My football team, Percy Main Amateurs FC had just won the first division of The Northern Alliance by a country mile from our nearest challengers and we had all been out on the Saturday night down Whitley Bay for a 'male bonding session'.   I think that is what we told our wives anyway.

Having bonded with all of my male friends well into the small hours we went back to 'The Maggie Bank' for some more of the same.   You cannot whack a bit of bonding after a hard season.   I seem to remember that all of the wives and girlfriends were already in the 'Maggie' trying some male bonding too!

Our celebrations were richly deserved because when we (Bob Rodgerson & John Humberstone - joint managers and Gary Hull* - treasurer) got involved Percy Main Amateurs FC had NO POINTS after 10 games and were in danger of folding.   The dressing room and pitch were a disgrace and the wheels had fallen off completely.

Bob and Humber had played at St. James' Park when Percy Main FC had won the Benevolent Bowl in 1978 and were key players when 'The Amateurs' won back to back Alliance Championships in 1981 &1982 under the then manager Colin Revel ( an ex Tyne Boys' Club player). 

I joined at the start of season 93-94 and I could soon see the improvements both on and off the pitch.   We chucked North Shields FC off the pitch and got rid of a Sunday pub team too.   The pitch got better visibly and is regarded as one of the finest playing surfaces in Northumberland again.   The ground improvements were undertaken and after a massive effort we got rid of North Shields St. Columbas from the ground share arrangement that was in danger of becoming a takeover bid.   St Columbas eventually merged with Benfield Park FC and the team is now known as Benfield Saints, they are riding high as I write this and could possibly gain promotion to the Northern League this season ( good luck to all).

Back to the story - Our celebrations were on Saturday 8th May 1999 and my heart had had enough by the Tuesday night.   No warning, nothing - just a simple 'fall off the settee in agony routine'.

I am forever grateful to a neighbour, Sandra Sandy who is a cardiac nurse,  she gave me an aspirin while we waited for the ambulance.   As we live less than 2 minutes from the hospital the ambulance came immediately and as I said earlier I had my heart attack proper while I was wired up in the intensive care unit of Rake Lane hospital.  

I really did watch the end of the Blackburn v Man Utd match from my hospital  bed, I have still not seen the goals?

*Gary Hull (1964 - 2003)

Sadly, my mate Gary died tragically in a car crash on January 20th 2003 on his way to work.
Gary was only 39 and was married to the gorgeous Michelle.

I will never forget Gary, he went out of his way not to be controversial and was liked by everyone( I mean everyone) who knew him.   He was treasurer at Percy Main Amateurs FC and also had a spell at 'Tyne' as football secretary.

In his honour Percy Main Amateurs FC are naming a cup competition after him and it will be played for annually at Purvis Park - Percy Main.   The first match was played on May 31st, 2003  against a representative Northern Alliance XI.   I hope to be there, it will be a very moving occasion and will also be the first match I will have attended in full since my transplant.
 

I have been asked to submit an item for the commemorative programme and I will do so willingly.   I want to make it funny ,but equally I do not wish to offend anyone.   I don't want to write a soppy gushing piece about Gary 'cos he was not that type of person.   Gary liked a laugh and made other people laugh, so that's all right then.

I will post a copy of my piece as soon as I have written it.

12th may 2003 - My submitted article for the programme :-

"When current PMAFC secretary Len Renham asked me if I would write a piece about Gary for the commemorative programme I agreed immediately.   I wanted to convey Gary’s humour without being disrespectful to anyone and I definitely did not want to write some gushing prose as if it were a newspaper obituary.

So with tongue firmly in cheek and wonderful memories of Gary here goes.

 I joined The Amateurs as secretary at the same time as Gary became treasurer and I got to know him pretty well.   It turned out that we thought along similar lines on most football issues and a few others too.   When I restarted the Club Programme my “View from the Canteen” piece and Gary’s “Toon’s Eye View” were often very similar in content even though each of us did not know what the other was going to write about.

 Gary’s humour was apparent to all that used to read his articles and his love of “The Toon” was obvious, it was fitting that Mark Knopfler’s “Going Home” was Gary’ musical accompaniment at his funeral.   I heard it on the radio the other day and can honestly say I shed a tear when it was on because I thought of Gary.  

 Anyway, in the early part of 1999 Percy Main had lost Alan Purvis (whom at Gary’s suggestion a couple of years earlier) we had renamed the ground in memory of and then Davey Duncan died also.   Between them Alan and Davey had given 90 years loyal unbroken service to Percy Main Amateurs FC.   They both went to their graves in the knowledge that The Amateurs were in good hands and their families had requested that their ashes be scattered on the pitch.   We were all honoured at this request and so we arranged the ceremony one Sunday morning with family and friends present.

 Gary had the urn with Alan’s ashes and I had the urn containing Davey’s.  Gary took up his position on the left hand side of the penalty area and I was to the right.   “I bet we get loads of forwards tripping over when they are about to score, Marshy” was Gary’s opening line to me at what could have been a traumatic occasion.   I smiled at him as we continued scattering the ashes until the job was done some 3 or 4 minutes later.   As we were walking back to the canteen for a mug of tea and a drop of something extra Gary turned to me and in his deadpan way said, “In all the years I knew Alan and Davey, Marshy, I never realised how much alike they were !”

 It took me a few seconds to realise what he was on about and then I just burst out laughing as I cottoned on.   I think we abandoned the tea and retired to the bar.   Happy days.

 I am sure the three of them will be “upstairs” swapping Percy Main stories and having a laugh."

 ©

Graham Marsh   

Secretary PMAFC (1993-1999)