Basketball: Knowles follows Catton out

THE command structure of the English Basketball Association continued to disintegrate yesterday with the resignation of its chairman, Peter Knowles, following last month's departure of the chief executive, Steve Catton.

Knowles played a key role in Manchester's successful bid for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the association cited his growing responsibility in this area as "the key factor in his resignation." Knowles, a former referee, also played a key role in mediating in the public bust-up between Catton and the England senior men's coach, Laszlo Nemeth, who criticised the England programme just days before a European Championship game against Israel.

Knowles, although publicly diplomatic, despaired of Nemeth's criticism, which came in the week the association learned a pounds 1.8m Lottery bid had failed. Knowles said at the time: "None of this can have helped."

Nemeth was suspended, but reinstated after Catton resigned. Nemeth leads England into a friendly international tournament against Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands in Manchester this weekend.