Through thick and thin, in life and his football career, the 92-year-old Jenkins has kept on keeping on, just like his beloved Rangers, who are this year celebrating 125 years of playing football in the Illawarra.

Things haven’t always been rosy for Corrimal, but history shows one of the region’s oldest clubs has produced its fair share of Australian internationals.

Bobby Bignal captained Australia’s Olympic team, while Ted Drain, Keith Learmonth, Phil Peters, Ronny Burns, Bob Young, Atti Abony, Adrian Alston and Jenkins all pulled on a Socceroos jersey.

Jenkins played two matches for Australia against Yugoslavia in 1949, as well as 132 for Corrimal, before transferring to Woonona in 1948. 

But Jenkins will always be a Rangers man. As will club secretary Peter Dent, who remembers fondly the early 1970’s when Corrimal “dominated’’. “We were the first team to win the double [league and grand final] in Illawarra football [1973],’’ Dent said. ‘’We had some good years in the 70s and 80’s when Adrian Alston coached us for seven great years. “Doug Seymour, Micky Dent, Glen Trigg and Bobby Crow were instrumental in helping the Rangers win promotion and win the 1986 first division competition.’’

The Rangers are celebrating their 125th anniversary with a gala event at Villa D’oro in Wollongong on Saturday. Their latest success came when they won the Fraternity Cup this year.