TRIBUTES have been paid to an award-winning legendary basketball coach from Greenock who has sadly died following a short battle against cancer.

Bob Taft, who passed away earlier this month just short of his 66th birthday, was always proud of his local roots – putting his 27 years living in Paisley down to 'necessary missionary work'.

Bob first picked up a basketball at the town's old Mount School as an 11-year-old, the youngest member of a Renfrewshire Cup-winning team.

He was still treading the hardwood floors 54 years later with two new knees when his illness brought the final whistle on his career.

The sport’s governing body, Basketball Scotland, said they were 'saddened' to hear about Robert's passing, adding: “Robert was a familiar face, having coached and played for Scotland’s national teams and at club level.

“His impact on basketball in Scotland will never be forgotten.”

Robert was born in Greenock in February 1956, the first of six children to Robert and Roberta.

He left school at 15 to take-up a welder's apprenticeship with Scott Lithgow in the Glen yard.

While serving his time, his basketball education continued with Greenock Pacers, then Inverclyde.

On completing his apprenticeship and having met and married wife Joan, from Langbank, Bob moved to Fairfield's Govan yard, and bought a house in Paisley.

This meant a switch of basketball clubs, to Paisley, before he moved on to join Kilmarnock, where he met his long-term friend and coaching partner, Tommy Campbell.

They played together for Kilmarnock and for Team Glasgow in the British League, then when Campbell founded Troon BC, he asked Bob to join him as a player-coach.

They also coached some successful Scottish age group teams and had a three-year spell as the coaching team for the full Scotland side.

As an individual player, Bob also played for Clydebank, Falkirk, James Watt College and Cumnock, while he had 10 successful years as a coach with St Mirren BC, being voted Scotland's Basketball Coach of the Year in 2002.

In 2005, he was one of the inaugural winners of Basketball Scotland's Volunteer Recognition Awards, marking his 25-years in coaching.

He helped found Renfrew Rocks BC and his work there saw him recognised at the 2018 Renfrewshire Sports Council awards.

Renfrew Rocks described him as a 'true basketball legend'.

A club spokesperson said: "Bob had a massive impact on basketball in Scotland, playing and coaching at all levels over decades."

In his working life Robert left the shipyards in the 1970s.

He had a long association with the Boys' Brigade, winning his Queen's Badge, a President's Award and gaining his Duke of Edinburgh gold award while an officer with a Paisley company and, through his BB connections, he got a job as a postman at the Underwood Road sorting office in Paisley.

After six months, he transferred to the counter staff at the main Paisley Crown Post Office, before being headhunted into Post Office Investigations Department.

He took on his new job with vigour, earning an honours degree in criminology by distance learning and enjoying a long career which culminated in being crime risk manager back where it had all started, at Underwood Road.

Bob was a regular player for the Civil Service Scotland Basketball team and for the GB Civil Service team in European competitions.

He became one of the stalwarts of the Strathclyde Masters veterans basketball team, playing all across the UK and in Europe in tournaments.

Mr Taft was still playing in Masters events when, aged 65, his illness was diagnosed.

Bob, known to some as 'bald eagle', was renowned as a tough defender and a brilliant three-point shooter who wore a permanent smile and loved the game immensely.

In his latter years, he and Joan had enjoyed travelling, their cruising holidays taking them all round the world.

Joan said: "Robert loved winning but also took great care to develop players as young men – an ethos towards life stemming from his BB officer days.

"He was delighted that many of the youngsters he coached still play, either competitively or for leisure."

Mr Taft's funeral was held earlier this week at Hurlet Crematorium, with a collection held in aid of Accord Hospice.