By Elliott West
“When he discovered snooker his life took on a whole new meaning.”
A quote from Norman Dowie’s eulogy.
Introduction
The year was 2017 and in April, the local community of Swindon lined the streets to pay tribute to one of the true greats of the snooker world, Norman Dowie Senior. A man who was a truly gifted snooker coach was given a fitting send-off at St John’s Church, Cavendish Square with his funeral procession accompanied by the music of Christie Hennessy’s Remember Me and praised in the minister’s eulogy calling it ‘a beautiful day for a beautiful man’. A sad day but one that said goodbye to this inspirational figure with a fitting tribute of the sun bursting through the clouds. It even contained a very poignant moment when his grandson Kenny, read a poem, entitled ‘It’s Good To See You’ which talked about Norman when he entered heaven becoming part of a snooker club and enjoying a roast dinner.
Jock
Fondly known as Norrie or Jock, Norman Dowie grew up in Edinburgh and first picked up a snooker cue when he was a young child. It would become a life-changing moment that would release a deep-set passion for snooker lasting for 80 years. A child who once climbed onto the back of Sean Connery’s milk float when the future famous film actor worked for the St Cuthbert’s Co-Operative Society in Edinburgh.
Dowie would go on to meet his future wife Mary in 1955, setting up a home in London where they would have and raise seven children before moving to Park North. These were happy family times, the tribe would have memorable holidays in Edinburgh and Brean Sands, Somerset every year, a time that allowed his wife to relax with the speciality being when Mary prepared one of her legendary Sunday roasts.
Norman was also a whizz with a needle, a skilled tailor who produced a whole wardrobe of his family tartan for a joint christening service held at St John’s Church. A man who was a true entrepreneur, even slaughtered his own chickens when he moved to the Old Town, meat that he prepared and sold as oven-ready meat.
Going on to become the manager of two local snooker clubs, Jesters Snooker Hall and the 147 Snooker Club, would lead him to work passionately with disability sports, becoming the Team GB wheelchair snooker coach at the Seoul Paralympics in 1988 and going on to coach two future snooker players, Tim Bailey and Stephen Lee. A coaching profession that he juggled with his daytime job of being a pest control officer. A professional and a gentleman, Norman would spend hours passing on his knowledge of the green baize to many Swindon youngsters. He believed he could get the best out of people by just giving them a chance in his much talked about Saturday coaching sessions. A man who was focused, burly and lively. Someone who knew the game inside out and will always be truly missed.
