N.V.C. Turner

When the War began, Turner enlisted in the City of London (Rough Riders) Territorial Force Yeomanry and was appointed to 2nd Lieutenant in September 1914. He relinquished his command in July 1916 due to ill-health but was later cancelled, “but without pay and allowances”. No reason given, but was gazetted to acting Captain in Sept 1916, and later relinquished the temporary rank in July 1917 returning to the rank of Lieutenant. In Sept 1917 he became a full Captain became a company commander, later relinquishing this and becoming aide-de-camp on the Personnel Staff of General Sir Cecil Romer. He relinquished his appointment in March 1919 remaining in the military until September 1921.

Turner was in the first match the Corinthians played after the War against Charterhouse in October 1919 and later that year went on a northern Tour with Corinth, playing alongside I.E. Snell and H.G. Yates, both from the abandoned 1914 tour.

In 1920, after 6 years of disruption caused by the War, the English team was selected to play Belgium, and Turner was selected to play as goalkeeper. He was one of eleven debutants! To the surprise of the footballing world, England were beaten 3-1. In the same year he was elected to the post of honorary secretary of the Arthur Dunn Cup.

Noel married Margaret Julie Astbury, daughter of the politician and judge, Sir John Meir Astbury, but while holidaying in Le Touquet, France, a car they were travelling in veered to miss a cyclist, hitting an tree killing his ‘Peggy’. Noel was driving. John Astbury never got over the loss of his only daughter and disappeared from public view, dying alone in 1939.

When the war ended, focus returned to the healing of the ‘Split’ and as a token of the improved relationship between the FA and the AFA, the FA allowed a public school representative into the FA Council, and in 1924, N.V.C Turner was elected to the role.

Turner remained as a Director of G.R. Turner Ltd until his death in June 13, 1941, in Hungerford Park, Berkshire, aged 54. He made a speech about the state of amateur football in 1922 when he said, "...the fact that the result of the game was not the only thing that mattered - it was the spirit...."