John Blundell, a basketball coach with a 60-year assocation with the game, has finally retired from the sport after the last league tournament played at Hurstmere School, in Sidcup.

An advanced coach and member of the exclusive English Basketball Fellowship, Blundell has been forced to retire on medical gropunds from running the Sidcup Community Basketball Club.

It is a thriving club, with an enthusastic sponsor Tony Szabo of estate agents, Robinson, Szabo and Jackson and Blundell is hoping that a local PE teacher can continue in his role.

Blundell, who was first introduced to the sport in 1944 in his home city of Birmingham, recalls: "I have had many wonderful experiences within the game.

"This includes travelling across Europe with a national schools' team, and coaching many players who went on to play for England schools' side and the full national team.

"Prominent in my memory is knocking out national junior champions, Doncaster Panthers, in the 1974 championship and also taking a strong London area junior team to Copenhagen and twice beating the Danish national champions."

If you are interested in taking over coaching the team, or would like more details about joining the club as a player, call John Blundell on 020 8300 4730.