Shanklin president Bill Jenkins is 100 years old and is already and is counting down the days to the start of the new season and the promoted Island club’s first match as a Hampshire League County Division 2 club.
He celebrated his century, raising his bat at a special lunch with family and his Shanklin cricket colleagues in the local Conservative Club.
Bill has been with Shanklin for 60 years, having moved to Westhill from Havant, for whom he scored over 10,000 runs.
Reflecting on his century celebrations, Bill quipped: “I never got out in my nineties, always went on to make a hundred !”
An Inland Revenue inspector, he was transferred to the Isle of Wight in 1960, bought a house immediately opposite the ground and within a year was appointed Shanklin captain, a role he held for several years with great distinction.
During his long playing career he also captained the Isle of Wight representative team.
Bill retired from the Inland Revenue in 1982, but continued to play cricket, donning his whites for the last time when he was 70 years of age !
He subsequently became Shanklin chairman - a position he held for many years - and was also the chairman of the IW Cricket Association.
He became President of Shanklin CC in 1996, a position he still holds today.
Aston Villa
Bill Jenkins was no mean footballer in his younger days, playing centre-half for Portsmouth Boys before moving back to his native Birmingham, where he played as a centre forward for Bromsgrove in the Midland league.
He was soon spotted by Aston Villa and was immediately given two central league outings alongside former Scottish international Jimmy Gibson.
Aston Villa ceased operating during the Second World War and Bill initially joined the Army Rifle brigade. Among the countries he served in were Africa, Austria and Italy.
At the end of the war he returned to live in Portsmouth and was offered trials with Southend United. However, he knew that it was too late to make a go as a football professional, and so he played locally for Havant Rovers for eight years before breaking his leg in a career ending accident, ironically in a Boxing Day Charity match.
But cricket, alongside his wife Eileen, remained his passion and he was still playing at the age of 70.
Extremely knowledgeable on his sport – especially his horse racing – he was often spotted popping into the bookies, placing a few bets and then watching his winners come in at the same time as watching the cricket !
When asked about how he has managed to remain independent he simply says: “I have been lucky” …
He celebrated his century, raising his bat at a special lunch with family and his Shanklin cricket colleagues in the local Conservative Club.
Bill has been with Shanklin for 60 years, having moved to Westhill from Havant, for whom he scored over 10,000 runs.
Reflecting on his century celebrations, Bill quipped: “I never got out in my nineties, always went on to make a hundred !”
An Inland Revenue inspector, he was transferred to the Isle of Wight in 1960, bought a house immediately opposite the ground and within a year was appointed Shanklin captain, a role he held for several years with great distinction.
During his long playing career he also captained the Isle of Wight representative team.
Bill retired from the Inland Revenue in 1982, but continued to play cricket, donning his whites for the last time when he was 70 years of age !
He subsequently became Shanklin chairman - a position he held for many years - and was also the chairman of the IW Cricket Association.
He became President of Shanklin CC in 1996, a position he still holds today.
Aston Villa
Bill Jenkins was no mean footballer in his younger days, playing centre-half for Portsmouth Boys before moving back to his native Birmingham, where he played as a centre forward for Bromsgrove in the Midland league.
He was soon spotted by Aston Villa and was immediately given two central league outings alongside former Scottish international Jimmy Gibson.
Aston Villa ceased operating during the Second World War and Bill initially joined the Army Rifle brigade. Among the countries he served in were Africa, Austria and Italy.
At the end of the war he returned to live in Portsmouth and was offered trials with Southend United. However, he knew that it was too late to make a go as a football professional, and so he played locally for Havant Rovers for eight years before breaking his leg in a career ending accident, ironically in a Boxing Day Charity match.
But cricket, alongside his wife Eileen, remained his passion and he was still playing at the age of 70.
Extremely knowledgeable on his sport – especially his horse racing – he was often spotted popping into the bookies, placing a few bets and then watching his winners come in at the same time as watching the cricket !
When asked about how he has managed to remain independent he simply says: “I have been lucky” …
