By Martin Dempster of The Scotsman
ACCORDING to Allan Massie, Norman Mair had “no equals in Scottish rugby writing”. In the eyes of Stephen Jones, he will “always remain my favourite rugby writer of all time”. Praise indeed from admired figures in the oval ball game.
Instant tributes may have been less forthcoming from what could probably be described as his “second sport” but, nonetheless, golf has also been saddened by the death at 86 of one of its iconic writers.
Having joined in 1966, Norman George Robertson Mair, a quintessential Edinburgh man, was one of the Association of Golf Writers Association’s longest-standing members. He was held in the same regard as the likes of Bernard Darwin and Peter Dobereiner, which tells you instantly that he was blessed with a special talent.
Six times in ten years, it earned him the Sports Journalist of the Year in the Scottish Press Awards, his prize-winning pieces being mainly about rugby but reports on both golf and cricket being equally authoritative, imaginative and also witty.
“We express our collective sadness at Norman’s passing and recognise his contribution to golf journalism, amongst his other sporting interests," said Hamish Grey, chief executive of the Scottish Golf Union. "He was well respected within the journalism industry and we express our condolences to his family.”
It was during the 1989 Scottish Amateur Championship at Moray when I was introduced to a style of golf writing that earned Norman the same legendary status in the Royal & Ancient game as he enjoyed in his beloved rugby.
After Ayr Belleisle’s Allan Thomson, who’d just beaten another Ayrshire lad, Alan Tait, on the last green to claim the crown, had been grilled about birdies and bogeys, this and that by the rest of us, he was asked by Norman for some additional time.
What followed was a real education as The Scotsman golf correspondent, a man I feel privileged and humble to have had the opportunity to spend time with over the years, fired a string of technical questions at the new national champion.
In truth, I was a bit baffled by some of what Thomson said - my fault, not his - but not when it appeared in print. In his peerless prose, Norman nailed the relevant points, as he did so frequently with his golf reports for this paper. Filed with incredible conscientousness, too.
As a young sub-editor at the time, I can relate to the stories told by Norman’s wife, Lewine, an outstanding golf writer herself, of course, and a recent AGW Chairman, about him turning up in The Scotsman’s old offices in Edinburgh’s North Bridge after driving from, say, St Andrews or Troon to check over a first-edition proof.
I also remember the occasion when his weekly sports feature - perilously close to the deadline as ever - was way too long for the allotted space and Norman, on being told it had been chopped, dashed down from Colinton ready to explode only to quickly accept the sub had handled the cutting exercise with a tender hand.
A qualified teacher, Norman’s first forays into journalism were with STV’s Scotsport, where, on a football-orientated programme, he found himself reporting on everything from Highland League football to the rugby “championship” of the day along with another man who went on to become a legendary figure in Scottish journalism, Bob Crampsey.
It was after a spell with the Sunday Telegraph that Norman joined The Scotsman as the paper’s rugby correspondent, the former internationalist - he pulled on the dark blue jersey four times as a hooker in the Five Nations Championship in 1951 - quickly earning the respect of officials, coaches and players for match reports that were regarded as “the gospel”.
Norman left The Scotsman in 1982 to join the ill-fated Sunday Standard. He later wrote for The Observer and The Scotsman as well as contributing to numerous publications such as match programmes and writing several books, including a history of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.
Awarded an MBE in 1994, Norman and fellow Scottish legend Bill McLaren are the only media men to have been elected to Scottish Rugby’s Hall of Fame.
In retirement, Norman suffered ill-health and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease almost three years ago, being looked after by devoted staff at the Thorburn Manor care home in Colinton, where he died in the early hours of Sunday, December 7.
Given his technical mind, you won’t be surprised to hear that Norman spent many an hour hitting balls on the range at Duddingston seeking perfection - a constant thread in his life - before retiring to the pro shop to regale Alastair McLean and his staff with stories. Both written and talked about, to many people they were in a class of their own.
Norman is survived by Lewine, his children Suzi, Logan, Patrick and Michele, who works for IMG, and his seven grandchildren.
The funeral will follow a family service and will be held on Tuesday, December 16 at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh at 2pm. All are welcome to attend.
