P&D Basketball League History
The competitive history of basketball in Plymouth can be traced back to 1951 in the
Combined Services ABBA which evolved into the Plymouth & District (P&D) League ABBA.
The seventh AGM of the CSABBA became also the first AGM of the P&D league held
at Royal Naval Barracks (H.M.S Drake) on Thursday 4th September 1958.
During the first seven years of the combined services league administration mainly
rested with Naval Officers and for many a year “Drake” was the city court to play on.
12 CS Pioneering teams were:
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Royal Naval Barracks
R.A.F. Collaton Cross
Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion
Plymouth City Police
Plymouth Y.M.C.A.
42 Field Regiment
Royal Leicester Regiment
H.M.S. Fisgard
H.M.S. Thunderer (R.N.E.C.)
Devonport Dockyard Technical College
Plymouth Fire Brigade
Royal Marine Barracks
PE Advisor Dave Prestwich and teacher Bob Smith introduced the Teachers’ teams at
this time.
Naval Officers were re-elected into the transition and the treasurer reported in 1958:
Receipts
£7-9s-0p
Expenditure
£6-6s-0p
Balance
£1-3s-0p
Over the next years several teams had prominent spells as the P&D league
expanded, notably:
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Teachers
YMCA/Polytechnic
City Police
R.N. Buccaneers
Valletort
The seventies started years of rivalry between Plympton BBC and Kanaries with both
being involved in the formation of the Plymouth Raiders.
P&D at various times recruited regional clubs from around Devon and Cornwall,
including: Liskeard, Torpoint, Looe, Bude, Torbay, Perranwell, Teignmouth, Buckfastleigh,
R.N.A.S. Culdrose, Totnes, Newton Abbot, Tavistock, Saltash, H.M.S. Raleigh, Kingsbridge,
Wadebridge, Ivybridge, Dartmouth (R.N. College), Callington.
Matches were played at most forces venues and suitable schools and college courts.
Development was further achieved with the Mayflower Centre, Kitto Centre, the College of
St Mark and St John (Marjon), Plympton and the Civil Service Sports Centre. Some of these
venues have held summer leagues over the years.
Life Vice- President Keith Mollard provides an overview of some of the historical
courts of the P&D league:
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RNEC, a massive court where 4 pillars stood in the middle to provide extra defensive
obstacles
Devonport High for Boys where the court was barely as big as a half full size. Grab a
rebound, turn and put up a jump shot at the other end!
Ernesettle School and Seaton Barracks where the long and narrow gyms and had
beams on one side which precluded set shots from long range.
Plumer Barracks where the broken windows allowed inclement weather to affect
games.
YMCA in the City Centre which was used for dancing on Monday night and basketball
on Tuesday which meant much travelling/sliding!!
Most other courts were the old style 60’ x 30’ school gyms.
The P&D league was affiliated for many years to the South West Region
(S.W.A.B.B.A.) being the link to the then named England ABBA. Many people from Plymouth
served on the SWABBA committee periodically.
Numerous competitions were gradually introduced, if not sustained. Locally P&D had
divisions 1 and 2, later renamed Premier and Senior plus cup matches and some all day
(handicapped) tournaments.
There was the youth/junior division, up to two cadet sections and a women’s league,
each with cup competitions. All clubs had to be affiliated and senior players individually
registered with the ABBA/EBBA. Additionally teams could join Devon I and Devon II. Entries
could be made into all levels of the South West cups and the higher level southern league.
Plymouth teams entered into the 100 cup/Founders Cup- a national competition for
non national league sides. The Kanaries won this in 1983.
A number of Plymouth players have gone on to represent their country
internationally, most notably the legend that is Vic Tinsley, other players include:
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Paul Roach (England)
Dean Williams (England)
Rod Wellington (England)
Roger Cope (Wales)
Nathan Hayes (Wales)
The P&D league has also been home to some celebrities over the years, most
notably the actor Charles Dance. Dance attended Widey Tech and played for them,
Plymouth Schools and the YMCA in the Senior League before moving onto stardom. His long
blond/ginger locks flowing behind him.
Numerous players have achieved levels in the national leagues and the elite BBL.
Others have gained distinction in BUSA university games (now BUCS), combined services
honours and GB Civil Service.
The Plymouth and District league can boast a really high percentage of stalwarts who
on average have been around for 50 years, since starting as young players:
Keith Wilson (Current Chairman), Dave Mills (Current Treasurer) and Keith Mollard,
Frank Pocock, Colin Benstead and Chris Gate making up the four Life Vice Presidents over
the last 20 years.
Chairman Keith is famed as a referee who has officiated many games a week over 30
years. Dave, Keith and Frank, retired teachers, have been involved in all aspects of the game
from schools to a high level.
Chris Gate began playing the game as a schoolboy at Honicknowle secondary School
and his team were involved in the early days of the P&D Junior League. He became an
administrator with the Junior League in those days and moved into the Senior League as
both player and administrator. He has, for some 50 years, held various posts within the
league and has also meticulously maintained records, press cutting and the history of the
league. He also played the game well into his 40s and was largely responsible for the
regional Civil Service teams which played in national competitions.
Colin Benstead, a retired police sergeant, is the elder statesman of the game in
Plymouth as he was involved as a player for the Police in the days of the Combined Services
League and was prominent as General Secretary and Treasurer for many years. He was also
a referee who officiated at many games in the league and played for the police for many
years.
Martyn Moon came to Plymouth in the mid 1960s and held roles with Plymouth
Schools, played for the Plympton BBC team before becoming the P&D Referees’
Appointments secretary for a number of years. He was also heavily involved nationally as
English Schools’ Competitions Secretary for several years and was an inaugural Director of
the Plymouth Raiders.
Rick Wooldridge and Norman Waldron were involved as coaches/ players with the
Torbay teams in the league for a few years and they also worked for many years as
international coaches, which Wooldridge still is, and Waldron was General Secretary of
English Schools Basketball for many years.
Pete Liddall was the only man of his day to achieve National Coach status. The late
Bob Karruck spent 30 years as a coach.
Richard Sunderland, an Art teacher at Devonport High for Girls, was the first to bring
women’s basketball to the fore with his school teams which moved into local women’s
leagues and then to the National League. He was a pioneer but sadly the women’s game has
died locally since he retired from the game.
Keith Mollard has been involved as a player, coach, administrator and referee in
Plymouth since 1961 when he came to the city to teach. As a player he represented the
Teachers’ and the League representative teams. As a coach he coached his and Plymouth
Schools’ teams and formed school Old Boys teams to play in the league.
As an administrator he was involved at all levels of the game from Plymouth Schools,
P&D where at one time or another he held most of the secretarial positions, to South West
Area, Southern League and the ABBA National Executive. Keith Organised competitions at all
levels plus staging school and senior men and women internationals and many local
tournaments. He won the ABBA administrator of the year award in 1976.
As a referee he was the South West’s first Grade 1 official, was on the panel of the
first National League, refereed several National Cup Finals and eventually became a NBL
Commissioner for several years.
He organised and staffed referees and table officials’ courses all over the South West
and has been responsible for drafting constitutions and rules of competition. For over 20
years he was a director and administrator of the Plymouth Raiders and continues working
for them as match day commentator.
The league continues today as a central venue league currently played at UCP
Marjon. The league is made up of teams both young and old from the Plymouth and
Cornwall Area.
The league would like to extend their thanks to Chris Gate for compiling this historical
account.