PHS001 John Jenkins MBE MP3
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Audio details
| Collection Title | Champions of England: Oral Histories |
|---|---|
| Date of Recording | 3rd October 2019 |
| Name of Interviewer | Samantha Middleton |
| Location of Interview | Portsmouth |
| Participant Name | John Jenkins MBE |
| Participant Date of Birth | 16th November 1919 |
| Participant Sex | Male |
| Participant Occupation | Retired |
| Participant Background |
Worked on Cunard liners Served in the army Fought on D-Day Bus driver Training manager in Dockyard Awarded MBE |
| Type of Recorder | Zoom H4n Pro |
| Track No | 1 |
| Track Duration | [00:33:52] |
| Recording Format | MP3 |
| Transcript Summary |
[00:00:00] John Jenkins [JJ], born Portsmouth, 1919. Mentioned 100 years old this November. Was 30 years old during 48/49 season. [00:00:44] Mentions match with an attendance of 51,000 at Fratton Park, job to get in the ground as it was such a squash. Happiest memory goes back to first game, 1928, Portsmouth v Sheffield Wednesday, 3-2, goals all scored by centre-forward Dave Watson. Enraptured by player named Freddie Worrall, previous profession as an acrobat in the circus, which showed in jumps in the goal mouth above all others. [00:02:29] Lived in Portsmouth all life, except short time in Cosham. Worked at Naval Base after the war. Retired from Navy finishing final 10 years’ service in the Management Training School department. [00:03:46] Mentions one game, Jackie Milburn, Newcastle left-winger scored a wonderful long shot goal that goalkeeper Ernie Butler couldn’t save. One goal that sticks in my memory. Jack Froggatt tore down the left wing without anyone else touching the ball. Mention memories were more general. All matches were outstanding and I was a Pompey fanatic. Seen some wonderful matches especially during Championship title years. Mentions Lua Lua, did a somersault when he scored. [00:06:05] Called up to Army in WWII as a soldier. Training base at a place called Dinglevale, an infant school. Mentions how all the hairy old soldiers needed to use small toilets in the school and slept on straw mattresses. Hard going. Trained in a place called Sefton Park, Liverpool. Training finished sent to Northern Ireland for two years. [00:07:18] Mention one of Pompey ex-players was playing for Belfast Celtic, Jimmy McAlinden, went down to Belfast to meet him, talked about his old days at Pompey. Mention conversation with an elderly man that was his father. Mentions visiting a bar, barman serving, Gerry Bowler, who eventually came to Pompey, Irish International. Remember game at Millwall to watch him play. Mentions having a long moustache and after game, coming out being mistaken by all the kids for broadcaster, Raymond Glendenning, who had similar moustache, wanting autograph. [00:09:57] Came out Army, drove a trolley bus driver, work on overhead wires, drove fans to Fratton Park, packed up job as missed matches. Job in Naval Base, 35 years’ service. Training Officer. Mentions only chap entered the dockyard as Labourer and finished as Training Officer, across Portsmouth, Rosyth, Chatham and Devonport. [00:12:56] Went to quite a few matches, Moved heaven and earth to get there. No tickets needed on terraces at Milton End. Mentions tram at Frogmore Road and walk down. A man selling cough sweets. ‘Cough no more, one penny’ Dressed in a blue pearly king suit and hat with tray round neck. Mentions next to him a chap selling peanuts, one penny and tuppence. Pearly king went in to ground during match and you could chuck a penny at him. Scoreboard at Milton End. Bell would ring when a score elsewhere coming through. Man ran up to change score. [00:15:21] Mentions city was alive when the team were doing well. Again in 2008 Cup win was fortunate to be on the tour. Worked painting terraces, turnstile man, wicker gate, swept terraces. Mentions no Fratton Stand, painted the whole stand with a roller and a tin of blue paint. [00:18:00] Mentions not many memories of the 1949 bus tour. Mentions 7-0 over Everton, Duggie Reid took a free kick, by the tunnel, keeper never saw it. Called him Cannonball Reid, future club groundsman. Scotsman from Stockport County FC. Mentions Pompey were really playing well then, Duggie Reid, Bert Barlow, Peter Harris, really good team. [00:19:50] Mentions a lot of players lived locally, Tommy McGee, Carnarvon Road, saw them have lunch at the Premier Café, Castle Road. Mentions working for company, 2/3 trips to Convent Gardens and dropped them off to café on way. Mentions photos of Jimmy Dickinson. [00:22:11] Mentions game were exciting, best atmosphere from other grounds, always a friendly rivalry with Navy, fans wore white hat covers, 1st October changed to winter ones, sailors always supported other teams. Enjoyed visiting Newcastle, Manchester City/United, Sheffield Wednesday. [00:24:10] Sent to Northern Ireland for 2 years, visited number of Irish Teams. Repeats meeting Gerry Bowler, etc. Stayed in Ballyhalbert, Aerodrome. Mentions Polish pilots flying Boulton Paul Defiant coming off the sea low under telephone wires. [00:25:52] Mentions on a football special to Manchester, door opened, steward offering tea. Mentions saying Hello Mr Blake, his boss when a cabin boy at Cunard, now a chief steward on trains. Mentions replied Young Jenkins. Blake played the bugle for dinner on the Cunard. [00:27:19] Mentions club had a reputation as Pompey and big rivalry with Southampton and Plymouth. Missed a lot being at sea for 5 years as a 14-year-old cabin boy. Stationed in New York, 4 months, trips to South America and West Indies, got match results on ship’s telegram. Unusual for a lad of that age to have travelled so much. Remarks the broadcast of the Queen Mary launched by Queen and Cunard. [00:31:00] Shows photograph from Cunard Magazine in a cabin boy portrait age 14 years old. [00:31:30] Remarks such a long time ago, mentions will be a 100 years old this year, remarks Fratton Park has been a 2nd home. Long relationship with Club. Mentions Jim Gregory, previous Chairman, conversation that resulted in a 3 day a week job at Fratton Park, painting numbers on the seats. [00:33:52] End of Interview |
| Copyright Clearance | Full |
| Copyright Holder | Pompey History Society |
