This piece is an appreciation of all the great work my mate Norman de Bruin does for Percy Main Amateurs. It will also appear in this Saturday's programme for the game against North Sunderland -:
Those of you who follow various local football pages on social media will no doubt be aware that our very own secretary (and so much else besides) Norman de Bruin had his many years of long and devoted service to Percy Main Amateurs recognised with a Northumberland FA Grassroots Award at a swanky soiree at a posh Gosforth hotel on Friday 25th September. Modest and self-effacing bloke that he is, Norman will undoubtedly hate the fact I’ve written this piece, as he is someone who has never sought to be in the spotlight. However I couldn’t allow the occasion to pass without penning a personal tribute to a bloke I hold in the highest esteem and who I’m proud to call one of my closest friends.
Born in Shields to a Dutch father (hence the unique surname) and local mother, Norman grew up, and remains, a devoted supporter of Newcastle United. However, like many others at the time, he was left on the outside of St James’ Park when the Keegan bandwagon started rolling and season tickets became prized commodities in the early 90s. Despite his personal sport being athletics, where he clocked 1 hour 14 in many half marathons in his twenties, including the Great North Run three times in a row, despite being burdened down by a handlebar tache that would have got him the gig as the sixth Village Person, and at which he subsequently excelled nationally in the veterans age groups at 400 and 800 metres, coming second in the British Championships in 2019, Norman’s love of football led him to explore the local amateur game, often in the company of his good mate Martin Kelly. Another close friend of his, the late Gary Hull, who I sadly never had the pleasure of meeting, got Norman involved with Percy Main Amateurs during the 2001/2002 season and the rest is history, including several appearances on the field when playing resources demanded. Hence why the NFA have marked his silver jubilee with this prestigious and richly deserved award.
I first met Norman, though he didn’t realise it at the time as his mind was on other things, on February 11th, 2006. Those who know the history of the Main will recognise this as the date of the infamous Battle of Grounsell Park when, as the clock ticked almost towards the 90th minute, a dull stalemate between Heaton Stan and Percy Main suddenly erupted into a huge free for all, more akin to a taxi rank pagger on Christmas Eve in the good old days than a football match. As the entire Stan squad, other than the eminently sensible solicitor Russell Ward, sought to attack the legendary Alan Ryder, who was quite happy to take them all on, the Percy team (including such famous and perhaps infamous characters like Ian Hall, John Hunt, Richard Lognonne, Les Thompson and Rob Watson) sought to hold Ryder back. I’ll always remember Ryder throwing a flurry of punches with Bob Rodgerson hanging round his neck, attempting to restrain him. The game was abandoned, though the result stood. Arriving towards the end of the game Norman, attired in his British Gas overcoat as he’d just finished a shift, looked on in disbelief as the scene unfolded. The other bloke in the crowd (the Stan didn’t pull in 500+ back in the day) announced Shay Given had just saved a penalty in a 2-1 Toon win at Villa Park but tempered this by saying “mind this is more exciting.” It was, and I’ll never forget the look of horrified bafflement on Norman’s dial that day.
I properly met Norman at the end of that season, when we took in Boldon CA 2 Annfield Plain 5 in the Wearside League. We hit it off immediately and I soon became a regular visitor to Purvis Park, until I eventually joined the committee in summer 2009. Basically I fell in love with the club, the ground and even the rickety old pavilion. That was back during the Jason Ritchie Percy Warriors era, and I wrote my book Village Voice about the tumultuous promotion season and Combination Cup win of 2009/2010. Norman features prominently in the book (free copies available to anybody who wants one), because I learned that season, and have never forgotten since, just how much devoted effort and many underappreciated hours of graft, both administrative and physical, the bloke puts into the club, never asking for gratitude or a penny piece in return.
I wouldn’t say that Norman is wholly responsible for the continued existence of Percy Main Amateurs, as Bob Rodgerson has worked hand in glove with Norman over all the years I’ve followed the Main. These two, plus Geordie, Keith, Chris, Michelle, Steve, Julie and latterly David and Mark from the newly established Under 18 team, are the ones who keep this club going. Several of us are already in possession of our OAP bus passes, so the concept of succession planning is always in our minds. Can you help in any way at all? No offer would ever be turned down. However, you’ve got a hard act to follow if Norman ever does call it a day.
If the fella does have a fault, it is in being a perfectionist, to the extent he really doesn’t like delegating stuff. Mainly because nobody does it quite as good as him, as Carly Simon almost said. Just cast your mind back to how the rest of us were running around like headless chickens, trying to remember everything that needed done when Norman was on his holidays at the start of the season and taking his annual trip to SJP for the Bournemouth game while we hosted Wallsend Boys Club Reserves.
Truly, Norman is an absolute hero, and I am honoured to know him, as well as constantly marvelling at his energy. Also, I’ll buy a pint to anyone who can tell me why I’ve given this piece the title I have done.
Cheers Norman. Enjoy the fame.
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