Norman Sinclair
A family friend contacted the club early in January to advise, on behalf of his widow, that our former player N.A.D. Sinclair had died peacefully on 15th December.
The friend, Mike Pollett, advised that Norman ‘played for your 1st XV in the late '60s (and in a famous 7s final at Twickenham)’.
Thanks to Ronnie Sharp’s history of Stewart’s College (FP) Football Club and a copy of the Stewart’s College Magazine of November 1961 in Alistair Napier’s collection, we can flesh out that summary of Norman’s playing career to provide a fitting tribute to him.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Norman was one of three brothers, the others being Stewart and Algy.
Norman is first mentioned in Ronnie Sharp’s book in the section on the 1958/59 season:
‘The crowning glory of the season was the Club’s phenomenal success in the seven-a-side by winning the Murrayfield, Hawick and Jedforest tournaments. Victory at Murrayfield was achieved against a star-studded Co-optimist VII by 13 points to 6 in a fighting finish after twice being behind. The other finals were won by the impressive margins of 34-5 against Melrose and 27-0 against Hawick. The successful team was: T.G. Weatherstone, N.A.D. Sinclair, G. Sharp, G.M. Robertson, J. Douglas, G.A. Allan and J.C.M. Sharp’.
Ronnie also describes how ‘N.A.D. Sinclair had a number of good games in the stand off position’ during the 1959/60 season, one in which the team struggled as G. Sharp was called up for National Service and K.R. Macdonald had to retire due to a recurring knee injury.
Some internet research allowed me to locate one of Bill McLaren’s legendary ‘big sheets’, drawn up by the great man as a reference sheet for his commentary on a game between Stewart’s College FP and Hawick at Inverleith on 22nd December 1962. Both Norman and Algy featured in the home team that day. Hawick won the game 0-14 so it was probably just as well that fog prevented the game from being broadcast on ‘Grandstand’ as was originally planned! This would have been the first club game in Scotland to be broadcast on BBC Television!
Norman was, indeed, part of the Stewart’s FP team that played in the Middlesex Sevens in 1961, as Ronnie Sharp recounts:
“Injuries upset our sevens team and for only the second time since the war Stewart’s FPs did not feature in a final. This was very disappointing because after persistent ‘lobbying’ by the Club secretary and others, an invitation had been received at last to take part in the prestigious Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham. It was all the more praiseworthy therefore that on the day our team rose to the occasion and, after a fine exhibition of seven-a-side rugby, lost only in the final to the experienced London Scottish VII whose match winner was the speedy R.H. Thomson, a former Empire Games quarter-miler. It was very gratifying, however, that the crowd showed their appreciation of the team’s play by giving them a standing ovation as they left the field. The team who ‘did us proud’ was: N.J. Pringle, N.A.D. Sinclair, G. Sharp, G.M. Robertson, J. Douglas (captain), A.G. Sinclair and J.C.M. Sharp”.
The Stewart’s College Magazine provides further information on the Twickenham tournament. It was first held in 1926 and had gained in popularity ever since then, with 223 teams taking part in 1961 (the 223 teams were whittled down to 12 via a preliminary round played at six different venues on the preceding Saturday).
Heriot’s, Hawick and Edinburgh Accies had taken part in previous years, with Heriot’s winning the 1949 tournament.
Our first tie in the 1961 tournament, played in front of 45,000 spectators, saw us overcome Richmond II, who normally wore the same colours as the ‘Daniels’ but agreed to wear white as a favour to the ‘guests’.
We faced Richmond I in the next round, when it was our turn to wear white. This match was a close run affair but a try near the posts by Clark Sharp, converted by his brother Gregor, put us through to face London Welsh in the semi final.
London Welsh, runners up in the 1960 tournament, “had reached the semi final by dint of play that was ‘rugged’ rather than ‘rugger’ “ but we saw them off thanks to tries from Gregor Sharp, Algy Sinclair and Neil Pringle.
As well as the aforementioned R.H. Thomson, the London Scottish team we faced in the final featured none other than the legendary Ken Scotland who was capped 27 times for Scotland and played 22 times for the Lions on their 1959 tour of New Zealand. Scotland’s defence denied us what looked like a certain try in the first half and he also kicked four conversions as London Scottish ran out 20-6 winners. Gordon Robertson scored two tries for the ‘Daniels’.
A fall at the last hurdle, then, but a glorious day for the team, with one newspaper report saying that ‘Gregor Sharp showed himself to be one of the finest seven-a-side players ever seen at Twickenham’.
Norman and Algy were part of the Stewart’s VII that enjoyed great success in the 1963/64 and 1964/65 seasons, defeating Oxford University in the final of the Murrayfield tournament in both of those years.
The school magazine also reveals that Norman was pretty good at the round ball game, too, as he was part of the Stewart’s FP team that won the Edinburgh Rugby Clubs ‘Summer Soccer League’ in 1961.
The matches were all played at the British Railways Recreation Ground at Pinkhill, Corstorphine. Dr Clark Sharp captained the Stewart’s team with Murray Ancell as his Vice Captain, with the most regular players being John Douglas, Sandy Murdoch, the three Sinclair brothers, Tony Ross, Ricky & Charlie Robertson, Bill Cartwright, Alan Blair, Charlie Tait and Neil Pringle.
Although beaten by Boroughmuir, the ‘Daniels’ defeated Heriot’s, Leith Accies, Melville College FP and Royal High and drew with Watsonians. We were awarded a walk over against Musselburgh as they couldn’t raise a team. This left us equal on points with Boroughmuir but we were awarded the league title as we had the better goal average.
We should really have some silverware in the trophy cabinet at Invers for this, I feel!
Bill McNie