Dad, or “Ernie” to his friends, was a much loved and committed member of Newark RUFC having first engaged with the club when I joined the Mini Section at 8yrs of age (some 35yrs ago).
Dad has always believed strongly in the need to contribute, and therefore it didn’t take long for him to “get involved”.

He performed many official roles within the club, including Officer of the Day, Fixtures Secretary but culminating in being asked to be President between 2012 & 2013 - something we were all incredibly proud of, not least Dad.

Irrespective of his position in the club however, he always volunteered for car parking duty, bonfire night or the Newark Show – indeed any other event or task where the club needed help.
He cared deeply about Newark RUFC and its members and had time and a smile for everyone.
His commitment to the club did not go unnoticed, he died the current holder of the John Lawrence “Clubman of the Year” Award - something he achieved despite battling Leukaemia.

Dad was a vociferous supporter of all sides in the club, and wanted nothing more than for our teams to win (he was always happy to give the ref a helping hand from the stand).
My fondest memories are sharing a pint with dad at the bar whilst he dissected the game (mostly my game) during my 20 odd years playing for the club. This didn’t stop in recent years even when I turned out for the Vets!

I know he was also thrilled to bits to see four of his five grandchildren playing the game he loved, one of whom turns out for Newark!
Going to Kelham Road and not seeing dad will take some coming to terms with, but hopefully in the near future we can celebrate his life and give him the club send-off he very much deserves.

As important Newark RUFC was to Dad, his main passion was his family.
He’ll be deeply missed and always loved by Mum (Carol) with whom he’d been together since 18yrs of age - Dads heroic fight against Leukaemia won them both the chance to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary, a wonderful day for the family. Dad was a fantastic father to myself, Jonathan and Steven and was adored by grandchildren Alfie, Freya, Oliver, Oscar and Emily.

There are many good stories to tell when the doors at Kelham Road are unlocked once more, but one of my favourite moments with dad was having the opportunity to play at Twickenham in 2016.
Having travelled to play a Parliamentarians Team on the hallowed turf, Dad asked the security guard where he could sit to watch the game.
The guard told him to take his pick, there were 82,000 of them (surprisingly it wasn’t a sell-out)!
Dad chose the Royal Box from where he watched his son fulfil a boyhood dream (even managing to get a try in the corner).

The picture above is one I will cherish for the rest of my days. Dad was in rugby heaven.

The family would like to thank everyone at the club that has taken the time to send us messages of support, they’ve been a great source of comfort.
The support we’ve had in the last 12 months from a number of individuals (you know who you are) will never be forgotten.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Rest in peace dad, you will be missed so very much x

Martin Brummitt