South Yorkshire Tines, March 12th, 1960
Conisbrough Team Brings Basketball
To Denaby Baths Hall Next Week
First five-a-side soccer…now basketball. Denaby Baths Hall is the venue for a basketball tournament next Tuesday, sponsored by a group of enthusiasts who aim to spread interest in the sport throughout the area.
Interest in basketball rivals soccer at Conisbrough Northcliffe Boys’ Secondary School where the Conisbrough Clowns Basketball Club have their headquarters.
Officials of the “Clowns”, who meet under the auspices of the Buckingham Institute of Further Education, and are one of the premier teams in the Doncaster area, hope this will be the first of a number of tournaments.
Secretary and treasurer, Mr Derek Walker, a teacher at the school, told the “South Yorkshire Times” this week: “It has long been our aim to try and create interest in basketball, which is the toughest indoor sport. We hope that ultimately it will be possible to establish a local league.”
Mr. Walker, an ex-City of Sheffield basketball player and the “Clowns” leading scorer, will battle against his old team in the two-hour tournament on Tuesday. “Clowns” will meet the Sheffield team and Conisbrough “Nomads,” the school 1st team play Swinton “Shooting Stars”.
Back to Mr. Walker: “We hope to have a capacity crowd, and so we have made the admission price 6d for children, 9d for adults – as cheap as we possibly can. Now that modifications have been made to the hall it will make a good meeting place.”
Council’s Help
Pat-on-the-back is due to Conisbrough Urban Council, who have done a tremendous amount of work for local sport in recent months. It was the Council, who originally sponsored five-a-side competitions, gave permission for the tournament to be staged.
The main stumbling block for basketball in the Mexborough area, says Mr. Walker is lack of proper facilities. “There are not many places around here where the sport can be played, even if people want to. In the Doncaster area, where there is tremendous interest, facilities are much better.
“The boys here are the school are very enthusiastic. I would not say that basketball is taking the place of soccer, but it is certainly rivalling it.
“Boys at the school, from the second form upwards, are taking it. They cannot join our club until they leave, but we are hoping it will be an ideal nursery in a few years time. Some of the lads will be excellent players when they reach 15.”
Mr. Walker of 19, Church Lane, Harlington, went on: “If there is any organisation in the area wanting to form a club, we will be only too glad to try and help them. Membership of our club is not restricted and we are always on the lookout for new players.”