Australia is off to Brazil for the soccer World Cup in June and the oldest living Socceroo, Jimmy Jenkins, will be watching at home so long as the matches don’t clash with Bulli greyhounds.
Jimmy, 91, identifies the greyhounds, lets them in and out of the kennels for each race, and cleans the block when the meeting is finished.
His role continues his "love affair" with greyhound racing, which commenced in an official capacity when he began identifying and hand-starting races at Bulli in 1963.
Jimmy, who was goalkeeper in two soccer tests against Yugoslavia in 1949, also officiated as Chief steward at Moss Vale greyhounds for 17 years and then spent 12 years in the same capacity at Nowra.
Australia did not reach a World Cup series until 1974 but Jimmy treasures his memories of representing his country in tests in Sydney and Melbourne in 1949.
"They beat us 3-1 in each game and I was paid seven pounds 10 shillings ($14.20) per match," Jimmy recalled.
"I had to take three days off work to play for Australia and after the second match I even had to give my jumper back, because the soccer people were doing it tough in those days.
"The Yugoslav goalie, named Beara, was six foot six and they took a photo of him with his hand on my head, as I was only five foot eight, and he reckoned I was too short to be a goalkeeper.
"Someone chipped me for not diving for balls when they were obviously heading wide of the target, claiming the fans liked to see spectacular dives.
"I replied that if I had wanted to be an acrobat I’d have joined the circus."
While Jimmy had a stellar career in the round ball game, also representing South Coast in a 1946 international against South Africa, greyhounds have always been his great sporting love.
"When I was 11, in the early 1930s, I earned pocket money walking a dog called Bella Kelly for a neighbour and she won four races at Wollongong, at a time when the lure was attached to the outside, not the inside, rail," he said.
"Kids weren’t allowed to go to the dogs or trots in those days but I knew every loose bit of tin surrounding the Wollongong track and used to sneak in every meeting.
"My favourite dog at Wollongong was Swifty Dick, who was trained at Wagga, but who would win over the hurdles one week and on the flat the next, and usually the times he clocked over the jumps were not much slower than what he recorded on the flat.
"When I was old enough to get a licence I had some success as a trainer and saw all the greats, like Ribby, Sentinel, Gay Toby and the best of them all, Chief Havoc.
"Zoom Top was pretty good too and Travel Rev was the best stayer, although Farraflash, who used to tail out a long last and thrill the fans with her barnstorming finishes, was not far behind him."
Jim’s soccer career began with Corrimal Rangers in 1940 and he retired after a season at Woonona in 1953, but his involvement with greyhound racing continues.
