Memorial Trophy rather premature for Norman

The Cup had already been prepared and was taken out of storage to be used for the new Division Two supplementary competition.

Cregagh Wanderers and Braniel YM II produced an exciting final and Cregagh received the trophy for the first time. But, on reading the inscription on the trophy, it revealed ‘Norman Whiteside Memorial Cup.’

An engraver’s error, which the League have since rectified. It was, indeed, meant to read Tommy Whiteside Memorial Cup. Apart from anything else Norman is still very much alive. But, these things do happen and the trophy will be in use again next season with the correct inscription.

Tommy Whiteside was chairman of the former Lisburn League for around 50 years and I worked with him as fixtures’ secretary for ten years or more. He was extremely supportive in all that I did.

Tommy had formed a youth league earlier and he still took a huge interest in it as chairman. The Lisburn Junior Invitational League, has, of course gone from strength to strength and could, arguably, be described as the best youth set-up in Northern Ireland.

Unfortunately, Tommy only witnessed part of its popularity and died a few years back. There was a huge attendance at his funeral - a mark of the esteem in which he was held.