A friend, a benefactor, a wise and experienced businessman and above all a supporter of the game of cricket at every level.
Many people at Middlesex Cricket and the MCC will be aware of Geoff’s involvement in the game, particularly at Lords, where he was almost a resident - certainly later in life when his health declined and he was a very frequent visitor to the Committee Room, sitting in a large chair on the right of the window facing out - a chair often left empty if he wasn’t there!
I would like to offer another view of this fine gentleman, an individual know throughout the County Game by players, staff, members, supporters, and Committee Members alike. He was a man who supported many benefit events for players and was also an individual who had the time, energy and commitment to make sure that players whose careers had faltered or indeed failed were not ignored.
Less well known will be Geoff's commitment to the Seaxe Club (the Club within a Club at Middlesex) where he and others insured that young players, as they fought their way up the ladder to professional status, were supported financially whenever necessary. Geoff helped these young people both directly and indirectly with bursaries and scholarships at a time in our game when there was much less money available - and yet as a result of this work some very famous names made their way to the top.
There was yet another side to Geoff Norris, and many will know of his role as a senior manager at Barclays Bank, particularly at the branch in St John’s Wood where some of the young Middlesex players banked, Other people will be aware of Geoff’s propensity for good food and wine, particularly at one of his favourite restaurants, Oslo Court, in St. John's Wood close to London Zoo, where he was very well known and always welcomed!
There is however one side of this gentleman’s character that is possibly less well-known and that is his role as financial advisor and almost right-hand man to George Ward the Chairman of Grunwick - the relatively small organisation that in the late 1970’s created a whole new meaning and approach to the world of industrial relations, epitomised in the book Fort Grunwick. This Company fought an amazingly vigorous battle with Government, Unions and Courts alike and when it was all over Geoff joined George Ward just as he was leaving the banking world. He was there offering wisdom and equilibrium to a business that needed stability and it was at this time that our paths crossed again.
He was the Treasurer and head of the Finance Committee and had regular meetings at Lords at 8am to ensure that the Committee Members, most of whom were also working full time, were able to help in an efficient and effective manner. It was a very good example of Geoff being able to use those skills of the volunteers in a way that benefitted Middlesex Cricket. At the same time as being Treasurer, and Financial Advisor and ‘Helper’ to George Ward he was also asked to use his wisdom in another way, which was to support George Ward’s first love - horse racing. This took Geoff into another world, and a really interesting example of what this world was about was the moment at a very very well-known race meeting when Geoff was asked to find Mr Ward and ‘get him up here to the Royal Box’ because some people wanted to talk to him. This was a really good example of the way in which his skill and knowledge was appreciated much more widely that many people realised.
Middlesex benefited from a man with a wide range of experience, a man who had worked with an organisation that challenged the laws of the land a man who was well known to many people within the Establishment, but whose first love was cricket at every level and someone who had time for all.
We at Middlesex were lucky that he chose to volunteer his time and energy and that he persuaded others to follow his path.
Thank you Geoff for all you have done for Middlesex Cricket, and just as importantly, thank you Jean, for your patience and understanding. His breadth of knowledge, experience, warmth and kind-heartedness will be sadly missed by everyone.
