Marshall Monkhouse, who has died aged 78, was a proud Penrithian and former goalkeeper who was once plucked from the Sunday league to play in a high profile FA Cup tie for his home town football club.
It was in November, 1981, when non-league Penrith AFC made national headlines by booking their place in round two of the famous national competition with a 1-0 home win over Football League side Chester. That earned the non-league club a trip to face a Doncaster Rovers side, then managed by Billy Bremner and also playing in the Football League third division.
Penrith stalwart Billy Williams, the Blues’ manager at that time and himself a former player, takes up the story: “Over the years, Marshall’s loyalty as a team-mate and friend was something you could rely on, not only in goal for Penrith but also alongside his lifelong friends with Penrith supporters’ club on a Sunday morning.
“However, there is no doubt the proudest day of his football life was when, as manager of Penrith, I asked him to play at Doncaster Rovers. My original keeper Mike McMullen was injured and I had no hesitation in asking Marshall to deputise in possibly the biggest game in Penrith’s history.
“He was then 36 and playing Sunday football. But I asked him, knowing he would take it in his stride and not be as nervous as possibly a younger player would. There is no doubt it was a proud day for Marshall and one he treasured all his life. Although the game ended in defeat he covered himself in glory.”
Billy added: “He was always known as a great character in the local football world, and as a team-mate and friend you were never sure what was coming next! Everything was done with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face.”
Football brought Marshall many happy memories. He played at Penrith’s former Southend Road stadium for Carlisle United in a fundraiser for jockey Bob Champion in the 1980s, sharing the field with footballing greats who included Liverpool FC European Cup winners Emlyn Hughes and Kevin Keegan.
In more recent years Marshall helped with pitch maintenance at Penrith AFC and latterly was a loyal supporter of the club. But away from football, Marshall was a very much loved partner, dad, father-in-law, grandad, brother, uncle, godparent and a good friend to many.
Born in October, 1945, at “Hellfire Corner” on Penrith’s Raiselands Croft, he was the son of Vera and Gordon Monkhouse. He had an older brother, the late Kenneth, a younger sister, Jane, and lived in the town all his life.
Marshall attended the Boys’ National School, Tynefield for a short time before studying at Gregg’s Bookkeeping, Carlisle.
He worked at Lowther Builders, in Penrith when gas pipeline work was taking place and then moved on to National Tyres. When his father retired as manager, Marshall took over as manager until the depot was eventually closed.
He finished his working life at Penrith Golf Club as greenkeeper, a position he loved, and was a keen player of the game, wishing he’d taken it up sooner. He was also a member of the Castle pub’s darts team.
Marshall regularly met up with friends for a coffee at Penrith’s George Hotel or The Lounge. Gradually, as the social group expanded, they formed, around a decade ago, the Old Codgers Club (OCC) of which he was treasurer,
He had said he would stand down from that post when the group managed to raise £50,000 for good causes, and that occurred, memorably, at the beginning of 2023.
At the start of Marshall’s funeral service, at Eden Valley Crematorium, OCC members gave him a fitting send-off, holding a guard of honour with the song We’ll Meet Again.
Marshall is survived by his long-time partner Julie Jones, of Cedar Close, Penrith; two sons, Karl and Marshall, and their partners, Julia and Emma; and four grandsons on whom he doted: Daniel, 22; Lewis, 20; Donavan, 18; and Ryan, 15.
