History

IN THE BEGINNING...

In January 1978 a group of Hampshire teachers met on a Volleyball coaching course at Calshot. John Tomlinson suggested that they trained together with his students from Prices College . The first training session was at Portchester School in March '78.

PORTCHESTER PUMAS

A team, under the name Portchester Pumas, entered the Portsmouth local league for the '78-'79 season. At a similar time Ray Tingley was coaching a youth team, under the name Dreadnought, in the regional league. During the season that Dreadnought won the regional league several Pumas joined the team. Consequently the first season of National League Division 4 Volleyball was played as Havant Pumas, since the combined teams had taken up residence at the newly built Havant Leisure Centre.

THE FIRST TEAM (HAVANT PUMAS)

Alan Maddison taught at Horndean School, and made sure that a few pupils registered as part of the inaugural Havant Pumas National League Div 4 South team - Pete Atkinson, Simon Pyner and Phil Hudson.  Ray was a major figure in the genesis of Speedwell Volleyball Club, now merged into City of Bristol VC.  Chris, Gary and Adrian went on to play for Portsmouth Mayfield in Division 1.
 

When the club began to use the new facilities at Havant, Roy Goring took the opportunity to start a ladies team with National League ambitions. The first team involved: Rhona Stokes, Mandy Maddison, Sue Burns, Mandy Jilley, Sally Ierston, Michelle Brooking-Pelham, Yvonne and Debbie Carder.

LONGEST SERVING MEMBER

Ken George first played for Havant Pumas in 1981 and after 28 years is still going strong - well, maybe not strong, but still going. He continues to play a very active role in the club as both player and coach.

PUMAS (OF PORTSMOUTH) VOLLEYBALL CLUB

In 2009 after being based in Portsmouth for a number of years it was decided that the club would be renamed - Pumas (of Portsmouth) Volleyball Club.