Mike Devlin will be stepping down as secretary of the Norfolk County Golf Union in April after eight years in the role.

Since taking over from David Horsburgh in 2011, the administrator has earned the respect of players and officials alike, with county president Graham Turner praising his tireless behind-the-scenes work.

'I have known Mike for over 40 years, going back to the days when Mundesley Golf Club played an annual friendly over 36 holes against his club Great Yarmouth and Caister,' he said. 'He took up his role eight years ago and has been a tireless servant of the county ever since.

'He has seen many changes during that time and has always been at the sharp end. His knowledge of golf is second to none, as are his organisation and administrative skills and attention to detail, and no task is ever beyond him.

'In more recent times he was at the forefront of steering the county through the complex legal process to become a corporate body, which saved the County Union thousands of pounds, as well as coping with the demands of piloting the county and clubs through GDPR and the electronic age, with a new website which will stand the county in good stead for the future.

'During the last 18 months, Mike has been an invaluable colleague for me to turn to and without his help and guidance I would have found it very difficult to carry out my duties.'

The man himself said he was looking forward to an opportunity to improve his handicap after April's annual meeting, when his successor will be officially announced.

'I have really enjoyed being county secretary but it takes up a lot of your time and I haven't been able to play as much as I would like,' he said. 'I used to play off 7.6 but now it's 12 so hopefully I can do something about that!

'I just thought it was time to step down and give myself the time to do other things, while giving someone else a chance to do the job.

'There is a lot to do, but the workload has been lightened somewhat by the appointment of Morgan Thompson-Williams to run the county competitions. He has done an excellent job so far and I am sure he will continue to do so.'

Norfolk CGU are now seeking a replacement secretary and any prospective candidates should contact Graham Turner with their CV at heathway17@btinternet.com