Roos' lasting legacy: Tributes flow for the late Jimmy Jenkins

Bulli Greyhounds operation manager Darren Hull has paid tribute to good friend, the late Jimmy Jenkins, who passed away on August 16. He was aged 98.

Corrimal's Jenkins was a legend of the Illawarra football community and was the oldest living Socceroo, having represented in his country twice in 1949.

Jenkins' football journey began in Tarrawanna when he was asked to trial with the Corrimal Rangers as an 18-year-old. The goalkeeper went on to play more than 130 games straight for the club, before switching to Woonona. He retired from the sport in 1953.

Away from football, Jenkins was passionately involved with the Bulli Greyhounds. His roles included being an ID steward and a kennel supervisor for more than 50 years.

"Jimmy was just a great fella. He loved people and the grand game. He was a real genuine bloke," Hull said.

"Jimmy was one of a kind. A true gentleman."

Hull said Jenkins also had an incredible work ethic.

"He worked here up until he was 96 and he was the first bloke here and the last bloke to leave. He hardly ever missed a race meeting in the six years I knew him here, and they tell me he virtually never missed a race meeting before," Hull said.

"I'd be locking up two hours after the race meeting at midnight, and he was still there turning lights out, cleaning up and locking up, and he'd jump in his car and drive home. You just don't see things like that these days. He was real old school.

"He was as sharp as a tact. He was 96 but had the best memory, an unbelievable bloke. If you met him, your mouth would just fall open. He was loved by everybody, he didn't care if you were a millionaire or had two bob to your name - he treated everybody the same."

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Former Socceroo Adrian Alston played more than 30 games for Australia, including at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Alston, who went on to coach several Illawarra football teams, met Jenkins at several sporting events and said he was a lovely man.

"He was an absolute gentleman. It's a shame that we can't all be like him in our older years," Alston said.

"I knew him through people organising sporting events and stuff like that, and Jimmy was invited when I was. We weren't that close apart from that, but we just hit it off and I was just so impressed by him.

"Jimmy used to walk around with his Socceroos shirt around his neck so he was very proud [to have represented Australia]."

Jenkins was farewelled by friends and family at a service at Bulli's H Parsons Chapels on August 24.