A POPULAR figure in the Eastleigh Walking Football Club, Norman Pendlebury was given a guard of honour by his teammates who donned full kit to pay their respects on the route to his funeral last week.

The keen sportsman, who was a retired army officer and former senior law lecturer, has died at the age of 89.

One of three children born near Wigan in 1930, he attained the rank of Major in the Army despite humble beginnings as the son of a Lancashire miner. He was based in Hong Kong, Germany and Kenya as well as a number of postings in the UK, latterly at Worthy Down near Winchester.

He became a law lecturer at Southampton Institute of Higher Education, now Solent University, on his retirement from the Army, and wrote a book on company law for students which is used globally.

Norman played a number of sports including basketball, hockey, tennis, cricket and football for Rumsey’s Dads Army until the age of 75. At 84, he joined the Eastleigh Walking Football Club as the oldest member by some years.

Norman loved crosswords in newspapers and often won prizes. He also enjoyed dining out at the Woolston Cafe near his home in Weston where he enjoyed a cooked breakfast daily before lockdown.

He lost his wife in 2014, but leaves three children, Richard, Judy and Ruth, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.