Portsmouth F.C. Basketball Club was a British professional basketball team based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, that played in the top league of UK basketball from 1985 to 1988. They won the league championship in the 1986âÂÂ87 and 1987âÂÂ88 seasons and also reached four major cup finals, including those of all three main domestic knockout competitions in 1987âÂÂ88.
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 1986âÂÂ87 and two in 1984âÂÂ85 were hosted by Havant Leisure Centre (eight miles away), one in 1984âÂÂ85 by Fleming Park Leisure Centre in Eastleigh (23 miles) and one in 1984âÂÂ85 by Winchester Recreation Centre (30 miles).
The club was created when Portsmouth Football Club chairman John Deacon, having failed in a 9 January 1985 bid to buy Eastleigh-based Solent Stars, instead bought another top division club, Telford Turbos, on 16 January and moved it to Portsmouth midway through the 1984âÂÂ85 season.
For an undisclosed sum, Deacon acquired a range of basketball equipment, nine players â Dave Treasure, Steve Nelson, Pat Morrison, Marty Headd (later replaced by Mike Owen), Ian Pollard, Lee Irwin, Dave Harris, Julian Taithe and Dale Shackleford â and the franchise of a club lying bottom of the table after losing all of its 13 league matches up until that point.
With no relegation planned from the top division that season, he did not plan an extensive revamp of the team, but he did recruit Danny Palmer as coach on 17 January.
In the longer term the club, officially known as Portsmouth FC Basketball Club but simply 'Portsmouth' for promotional purposes, would have its office and players' base at Portsmouth FC's Fratton Park stadium, and use the Mountbatten Centre as its regular home court.
But to begin with the players remained based in the Midlands and football club secretary Bill Davis was handed the responsibility of finding dates and venues for the team's eight remaining home games.
Their first appearance under the Portsmouth FC banner was an away game on 19 January at Solent, who had gone to Telford earlier in the season and beaten them 123âÂÂ87 in a match played in a former aircraft hangar.
This time a near capacity crowd at Fleming Park saw Portsmouth open an 11-point lead in the first half. Solent came back to lead 50âÂÂ48 at half-time but midway through the second half Portsmouth led 73âÂÂ72, before a final burst from the home side gave them a 106âÂÂ91 victory. Americans Headd (32 points) and Shackleford (24 points) top scored for Portsmouth, while 17-year-old Nelson began a Portsmouth career that would ultimately last as long as the club.
A burst pipe which delayed work on the Mountbatten Centre's main sports hall floor meant Portsmouth were back at Fleming Park on 26 January, this time for a 'home' clash with league leaders Kingston Kings. Admission prices were set at ã2.50 for adults and ã1 for juniors.
Portsmouth had to borrow Kingston's red kit as they only had a white strip available and league rules at the time insisted that away teams wore white. The court was less than half full of spectators and the match did little to create an atmosphere, with Portsmouth trailing 20âÂÂ8 after five minutes and 51âÂÂ34 at half-time before finally losing 115âÂÂ72. Again the Americans led the scoring, Shackleford netting 31 points and Owen 22, with nobody else in double figures for Portsmouth.
A 91âÂÂ79 defeat at Doncaster Panthers followed before the team made their Mountbatten Centre debut against Hemel & Watford Royals on 10 February, with one side of the bleachers used. Portsmouth led 23âÂÂ19 midway through the first half but trailed 56âÂÂ38 by the interval and eventually lost 104âÂÂ79. Shackleford and Owen hit 25 and 24 points respectively, while future Portsmouth star Mike Spaid scored 17 for Hemel.
Bill Davis completed his fixture-fixing task on 12 February, giving Portsmouth four different venues for their first four home games by arranging for the Manchester United match to take place at Winchester Recreation Centre. Four days later Danny Palmer signed a two-year contract, with his coaching role to become full-time in April 1985.
The trip to Leicester Riders on 16 February ended in a 109âÂÂ85 loss, but Portsmouth's first appearance at Havant Leisure Centre the following day offered the chance to climb off the foot of the table, if they could beat Bolton & Bury Hawks â who had one win to their name, against the former Turbos â by more than their margin of defeat at Bolton.
Again the match was played with seating on only one side of the court, and the initial part-time nature of Palmer's coaching role was illustrated by his absence from the arena as he was already committed to commentating on another game for Channel 4 television that day, but the players defied the low-key nature of the occasion to grab the opportunity. They blasted into a 12âÂÂ0 lead in the first three minutes, extended this to 21âÂÂ5 midway through the first half and went in at the interval with a 42âÂÂ25 advantage.
After the break Treasure and Harris fouled out, and when Irwin dislocated an elbow Portsmouth were down to just six players. But they refused to let Bolton back into the game and secured their first victory at the sixth attempt, the 84âÂÂ68 scoreline also proving enough to move them off the bottom. Owen scored 23 points, Shackleford 15 and Pollard 11.
The euphoria did not survive the trip to Winchester, where Portsmouth lost 96âÂÂ67 to Manchester United. Shackleford hit 26 for the hosts while another future Portsmouth player, Colin Irish, netted 18 for United. Portsmouth then had a third glimpse of their future in their next away game, with Alan Cunningham starring for the Worthing Bears as they beat Portsmouth 99âÂÂ87 despite another 32 points from Shackleford.
A crowd of 300 attended the next home game, an 82âÂÂ77 defeat by Bracknell Pirates at Havant in which Shackleford added another 38 points to his tally. Danny Palmer then made his first signing in preparation for the 1985âÂÂ86 season, recruiting guard Joel Moore from Brixton Topcats.
Four matches remained in the last nine days of the season for this first group of Portsmouth players, three at the Mountbatten Centre sandwiching a Thursday night trip to Manchester Giants.
John Deacon, who joined the team on the bench for the home game with Sunderland Maestros, acknowledged that most of them would not be around the following season due to the club's higher ambitions but was delighted with their attitude and performances in their short time wearing Portsmouth vests.
They began this final burst of games on 2 March at home to Crystal Palace. Trailing 54âÂÂ45 at the interval, Portsmouth tied the second half to eventually lose 103âÂÂ94, with Shackleford hitting 39 and Owen 24.
The following day they ran Sunderland even closer, just 43âÂÂ41 behind at half-time and briefly ahead 76âÂÂ73 as the match neared its climax. Shackleford surpassed all his previous efforts by scoring 44 points, but Sunderland had a six-point lead before Treasure sank a three-pointer on the buzzer to narrow their margin of victory to 88âÂÂ85.
Shackleford scored another 33 at Manchester Giants, who beat Portsmouth 80âÂÂ73, before the curtain came down at home to Birmingham Bullets on 10 March. A fourth future Portsmouth player, Karl Tatham, appeared against them, scoring 12 points, but the day was all about whether the departing players could record a second victory to say farewell. At half-time it was a possibility, with Portsmouth only down 42âÂÂ36, but Birmingham extended their lead to 21 points before a late home surge took the final score to 86âÂÂ79 in the visitors' favour. Owen scored 23 points but for the final time it was the Dale Shackleford show, as Portsmouth's star American defied five stitches in a hand to sign off with 36.
In the summer of 1985 John Deacon provided the budget to bring a host of star players to the south coast. On 26 April Dan Lloyd was signed from Manchester Giants, along with former Crystal Palace player Joe White who had been at university in the US, to Join the retained Steve Nelson and Dave Harris plus the recently signed Joel Moore. Soon to follow were Alan Cunningham, from Worthing, Colin Irish, from Manchester United, Larry Dassie, Trevor Anderson, Kalpatrick Wells, Andrew Bailey, Eddie Fontaine and Michael Hayles.
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 1985âÂÂ86. After remaining unbeaten in a series of friendlies, including one against a German side at the Mountbatten Centre on 8 September, they made a tremendous start to the season, winning their first 16 matches, including 11 in the league. The first match was a 96âÂÂ91 home National Cup win over Crystal Palace on 20 September 1985, followed by their first league game two days later, an 83âÂÂ68 home victory over Solent.
On 23 October Portsmouth went to the Tolworth Recreation Centre in Surrey and beat league champions Kingston 99âÂÂ86. 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.
Interest was rising among the Portsmouth public and on 9 November the home game against Manchester United, another team owned by a football club, was watched by 1,064 people. Led by a 22-point performance from Larry Dassie, Portsmouth won 72âÂÂ71.
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 on 15 December covered by Channel 4. 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 75âÂÂ92 defeat which denied them a trip to the Royal Albert Hall in London for the final.
In the next game, three days before Christmas, mid-table Hemel & Watford Royals inflicted their first league defeat with a shock 82âÂÂ79 win at the Mountbatten Centre, despite Kalpatrick Wells hitting 20 for the hosts. Another Sunday afternoon home loss followed on 12 January 1986, Leicester Riders pipping Portsmouth 114âÂÂ113. But six victories in 18 days set up what was expected to be a title decider at home to Kingston on 5 February.
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 2âÂÂ15 lead, but Portsmouth outscored them by two points to one in the remainder of the first half. They took the lead at 24âÂÂ21 and held their biggest advantage, 16 points, at 58âÂÂ42 before a Martin Clark basket made it 58âÂÂ44 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 103âÂÂ95. Two quick turnovers then cost them four cheap points, but the hosts regained command at 106âÂÂ99 with 3 minutes 30 seconds left.
The pace of the game then quickened and baskets were traded, but Portsmouth still led 112âÂÂ109 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 114âÂÂ111 to Portsmouth and drew a foul in the process. Kingston 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 114âÂÂ116 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. With Kingston in team fouls the rules at the time dictated that Irish, Portsmouth's top scorer on the night with 34 points, would have a 'one and one' â make the first free-throw to receive a second â with one second on the clock.
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.
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 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 â commonly known as the playoffs â quarter-finals, and having opened with a 92âÂÂ86 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 21 and 22 March. But 85âÂÂ93 and 91âÂÂ95 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 82âÂÂ74 at Hemel & Watford and finished the job with a 101âÂÂ99 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 108âÂÂ107 at the National Sports Centre. But again it went wrong at home, and a 106âÂÂ118 defeat brought a premature end to Portsmouth's season on 26 March 1986.
The carpet, original kits and caretaker coach had gone when action resumed, as had many of the team. Slaughter, Dassie, Wells, Bailey, Harris and Hayles departed, while Lloyd became player-coach. New faces were American Danny Williams, Mike Spaid from Hemel & Watford Royals, and Karl Tatham. Trevor Anderson was in the squad at the start but his number 4 vest was later filled by American Lawrence Held.
The new team began with a 94âÂÂ87 home win over Leicester on 20 September 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 106âÂÂ97 in overtime despite a 32-point haul from Colin Irish.
Eleven consecutive league game wins kept them well in contention for the title but the run ended with an 89âÂÂ74 defeat in the return game at Leicester on 9 January 1987.
Six more wins followed before another decisive clash with Kingston at Tolworth on 11 February. 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 106âÂÂ88 winners.
The title was confirmed when Alan Cunningham made a lay-up with two seconds left to secure a 90âÂÂ88 victory away to Hemel & Watford at the Dacorum Leisure Centre in Hemel Hempstead on 18 February.
The trophy was presented after the final home game two nights later, an 85âÂÂ90 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 1985âÂÂ86 had given Portsmouth a place in the Korac Cup, and their first venture into European competition brought a 96âÂÂ76 home win over Yugoslavian side Sibenka on 1 October 1986. The return a week later ended in an 89âÂÂ62 defeat and a seven-point loss on aggregate.
They went much further in the National Cup. Their 121âÂÂ81 home win over second-tier side Lambeth Topcats, with 24 points from Alan Cunningham, was followed by a comfortable 127âÂÂ99 success at Hemel & Watford which took them to another Channel 4 semi-final day at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre on 30 November. Karl Tatham's lay-up in the last few seconds saw Portsmouth squeeze past Calderdale Explorers 82âÂÂ78 to set up a final against holders Kingston at the Royal Albert Hall on 15 December.
Colin Irish was forced to miss the game with a knee injury, and in his absence Danny Williams led Portsmouth's first half scoring with 11 points as Kingston took a 51âÂÂ41 advantage into the interval in front of a crowd of 4,200. For the fifth and final year in a row Channel 4 showed the second half live, and Alan Cunningham got their coverage off to a flying start with a dunk straight from the tip-off.
Baskets were traded in the early stages of the second half and with 12 minutes 20 seconds left Kingston led 64âÂÂ56. Then a Steve Nelson jumper, a bank shot from Joel Moore, another jumper from Danny Williams and an 18-foot effort from Nelson suddenly drew Portsmouth level at 64 and forced Kingston coach Kevin Cadle to call a time-out with 10 minutes 47 seconds remaining.
After the resumption a three-pointer from Moore and a jumper from Karl Tatham kept Portsmouth in touch, trailing only 71âÂÂ69, but then Dan Davis, Doug Lloyd and Steve Bontrager stretched the lead again to 78âÂÂ69 and Portsmouth coach Dan Lloyd asked for a time-out with 7 minutes 37 seconds on the clock.
Kenny Scott's jumper from the corner then stretched Kingston's lead to 11 points, and although Mike Spaid, Cunningham, Tatham, Moore and Williams kept the scoreboard ticking over for Portsmouth, they could not get back to within one basket of their opponents.
Cunningham's put-back made it 86âÂÂ81 with four minutes left, but Doug Lloyd's three-pointer and Davis's bank shot then gave Kingston a ten-point cushion. A pair of free-throws from Cunningham, a floater from Williams and a Spaid jump shot dragged Portsmouth back to 91âÂÂ87 with 58 seconds to go, but that was the end of their challenge as Martin Clark finished the scoring with two free-throws and a lay-up from a Bontrager pass to clinch a 95âÂÂ87 win for Kingston.
Alan Cunningham was Portsmouth's top scorer with 20 points, followed by Danny Williams (18) and Mike Spaid (16). Kingston captain Steve Bontrager, accompanied by his two children, was presented with the National Cup, and the Most Valuable Player award went to Dan Davis.
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 107âÂÂ103 at Tolworth but led by four points at the end of normal time at the Mountbatten Centre on 25 March. 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 135âÂÂ133 and the tie by six points.
Portsmouth played BCP London in the first playoff semi-final at Wembley Arena on 3 April, and fell to a 106âÂÂ102 defeat against a BCP side inspired by Argentinian star Julio Politi. They earned some consolation the following day by beating Manchester United 99âÂÂ89 in the third place match.
An 'International All Star' tournament was held at the Mountbatten Centre on 29 and 30 December, featuring Portsmouth, Solent, São Paulo from Brazil and the Australian Institute of Sport. Portsmouth beat the Australians 104âÂÂ44 in their semi-final and then defeated Solent 103âÂÂ95 in the final.
Larry Dassie, who had left Portsmouth just a few months before, died in a road accident 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 12 April 1987. The players of Portsmouth and Kingston suspended hostilities for the evening and formed two mixed teams who produced a 114âÂÂ114 tie.
Dan Lloyd finally swapped tracksuit for suit in 1987âÂÂ88, 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 1985âÂÂ86, was officially retired as a further tribute to him.
Portsmouth played five games in five days in France 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 but won two of the other three.
They started their title defence with a 102âÂÂ88 win at Solent on 19 September 1987, but a week later Manchester United pinched a 70âÂÂ69 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 81âÂÂ73 win in the away game to start a run of seven successive league victories.
The sequence ended with a 99âÂÂ82 hammering at Kingston on 25 November, but that was to prove Portsmouth's last-ever league defeat, as they reeled off 18 more consecutive league game wins 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 89âÂÂ82 at Tolworth on 14 February 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 17âÂÂ13 lead, Kingston responded to go up 23âÂÂ24, the scores were level again at 35 then Portsmouth regained a four-point advantage, going into half-time leading 43âÂÂ39.
With 11 minutes 20 seconds to go Portsmouth led 65âÂÂ59, 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 71âÂÂ67 before a Bontrager three pulled Kingston back to within a single point.
Spaid made it 73âÂÂ70 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 73âÂÂ75 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 79âÂÂ75 clear with 2 minutes 39 seconds remaining.
Colin McNish made one from the line and Dan Davis laid up to bring Kingston back to 79âÂÂ78, then Rich Strong sank a pair of free-throws to edge Portsmouth clear again at 81âÂÂ78.
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 83âÂÂ81. A desperate shot from Moore was blocked and Portsmouth broke clear, drew another foul and sank one final free-throw to win 84âÂÂ81 and prompt joyous scenes among the home support.
There was still a little work to do, but victory at Livingston meant a 94âÂÂ80 win at Bolton & Bury Giants on 27 February retained the crown. The trophy was presented after a 109âÂÂ57 last league game win over Crystal Palace at the Mountbatten Centre on 4 March.
In Europe, Portsmouth went to Czechoslovakia, where Zbrojovka Brno took a decisive 94âÂÂ76 lead after the first leg of their European Cup tie. Portsmouth gained some consolation with a 97âÂÂ95 win in the return, but lost by 16 points on aggregate.
Portsmouth reached the National Cup final again with home wins over Bracknell Tigers (85âÂÂ82), Sunderland 76ers (98âÂÂ88) and, in a non-neutral semi-final, Manchester United (107âÂÂ90), with Colin Irish scoring 27 points.
But a chipped bone in his right hand threatened Irish's participation in the final for the second year running, and reliable bench man Mike Spaid had only returned to training after an ankle injury just five days before the Royal Albert Hall encounter with Kingston on 14 December.
A sell-out crowd of 6,000 and the Channel 4 cameras saw Portsmouth start with a line-up of Marc Glass, Steve Nelson, Alan Cunningham, Karl Tatham and Rich Strong against a Kingston starting five of Dan Davis, Steve Bontrager, Colin McNish, Joel Moore and Martin Clark.
The opening ten minutes of the first half passed with the scores tied at 18, but a lay-up and free-throw from Clark and a three-pointer by Bontrager suddenly opened a 26âÂÂ18 lead for Kingston. Strong's lay-up brought it back to 26âÂÂ20 before Irish entered the game with a strapped hand 7 minutes 10 seconds from half-time.
Spaid carried the scoring load for Portsmouth, netting their next six points with a tip-in, lay-up and jump shot, before Cunningham hit another jumper to keep them in touch at 33âÂÂ28. Clark then sank two free-throws and Moore a three-pointer to pull Kingston clear again at 38âÂÂ28 with 2 minutes 48 seconds remaining in the half.
Cunningham dunked off a Tatham drive to make it 38âÂÂ30, then Scott and Tatham exchanged jump shots before Irish went off without scoring as Portsmouth trailed 40âÂÂ32. Spaid hit two free-throws before Davis dunked off a Scott pass to bring the curtain down on the first half with Kingston leading 42âÂÂ34.
A fast start to the second half saw Kingston leading 64âÂÂ52 with just over 13 minutes left. Tatham hit a three-pointer but Moore went straight up the other end to hit another, his fifth from five attempts. Spaid, Mike Griffiths, Cunningham, Bontrager, Strong, Moore and Tatham all contributed to an exchange of baskets before Moore sank his sixth successive three-pointer and forced Portsmouth coach Dan Lloyd to call a time-out with his team trailing 76âÂÂ63.
When play resumed Clark extended Kingston's lead to 15 points with a pair of free-throws, but a Cunningham put-back from a rebound sparked a Portsmouth revival. Irish, who earlier in the match was so hampered by his injury that he resorted to taking and missing a one-handed free-throw with his left hand, drove through the lane to make it 78âÂÂ67 and suddenly it was Kingston coach Kevin Cadle calling a time-out with 7 minutes 7 seconds left.
Tatham's jump shot and a Roy Lewis lay-up hauled Portsmouth back to 78âÂÂ71, then Cunningham took over with a reverse dunk off a drive, two free-throws and a bank shot to close the gap to just 80âÂÂ77 with 3 minutes 49 seconds remaining.
But Moore then hit his seventh three-pointer, Strong missed a pair of free-throws and Clark sank two from the line, effectively ending the contest at 85âÂÂ77 before Kingston ran out 90âÂÂ84 winners. Steve Bontrager, this time with only one of his children, lifted the trophy and Joel Moore received the MVP award.
Portsmouth travelled to the Granby Halls in Leicester for the 'Tournament of Champions' on 1 January 1988, but after holding a 13-point lead in their semi-final with Kingston they unravelled to an 86âÂÂ93 defeat in the last three and a half minutes.
The League Cup replaced the British Masters in 1987âÂÂ88, and after home and away group stage victories over Solent and Bracknell, Portsmouth once again met Kingston in a semi-final. Portsmouth won the first leg at the Mountbatten Centre 94âÂÂ87 on 23 March, but three nights later at Tolworth they trailed 80âÂÂ72 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.
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 30 March, but that proved Portsmouth's high point of the evening as the Scottish side took the trophy with a 96âÂÂ91 win.
Home and away wins over eighth placed Solent in the playoff quarter-finals took Portsmouth back to Wembley Arena for the 'final four' weekend on 9 and 10 April, and this time they won their semi â beating Manchester United 98âÂÂ90 â 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 81âÂÂ72.
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 April 1989.
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 1992âÂÂ93. 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 1997âÂÂ98 and a second tier title in 1998âÂÂ99.
Irish made his last competitive appearance for Solent in a 63âÂÂ80 second tier playoff final defeat against Teesside Mohawks at Wembley Arena on 6 May 2000, and his final game in England before moving to the United States came at the Mountbatten Centre on 30 May 2000, when he scored 15 points in a 103âÂÂ100 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 12 May 2002. Solent lost 117âÂÂ127 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.
(Crystal Palace were deducted one point)
(One of the Hemel v Bolton fixtures was not played and Bolton were deducted one point because of this)
(Results and fixtures are incomplete for the Telford Turbos era but are complete from the start of the Portsmouth FC era on 19 January TEL â Home match while still Telford Turbos FP â Fleming Park Leisure Centre HLC â Havant Leisure Centre WRC â Winchester Recreation Centre)
(AVLC â Aston Villa Leisure Centre)
(*Recorded at as 105âÂÂ97 HLC â Havant Leisure Centre AVLC â Aston Villa Leisure Centre RAH â Royal Albert Hall WEM â Wembley Arena)
(*Later renamed Crystal Palace RAH â Royal Albert Hall GH â Granby Halls AVLC â Aston Villa Leisure Centre WEM â Wembley Arena)