A FORMER Northern Echo sporting Local Hero had a surprise 80th birthday treat when he returned to his former football club for VIP treatment.

Stormin’ Norman Sturman, from Darlington, has not played for Whitby Town Football Club since 1957 but he has always retained a soft spot for the Northern Premier League side despite being an avid Sunderland FC fan.

Mr Sturman’s son-in-law Keith Wagner got in touch with Maureen Osborne, who runs Whitby Town FC club shop with husband George, to arrange a special day.

Mrs Osborne said: “Keith contacted us to let us know it was Norman’s birthday, and our chairman Graham Manser invited him to be guest of honour for the day.

“He arrived to have his photograph taken, and he led the team onto the pitch ahead of the game before enjoying the rest of the day in the chairman’s hospitality suite.

“We presented him with a certificate to say he had been our guest of honour, a signed football, and a personalised mug, with his name and the dates he played for the club.”

Mr Wagner said his father-in-law, who played for the club from 1956 to 1957 before he was called up on National Service, had been delighted with the day.

“I can’t thank staff at the club enough – we hoped to just get his name in the programme but they pulled out all the stops to make it really special.

“We had told him he was going to Whitby for lunch and to the football for a change, because he normally goes to see Sunderland play all their home games.”

Mr Sturman, who scored 15 goals while with Whitby Town FC, described his day as “absolutely fantastic.”

He added: “It was a heck of a surprise.

“The staff at the club were great and it was really a day to remember. The best part was someone asking me to sign their programme as he is a collector – that really took me by surprise.”

Mr Sturman, who turned 80 last Tuesday, was awarded the Northern Echo Local Hero Award in 2002 because of his years invested in playing grass roots sport as well as working tirelessly behind the scenes.

His football career saw him winning the North Riding Cup in 1954 with North Skelton Athletic. He also played for Billingham Synthonia, Whitby Town and Sheffield Wednesday reserves before injury forced him to stop.

He was also a skilled cricketer, playing for Hinderwell in East Cleveland as a 15-year-old and since 1965 was involved with Haughton Cricket Club in Darlington until he was 66.