Manx Radio have just announced that Norrie Whyte has died.

terrible news, r.i.p big norrie.
ade!

The posting on the Manx Radio website states :

Motorcycle Journalist Norrie Whyte has died.
He passed away in Scarborough yesterday aged 61.
Norrie was well known on the Island for his Isle of Man Newspaper reports on both the TT and Manx Grand Prix meetings.
Sports Editor John Watterson says he was the ultimate professional and will prove to be irreplaceable.

Yet another very sad loss to the sport.

Big Norrie was a living legend, a national treasure and one of the nicest guys I ever knew. I'm sure he would never have understood that he was as much loved as many of the racers he thought so highly of, and will be just as much missed. No ordinary journo, he wrote about the people as well as the racing, and will never be matched.Such sad news. RIP Norrie

So very sad to hear this news. The Big Man was legendary and an excellent reporter.Sincere condolences to his family and many friends.
from,
all the Campbell family.

Sad to lose such a great friend, hard to believe he was only 61 he had been around as long as I can remember as great ambassador for our sport, great scribe.

Take the weight of your feet buddy.

Just heard the terrible news about Norrie RIP Norrie.

Another loss to the sport. RIP Norrie.

Another exclusive for Norrie, say hello to Joey, Dave, Gavin and the lads.
First saw Norrie at Mallory Park over 15 years ago, dare I say an icon of our generation. I will miss his words and insight.

There was a terrific tribute to Norrie by John Watterson in the Manx Independent today. John was full of admiration for Norrie's professionalism and attention to detail, and stated that, although he reported on GPs for many years, his first love was real road racing.
I especially liked the story about Norrie covering the Scottish Six Day Trial many years ago. He apparently spent most of his time in Fort William's many hostelries, and when challenged as to how he could produce a report when he hadn't actually witnessed the action, he would reply that he used to report on murders and he hadn't witnessed any of them either !
He also disliked the 'red tape and ACU stuffed shirts' at the TT, so preferred the Manx. To read the rest, you'll have to buy a copy of the 'Indi'.

Norrie used to visit Aintree Road Race meetings.
His large frame and happy face was always welcome.
Never heard him say a bad word about anyone.
Some organisations YES!
A great loss to the Sport.
John Abel. Aintree Motorcycle Racing Club

BIKE RACING MOURNS LOSS OF NORRIE WHYTE
18 September 2003

STANDING at six feet five and weighing in at a conservative estimate of 24 stones, Norrie Whyte certainly stood out in a crowd, writes John Watterson, iomonline's sports editor.

For over 30 years he was the face of the Motor Cycle News. He covered the Grands Prix scene for roughly half of that period, globetrotting the world for five months of the year and filing copy back to base camp in Kettering long before the invention of mobile phones or laptop computers.

Latterly he reported for iomonline and TT News, produced by IoM Newspapers during the TT races.

He was one of the old school of hacks, able to rustle up a story from nothing and make it a lead with a few choice quotes.

Norrie was respected by everyone from world champions to club rookies, circuit owners to sponsors, mechanics to trades' people. The big man really was one of the best known characters on the Continental circus.

Norrie Whyte was born in Dumfries (the same hospital as TT winners Jim Moodie and Ian Simpson) 61 years ago.

After the death of his mother at quite a young age he was brought up by an aunt in Crocketford, between Stranraer and Dumfries. He retained an early interest in motorcycle racing, but after leaving school his first job was as a cub reporter on a Castle Douglas newspaper.

He filed race and other reports for the Scottish Daily Express before getting a job south o' the border with Motorcycling, then finally onto Motor Cycle News.

During his early years on the GP circuit he became a close personal friend of the stars. Such names as Mike Hailwood, Tony Godfrey, Phil Read and Mike Duff.

Norrie's first love was real road racing and in latter years, since taking early retirement from the MCN in 1993, he spent a month of every year here in the Island, covering the TT and Manx, and often enough another fortnight in Northern Ireland for the North West and the Ulster.

He wasn't that keen on all the red tape and over-officious ACU stuffed shirts at the TT, so the Manx was his favourite and he was indeed honoured to be the Manx Motor Cycle Club's guest of honour for the 1997 meeting. He made his final sojourn over to the Island just a few weeks ago to cover what would be his last ever Manx GP for Bikesport News.

The Isle of Man will miss the big Scot. In this age where it is almost a national sport for full-time journalists to knock the Mountain Circuit and the TT in particular, Norrie defended it steadfastly.

He passed away in hospital in Scarborough on Tuesday evening. Norrie had travelled from his home at Finedon, Northants to the Yorkshire seaside town to be press officer for this weekend's meeting at Oliver's Mount, but had taken ill while working on the official programme a week last Monday. The final prognosis was a tumour on the liver.

That's clearly written by one who knew and loved him. Thanks for posting it.

As a non-motorcycling drinking friend of Norrie, for most of the last twenty years, I must record my own memories of him.
Good hearted man who used to come into the Prince of Wales in Finedon notepad in hand, twas long before he had his apple portable, to sit and drink some pedigree and write up donnington, or some other localish event for posting the next day. The far away articles he did at the meet's.

He enjoyed tackling the Daily Telegraph crossword especially on a Saturday lunchtime, initially with Noel Pearson and then joined, latterly, by Roy Walker, they will miss him greatly.

Myself, I partnered Norrie in many a game of crib, he was an intelligent and thoughtful player, and often would sit out with him watching a friendly game into the 'wee small hours', he couldn't half tuck the beer away!!
Many a chat about anything, as we sat at the bar, so easy to talk with, even had the occassion to act as an unofficial bouncer when some chaps got a bit out of hand in the bar, he stood between them and said, "are you going?" if you've seen him you'll know why they went, v quickly.
In recent years with the change of the Prince from Marstons to Greene King, a beer he loathed, Norrie started drinking in the Cons Club in Finedon, where we'll be toasting his memory after the funeral on wednesday, and where his normal last round of two pints, of the guest special, sat on his, and my, usual table all through the lunchtime session.
I wish I had more time!!
My memories of him are many and will miss him greatly
RIP
Jim Rooney and family

Two so true and very fitting tributes to Norrie from Jim and Tel, thats just how I am sure we all remember him.

Many thanks Lads

It brings a tear to ny eye, but a smile to my lips to think of our Big Norrie, in the company of such lovely friends. People who knew what a treasure he really was. I'm sure Norrie never for a moment realised that the very stars he thought so much of, and the friends he was so fond of, thought he was a star.
A big, gentle, humourous, witty and very clever man, who asked for so little for himself. We'll never see his like again.

I`ve been to the TT several times and met a big man who looked so seriously towards me when I first entered the Press room .
I then saw him again and again through the fortnights and was very well pleased with his attention , though we never spoke ...
Will be missed - a very fair partner !!!

On Malta (little IOM) and have just heard the news about the Big Man - Norrie Whyte. Yet another TT stalwart and a journalist we will have no chance of replacing.
He was from that special club of journalists of the George Turnbull, Leslie Nichol era who told it as it was..
There was no doubt when you read Norries excellent write-ups that he was not only a journalist but also a man who loved what he was doing. In all this has been a dreadful year and I also read that Doctor Joe has also gone on before .

Who is filling these gaps