Jimmy
'Trainer' Dryden Memorial Page
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A
few years ago Cougar Bourbon had a competition to find the best
Footy Legend around. Now the word “legend “ is thrown
around quite liberally these days, but when Towns were called
upon to name a legend of our club, one name came quickly to everyone’s
minds. A story of this person needed to be written, and given
to the judging committee. It was submitted and passed each stage
until it was presented with the winner’s prize. We already
knew we had the best Footy Legend in the land, and now, not only
did everyone else know it too, they all agreed.
Sadly, we lost that legend last week. For the first time since
our second year in 1953, Jimmy didn’t hear the final score.
Here is the story of his time at Towns Footy Club.
Towns Football Club has been going for 57 years now and 56 years
ago a young man watched his First Towns game, and he’s been
here ever since. His Name is Jim Dryden, or as he’s know
to us ‘Townies’ Old Jim, Trainer, or just plain Jimmy.
Jim was about as well known and loved at other clubs as he is
at ours, as all the trainers at other clubs could hear his cranky
loud voice from their change rooms as well. To get a complete
picture of all this man has done we have to go back to the beginning,
when in 1953, after that first game as a spectator Jimmy became
a staunch Bulldogs supporter and member. He started helping around
the club, doing bits and pieces and by 1955 he was an all round
club person, doing everything he could to help out. He continued
this until his retirement only a few years ago, but on with the
story.
In 1972 Jim’s son started juniors, and Jim was at all the
games supporting the under 10’s and assisting in whatever
needed doing. Two years later, when his son was in under 12s Jim
would wash the jumpers, transport kids to games, and generally
be the Fixit man. This continued through the under 14s and under
16s in 1977. The next season was Jim’s son’s first
in the colts side. It was then that Jim became the Team Manager.
Over this season and the next two, Jim managed the colts, then
the reserves and then in 1980 he became the League Team Manager.
He continued this job until 1984 when he took on the job of trainer.
He must have enjoyed this job immensely because he was made the
Head Trainer the following year and remained in that position
until only a few years ago, when he decided to retire. When he
became trainer, he also became the Property man, and we think
he used the same valuable bags for the players that he first used
in 1985 for the entire time he was there! But you could be assured
that your valuable were safe and sound in Jimmy’s care.
Anything you needed as a player, coach, trainer water person,
Jimmy was the one to see. If he didn’t have it, couldn’t
get it, or couldn’t make it, then it just wasn’t worth
having.
In 1992 Towns Football Club recognised the enormity of the work
Jim Dryden had done by making him a life member. After that Jim
expanded his workload, and broadened his horizons, and stepped
up in the eyes of the Ladies Committee by helping out at all of
the functions held at the club. Jim quickly became the King of
the Kitchen, standing at the sink for hours and hours until every
dish, pot and pan was clean. He did this so that the ladies didn’t
get dish pan hands! Jim washed up at every function for many years,
sometimes for up to 300 people. He also helped out the ladies,
by being at the club to check the stock in and put it in the right
place so that the ladies didn’t have to lift the heavy items.
People around town can tell that Jim was a Towns person by the
cars he drove. He drove a red and white van for many years and
then when that packed up, he hunted around for a car that would
be just right for fitting all of his trainer gear in it for away
games. And of course, we can’t forget his “Bulldogs”
number plates.
The remarkable thing is that Towns aren’t the only club
that could have written a Legends story about Jim, for he spent
50 years with the Yacht Club, The Darts Association, as well as
over 30 years a cyclist and 15 years at the Rifle Club.
The Dictionary has a picture of Jim for the following words- loyal,
hard-working, dedicated, devoted, fanatical, enthusiastic, dependable,
and trust worthy, the list could go on and on.
Since Jim’s retirement a couple of years ago, it takes 2
or 3 of us to do all of the work for match days and training nights
he did for many years on his own.
The Club hasn’t just lost someone that was there each week,
Jim was a dear friend, and a part of many of our families. As
Coaches and Players came and went during the years, Jim was a
constant in the change rooms, and for our players, he was seen
as father figure, a mentor and a good mate. He was adored by all
the players, and this was evident at the end of each season, when
they would invite him on their player’s trip. In fact he
was adored by everyone at the club, which is why we will find
it so hard to say goodbye.
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