He was Chuck at school. But not to his face. He travelled from Stafford to attend the first Getogether in 2001. When I was chatting to him, he said he was involved in English Schoolboys Football. I found out at his funeral that he was the CEO.
Roy Todd also attended the first Do and they both joined us at some subsequent Dos. Roy delivered a brilliant eulogy for Malcolm - see below. I'm sure Malcolm would have been pleased with it.
Thank you, Mr Berry.
Here's a link to a tribute in the Chronicle -
Roy Todd also attended the first Do and they both joined us at some subsequent Dos. Roy delivered a brilliant eulogy for Malcolm - see below. I'm sure Malcolm would have been pleased with it.
Thank you, Mr Berry.
Here's a link to a tribute in the Chronicle -
The Northumberland Schools’ Football Association website pays tribute to Malcolm, describing him as a colossus of school football locally, nationally and internationally. No-one will disagree with that but I would like to share with you a number of Malcolm’s additional accomplishments before he became the Chief Executive of English Schools’ Football.
Malcolm was born in Jarrow and educated at Dame Allan’s School in Newcastle. Besides captaining and playing rugby and cricket for the school at each age level he was also chosen to play for Northumberland County at both sports. Malcolm was equally at home playing fullback on the rugby field as he was opening the batting on the cricket ground. In fact his proudest school memory was batting for Dame Allan’s against the Royal Grammar School and as he was approaching his half century the Headmaster terminated lessons and brought the entire school out onto the boundary to witness him completing his half century. Malcolm always spoke appreciatively of his years at Dame Allan’s and the opportunities the school gave him to play sport at a high level. He was appointed Head Boy in his final year.
From school Malcolm went off to do National Service before going to St. Paul’s, Cheltenham, one of the finest P.E. colleges in the country. Here he continued to represent the college in both sports but more importantly it was here in Cheltenham that he met Lorna and they were married in 1965. Three years later I was watching county cricket with them at New Road, Worcestershire when Lorna gave me the exciting news that she was expecting a baby. That baby was Andrew and I was subsequently privileged to be asked to be his Godfather. Mark was born three years later.
I had first met Malcolm a little earlier in January 1963 when I joined him at Wallsend Grammar School. Although he had only been at the school for four terms and on a staff many of whom had been there for decades, he was already a significant and outstanding personality.
Wallsend, as you will know, was and is a hotbed of soccer and Malcolm set about producing school teams of quality and success in the winter whilst not neglecting cricket and athletics in the summer. Although capable of playing at a higher level personally, Malcolm joined the Wallsend Cricket Club and opened the batting throughout his days at the Grammar School. As for the school, the boys respected his discipline and commitment; the girls admired his good looks and he was affectionately known as Chuck – Chuck Berry being the contemporary Rock and Roll icon of the day.
Besides the maintenance of the highest standards in the gym and on the games’ field I suppose Malcolm’s outstanding attributes were his organisational and management skills. Dame Allan’s, the army and St. Paul’s, Cheltenham had all provided the opportunity to hone and enhance these attributes and Malcolm liked nothing better than to be called upon to organise an event.
I remember one occasion in particular. Our Under 16 team had reached the final of the Diball Cup and we were due to play St. Cuthbert’s Roman Catholic Grammar School, a formidable school, as many of you will know, as far as school soccer is concerned. We spun up for venue and having won the toss the game was scheduled for a Friday evening in early May at Wallsend. Malcolm went into action. The County Ground Staff were summoned to mow the grass, paint the lines and rope off the playing area. New nets were acquired for the goals and new flags for the corner posts. A neutral referee and two linesmen were appointed and the linesmen were provided with new flags. I think on the night Malcolm had a spare whistle in his pocket just in case.
Maximum publicity was given to the game to ensure a good attendance, not a huge problem in Wallsend, and the Home Economics Department was persuaded to provide refreshments for the boys after the game. They set to work and produced a magnificent spread: ham sandwiches, sausage rolls, sausages on sticks, chicken legs, scotch eggs, and so on.
I wont dwell on the game itself suffice to say Wallsend led 1-0 at half time despite the fact St. Cuthbert’s had dominated the play and who in the second half went on to win comfortably 4-1. Following the presentation of the trophy, showering and changing the teams came along to the Home Economics room which had been suitably rearranged for the occasion. The Wallsend boys applauded the victors in and Malcolm following a few words of congratulation invited them to ‘tuck in’. For a moment there was as sudden halt to the proceedings and despite Malcolm’s meticulous planning he had overlooked the fact that good Roman Catholic schoolboys don’t eat meat on Fridays!
The day was saved by the accompanying priests who quickly declared a special dispensation and the food disappeared in short time.
As comprehensive education was gaining traction Malcolm was appointed Head of P.E. at Walker School in Newcastle in 1968 and as a measure of his importance in that school he was successively promoted and appointed Head of House, Deputy Head and finally Acting Head. Simultaneously Malcolm was pursuing his interest in the management and organisation of school football. He refereed games up to international level and successively became Secretary and then Chairman of Northumberland School’s Football. He represented Northumberland on the English School’s F. A. Council from 1979 and in 1989 he was elected Chairman of the English Schools’ Football Association. When a vacancy occurred for the post of Chief Executive of the English Schools’ F.A.Football in 1991 he was an ideal candidate given his achievements, the breadth of his experience, his wise counsel and crucially his management and organisational skills. He was appointed to the post and moved down to Stafford to fulfil the role which he did so successfully for ten or more years.
Malcolm was passionate about school football and promoted the game vigorously as a member of the F. A. Council. At a time when the F. A. was promoting its School of Excellence at Lilleshall and the professional clubs were establishing their Academies Malcolm believed that schools with their dedicated and well qualified P.E. teachers ,with their duty of care for the boys, provided an equally good basis, if not better, for boys, and later girls, to develop and mature into footballers who could go to play the game at a variety of levels. No one was discarded and thrown out as not having made the grade.
As Chief Executive he obtained lucrative and extensive sponsorship for schools’ football, organised international football at home and abroad and had the support and help from a number of professional club members. Some of his most important work was done on the F.A. council where he was a tireless advocate for football in a school setting and a discerning critic of how it was promoted elsewhere. His conviction was so respected that on retirement he was invited to serve a further two years on the ESFA.
Coming back to the north east in 2007 I have spent a good deal of time with Malcolm and Lorna at the Riverside watching county cricket. Malcolm was always keen to see the best traditions of the game upheld and would smile wryly as the square leg appealed vociferously for an LBW decision.
More important than all the interests and achievements I have outlined is the fact that Malcolm was a committed Christian, attended this church regularly and acted as a volunteer at the cathedral in Durham. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
Malcolm was born in Jarrow and educated at Dame Allan’s School in Newcastle. Besides captaining and playing rugby and cricket for the school at each age level he was also chosen to play for Northumberland County at both sports. Malcolm was equally at home playing fullback on the rugby field as he was opening the batting on the cricket ground. In fact his proudest school memory was batting for Dame Allan’s against the Royal Grammar School and as he was approaching his half century the Headmaster terminated lessons and brought the entire school out onto the boundary to witness him completing his half century. Malcolm always spoke appreciatively of his years at Dame Allan’s and the opportunities the school gave him to play sport at a high level. He was appointed Head Boy in his final year.
From school Malcolm went off to do National Service before going to St. Paul’s, Cheltenham, one of the finest P.E. colleges in the country. Here he continued to represent the college in both sports but more importantly it was here in Cheltenham that he met Lorna and they were married in 1965. Three years later I was watching county cricket with them at New Road, Worcestershire when Lorna gave me the exciting news that she was expecting a baby. That baby was Andrew and I was subsequently privileged to be asked to be his Godfather. Mark was born three years later.
I had first met Malcolm a little earlier in January 1963 when I joined him at Wallsend Grammar School. Although he had only been at the school for four terms and on a staff many of whom had been there for decades, he was already a significant and outstanding personality.
Wallsend, as you will know, was and is a hotbed of soccer and Malcolm set about producing school teams of quality and success in the winter whilst not neglecting cricket and athletics in the summer. Although capable of playing at a higher level personally, Malcolm joined the Wallsend Cricket Club and opened the batting throughout his days at the Grammar School. As for the school, the boys respected his discipline and commitment; the girls admired his good looks and he was affectionately known as Chuck – Chuck Berry being the contemporary Rock and Roll icon of the day.
Besides the maintenance of the highest standards in the gym and on the games’ field I suppose Malcolm’s outstanding attributes were his organisational and management skills. Dame Allan’s, the army and St. Paul’s, Cheltenham had all provided the opportunity to hone and enhance these attributes and Malcolm liked nothing better than to be called upon to organise an event.
I remember one occasion in particular. Our Under 16 team had reached the final of the Diball Cup and we were due to play St. Cuthbert’s Roman Catholic Grammar School, a formidable school, as many of you will know, as far as school soccer is concerned. We spun up for venue and having won the toss the game was scheduled for a Friday evening in early May at Wallsend. Malcolm went into action. The County Ground Staff were summoned to mow the grass, paint the lines and rope off the playing area. New nets were acquired for the goals and new flags for the corner posts. A neutral referee and two linesmen were appointed and the linesmen were provided with new flags. I think on the night Malcolm had a spare whistle in his pocket just in case.
Maximum publicity was given to the game to ensure a good attendance, not a huge problem in Wallsend, and the Home Economics Department was persuaded to provide refreshments for the boys after the game. They set to work and produced a magnificent spread: ham sandwiches, sausage rolls, sausages on sticks, chicken legs, scotch eggs, and so on.
I wont dwell on the game itself suffice to say Wallsend led 1-0 at half time despite the fact St. Cuthbert’s had dominated the play and who in the second half went on to win comfortably 4-1. Following the presentation of the trophy, showering and changing the teams came along to the Home Economics room which had been suitably rearranged for the occasion. The Wallsend boys applauded the victors in and Malcolm following a few words of congratulation invited them to ‘tuck in’. For a moment there was as sudden halt to the proceedings and despite Malcolm’s meticulous planning he had overlooked the fact that good Roman Catholic schoolboys don’t eat meat on Fridays!
The day was saved by the accompanying priests who quickly declared a special dispensation and the food disappeared in short time.
As comprehensive education was gaining traction Malcolm was appointed Head of P.E. at Walker School in Newcastle in 1968 and as a measure of his importance in that school he was successively promoted and appointed Head of House, Deputy Head and finally Acting Head. Simultaneously Malcolm was pursuing his interest in the management and organisation of school football. He refereed games up to international level and successively became Secretary and then Chairman of Northumberland School’s Football. He represented Northumberland on the English School’s F. A. Council from 1979 and in 1989 he was elected Chairman of the English Schools’ Football Association. When a vacancy occurred for the post of Chief Executive of the English Schools’ F.A.Football in 1991 he was an ideal candidate given his achievements, the breadth of his experience, his wise counsel and crucially his management and organisational skills. He was appointed to the post and moved down to Stafford to fulfil the role which he did so successfully for ten or more years.
Malcolm was passionate about school football and promoted the game vigorously as a member of the F. A. Council. At a time when the F. A. was promoting its School of Excellence at Lilleshall and the professional clubs were establishing their Academies Malcolm believed that schools with their dedicated and well qualified P.E. teachers ,with their duty of care for the boys, provided an equally good basis, if not better, for boys, and later girls, to develop and mature into footballers who could go to play the game at a variety of levels. No one was discarded and thrown out as not having made the grade.
As Chief Executive he obtained lucrative and extensive sponsorship for schools’ football, organised international football at home and abroad and had the support and help from a number of professional club members. Some of his most important work was done on the F.A. council where he was a tireless advocate for football in a school setting and a discerning critic of how it was promoted elsewhere. His conviction was so respected that on retirement he was invited to serve a further two years on the ESFA.
Coming back to the north east in 2007 I have spent a good deal of time with Malcolm and Lorna at the Riverside watching county cricket. Malcolm was always keen to see the best traditions of the game upheld and would smile wryly as the square leg appealed vociferously for an LBW decision.
More important than all the interests and achievements I have outlined is the fact that Malcolm was a committed Christian, attended this church regularly and acted as a volunteer at the cathedral in Durham. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.