Jim Murphy . A True Wests Man.

                                                                              1929-2007

 Jim Murphy in 1963

This Jim Murphy is not the Jim Murphy that played for Wests in the 1970’s.  
 

This Jim was a grassroots official, who for many years coached, selected, mangered not only Wests rep sides but also teams from Enfield Feds and Burwood United.

A large number of the junior Rep Wests players Jim influenced went on to play for the Magpies in the 1960’s and 1970’s and beyond.

WSDJRFL

Undefeated Premiers... Oatley R.S.L Shield Competition, 1963

Back Row  J.Addision, R.Smith, M.Mclean ,F.Tagg, W.Leet, J.McGlivray, J.Rolfe PMcCarthy ,P.Panagiris

Second Row   Jim Murphy, B.Jones, D.Cornall, A.Driver, PMcGaulley, T.Lawerance, K.Kavanagh,

R.Tooby, J.Begnall,J.Taunton.

Front Row   J.Tagg, J.Nielsen, J.Miller, Tim Pickup(Capt) F.Reardon(Coach), Nev Horney, F.Wailes.

Seated: Jim Begnell, J.Duff, N.Smith

Many of these players went on to play grade football for Wests.

Greg proudly wearing  his dads Life Member blazier.

Jim’s son Greg Murphy contacted me through my web site and asked if I was interested in doing a story about his dad.

I spent a wonderful 2 hours with Greg going back in time when playing for Wests  was a lifetime ambition that few of us achieved.  

What follows is only a very small part of the Football life and times of

Jim Murphy. 

Jim was born at North Sydney in 1929. At the age of 19 he went to Bourke to play football. Jim played for Bourke between 1948 –1950. During his time at Bourke Jim fell in love and eloped with his true love Doreen back to Sydney.

The first "A" grade Burwood United side 1958.

Jim was the first "A" grade coach of this famous club.

Greg a very young ballboy.

In the late 50’s Enfield Feds was re-formed and with the help of men like

Jim Begnell, Frank Richards, Harry Pickup and Jim Murphy the Feds were up and running again.

Jim Begnell Hon Treasurer for many years

H.Flegg Memorial Competition

1964

Back Row  R.Brown,L.Squires,L.Burton,D.Huckstepp,K.Nicol

Second Row  F.Wailes(Ambo),N.Hornery,C.Johnson,J.Essenstam,G.Bond,Jim Murphy(Sel)

A.Anderson,Terry Begnell,T.Pickup,J.Begnell,R.Northridge,T.Flynn,P.Panagaris.

Front Row R.Smith,J.Hain,J.Tagg,M.Mclean (Capt) R.McFarlane (Coach) D.McKinnon.

Ball Boy Greg Murphy.

As you know Wests had moved from Pratten Park to Lidcombe Oval in 1967 but  junior league games were played at Concord Oval,

Lidcombe Oval, Pratten Park and Goddard Oval at Concord.

Junior Rugby League had been played at Lidcombe Oval long before the offical move by Wests in 1967

Bottom Left Lidcombe Oval main canteen for Wests Juniors

Jim and his wife Doreen ran the canteen at Concord Oval for many years. This job included buying everything from pies to soft drinks to cigarettes then manning the counter week in week out.

The monies from this canteen and the one at Lidcombe Oval helped keep the Wests juniors alive. 

Below is a collection of photos of some of the teams that Jim was involved with.

1963 Wests Flegg Team

(I spot a very young Tony Ford 3rd from right standing.)

Note the autographys on the photo.

1970 Flegg Team.

Thats Doug Lucas 3rd from the right seated.

  Doug in Newtown colors 1976

1971 SG Ball Team

1966 Flegg Team.

The Famous 1965 Flegg Team.

Jim Murphy second row far right standing

Tim Pickup was Capt of this Flegg Team.

Tim is sitting behind Greg Murphy (ballboy).

Tim Pickup was a Western Suburbs Rugby League junior who played his formative years with the Enfield Federals J.R.L.F.C from 1959 to 1965. The Federals were formed in 1912 but dissolved, to be reformed by Tim's father Harrie and friend Jim Bagnall in the late 1950s.

The Federals became a juggernaut and Pickup's team-mates included 6 future Sydney First-Graders, including Michael McClean - Manly,North Sydney and Wests(Son of former Western Suburbs Captain Peter McClean), Neville Hornery - Canterbury and Wests, Geoff Nielsen - Canterbury and Easts, John Clark - Wests and Parramatta, Rod Smith - Wests(200+ first grade games) and prominent Australian Horse-racing identity, Frank Tagg - Wests. Legendary Balmain,NSW and Australian Rugby League Trainer/Conditioner, and noted hard man Les Hobbs was also a key member of this team.

The Enfield Federals were such a dominant side they went undefeated for 7 years,and ironically lost their one and only game,the 1965 Grand Final which would be Pickup's last ever match for the club.

During the Federals reign they quickly ran out of opponents, having to play up an age group to get a game and would eventually have to shift to other Junior League's (Balmain, Newtown) to be accommodated.

The Federals were such a force that 12 out of the starting 13 line-up represented Western Suburbs RLFC in the 1963 S.G BALL/Oatley Shield and 1965 JERSEY FLEGG and won both competition's UNDEFEATED, with Tim Pickup as Five-eighth and Captain.

In 1965, Western Suburbs RLFC called upon Pickup and team-mate Neville Hornery to play in the 3rd Grade open-age Semi-finals. Harrie Pickup deemed his son to be to young for this promotion at only 16 years of age, yet Hornery not only accepted the challenge,he excelled with gusto.

Pickup did his schooling at St.Patrick's Strathfield, and would later graduate from Christian Brothers Lewisham in 1965.



1967 Flegg Team

Greg remembers being the ball boy when Feds played in the Balmain comp and having all sorts of trouble with spectators at Birchgrove Oval.

Believe it or not Nev Hornery liked to stir up the crowd.

Which made being the ball boy very interesting.

Nev looking like a choir boy.

Greg was a talented footballer who played with Feds, Concord United in the early days and Greenacre as a 20 year old.

Greg also played for Bankstown in the old second division comp in 1975.

  Greg and his dad started their own team in 1978 called the

“Bankstown Jets” Jim as always was in the thick of things being the Manager.

Gregs office is full of Wests Memorabilia.

Photo of Tommy and Graeme O'Grady holding the 1977 AMCO CUP

A great 60th Birthday gift for any Wests supporter.

Magpie on Gregs office wall

At the age of 60 Jim and Doreen moved to The Entrance where they lived a happy life until Jim was affected with Alzheimer’s.  

Jim died in 2007 at the age of  78.

 He was a Wests man till the end watching the Mighty Wests Tigers win the 2005 Grand Final

on DVD on more than one occasion .

I did not know Jim Murphy but after talking with his son I wish I had.

"Well done good and faithful servent"