kingston Kings | League | Won 84-81 |
| February 25th | Away | Livingston | League | Won 94-73 |
| February 27th | Away | Bolton & Bury Giants | League | Won 94-80 |
| March 2nd | Away | Bracknell Tigers | League Cup South 2 group | Won 100-84 |
| March 4th | Home | Crystal Palace | League | Won 109-57 |
| March 9th | Home | Solent Stars | League Cup South 2 group | Won 134-95 |
| March 13th | Home | Solent Stars | National Championship QF game 1 | Won 115-86 |
| March 16th | Away | Solent Stars | National Championship QF game 2 | Won 113-103 |
| March 23rd | Home | Kingston Kings | League Cup semi-final 1st leg | Won 94-87 |
| March 26th | Away | Kingston Kings | League Cup semi-final 2nd leg | Lost 74-80 |
| March 30th | AVLC | Livingston | League Cup final | Lost 91-96 |
| April 9th | WEM | Manchester United | National Championship semi-final | Won 98-90 |
| April 10th | WEM | Livingston | National Championship final | Lost 72-81 |
(*Later renamed Crystal Palace RAH - Royal Albert Hall GH - Granby Halls AVLC - Aston Villa Leisure Centre WEM - Wembley Arena)
Statistics - League Games Only
1986-87
| Number | Name | Games | Minutes | Blocks | Steals | Assists | Fouls | Fouled Out | Points | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Lawrence Held | 9 | 143 | 2 | 8 | 26 | 33 | 1 | 70 | 7.8 |
| 5 | Eddie Fontaine | 22 | 260.5 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 34 | 1 | 57 | 2.6 |
| 6 | Steve Nelson | 22 | 240.5 | 3 | 22 | 22 | 39 | 1 | 78 | 3.5 |
| 7 | Alan Cunningham | 24 | 798.5 | 45 | 81 | 50 | 71 | 2 | 592 | 24.7 |
| 9 | Joe White | 16 | 87.5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 32 | 2.0 |
| 10 | Dan Lloyd | 16 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.3 |
| 11 | Mike Spaid | 22 | 574 | 20 | 20 | 28 | 65 | 3 | 272 | 12.4 |
| 12 | Karl Tatham | 24 | 719 | 1 | 67 | 109 | 41 | 0 | 254 | 10.6 |
| 13 | Joel Moore | 22 | 637 | 4 | 47 | 68 | 48 | 0 | 313 | 14.2 |
| 14 | Colin Irish | 24 | 714.5 | 6 | 40 | 122 | 77 | 3 | 459 | 19.1 |
| 15 | Danny Williams | 23 | 583.5 | 5 | 25 | 31 | 57 | 2 | 260 | 11.3 |
1987-88
| Number | Name | Games | 2pt | 3pt | FT | Off Reb | Def Reb | Assists | Steals | Points | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Marc Glass | 28 | 162/290 | 29/84 | 66/80 | 20 | 65 | 107 | 53 | 419 | 15.0 |
| 5 | Jason Colgan | 19 | 6/11 | 0/0 | 1/5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 0.7 |
| 6 | Steve Nelson | 24 | 46/90 | 6/10 | 14/27 | 16 | 31 | 43 | 26 | 112 | 4.7 |
| 7 | Alan Cunningham | 28 | 265/480 | 0/3 | 95/119 | 114 | 202 | 89 | 69 | 625 | 22.3 |
| 9 | Roy Lewis | 28 | 42/90 | 0/0 | 33/49 | 14 | 9 | 43 | 12 | 117 | 4.2 |
| 10 | Russell Taylor | 21 | 30/47 | 0/0 | 14/22 | 15 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 74 | 3.5 |
| 11 | Mike Spaid | 26 | 105/192 | 0/0 | 14/22 | 66 | 90 | 20 | 14 | 224 | 8.6 |
| 12 | Karl Tatham | 28 | 117/232 | 2/5 | 41/60 | 37 | 53 | 152 | 103 | 277 | 9.9 |
| 14 | Colin Irish | 22 | 172/353 | 38/97 | 51/70 | 35 | 90 | 120 | 46 | 433 | 19.7 |
| 15 | Rich Strong | 24 | 160/225 | 0/0 | 46/57 | 71 | 131 | 31 | 18 | 366 | 15.3 |
| 15 | Kenny Stancell | 3 | 8/15 | 0/0 | 1/2 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 5.7 |
Squads 1985-88
| Number | 1985-86 | 1986-87 | 1987-88 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Trevor Anderson | Trevor Anderson/Lawrence Held | Marc Glass |
| 5 | Andrew Bailey/Eddie Fontaine | Eddie Fontaine | Jason Colgan |
| 6 | Steve Nelson | Steve Nelson | Steve Nelson |
| 7 | Alan Cunningham/Jose Slaughter | Alan Cunningham | Alan Cunningham |
| 8 | Larry Dassie | ||
| 9 | Dave Harris | Joe White | Roy Lewis |
| 10 | Dan Lloyd | Dan Lloyd | Russell Taylor |
| 11 | Michael Hayles | Mike Spaid | Mike Spaid |
| 12 | Joe White | Karl Tatham | Karl Tatham |
| 13 | Joel Moore | Joel Moore | |
| 14 | Colin Irish | Colin Irish | Colin Irish |
| 15 | Kalpatrick Wells | Danny Williams | Kenny Stancell/Rich Strong |
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Solent Stars 1984/85 Season". Solent Stars Basketball Club - The Complete History. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ Pages 94-95 Portsmouth F.C. Official Diary Yearbook 1985/6 (Published by Eagle Football Diaries Limited, 63b Lansdowne Place, Hove, East Sussex BN3 1FL)
- ^ a b c d e f "Solent Stars 1985/86 Season". Solent Stars Basketball Club - The Complete History. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ a b c Pages 92-94 Portsmouth F.C. Official Diary Yearbook 1986/7 ISBN 0-948351-07-1 (Published by Eagle Football Diaries Limited, 63b Lansdowne Place, Hove, East Sussex BN3 1FL)
- ^ a b Match description compiled by watching full-length video of game
- ^ a b c Page 158 Basketball League 1996/7 Handbook
- ^ "Steals per game". BBL. Words - British Basketball League. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Pages 90-94 Portsmouth F.C. Official Diary Yearbook 1987/8 ISBN 0-948351-17-9 (Published by Eagle Football Diaries Limited, 63b Lansdowne Place, Hove, East Sussex BN3 1FL)
- ^ a b Page 127 English Basketball Association National Competitions Handbook 1999/2000
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Solent Stars 1986/87 Season". Solent Stars Basketball Club - The Complete History. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d Pages 129-130 English Basketball Association National Competitions Handbook 1999/2000
- ^ a b c d e f "Solent Stars 1987/88 Season". Solent Stars Basketball Club - The Complete History. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ Portsmouth FC Basketball Club v Manchester United programme September 26th 1987
- ^ a b Kingston Kings v Portsmouth FC Basketball Club programme March 26th 1988
- ^ a b Page 12 Basketball League 1996/7 Handbook
- ^ "Competition History". BBL. Words - British Basketball League. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ Page 35 Basketball League 1996/7 Handbook
- ^ a b c Page 38 Basketball League 1996/7 Handbook
- ^ a b c d Page 29 Basketball League 1996/7 Handbook
- ^ a b c d e Pages 21-22 Basketball League 1996/7 Handbook
- ^ "Solent Stars 1988/89 Season". Solent Stars Basketball Club - The Complete History. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d Pages 143-144 English Basketball Association National Competitions Handbook 1999/2000
- ^ "1987/88 BBL Championship". BBL. Words - British Basketball League. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ a b Portsmouth FC Basketball Club v Birmingham Bullets programme March 5th 1986
- ^ a b c Portsmouth FC Basketball Club v Hemel & Watford Royals programme March 4th 1987
- ^ a b c Portsmouth FC Basketball Club v Solent Stars programme March 13th 1988
External links
Top league organiser 1987-date, produced Basketball League 1996/7 Handbook
The News, Portsmouth, newspaper for Portsmouth FC Basketball Club match reports and information
Daily Echo, Southampton, newspaper for Solent Stars match reports and information
(Worthing Herald, Worthing, newspaper for Worthing Bears match reports and information
Details of Fleming Park Leisure Centre