Colin Jefferies - Life Member of Sydney Cricket Club – September 2024
Sydney Cricket Club | November 12, 2024
Please find the following citation in nominating Colin Jefferies for Life Membership to be acknowledged at the upcoming SCC AGM on 12 September 2024.
Col was recruited to the Tigers by the legendary Australian Cricket administrator, Mr Fred Bennett in 1991, when Col was then the secretary of the inner west junior community cricket association. Fred, certainly a man difficult to reject, installed Col as Balmain Cricket Club secretary in 1992, a position he held through to 1997 before he turned his hand to the club history and picking up the historical work created by Cliff Winning (Life Member).
If this sounds familiar to us today, it is. Col’s role is described as “doing all the work” - Saturdays at cricket, canteen management, covering wickets on Fridays, sometimes with his son and providing the glue in a club that was hugely successful due to the passion of the members. He recounts his respect for the players and his team of volunteers. Joan Mulhall (Life Member as scorer), John Mulhall (Life Member), Neville Carnegie (Life Member), Margaret and Ron Jones (Life Members) each continuing the traditions established by Cliff and Lillian Winning (Life Member). The spirit of Teamwork and the Club Teamwork was never stronger.
Margaret Jones ensured the canteen was never a problem as she provided the best afternoon teas in Sydney cricket - a fact still recounted by many Tigers today. People here know Andrew Jones (Life Member and son of Margaret and Ron) who went onto represent NSW in Sheffield Shield and family member with the Sherriff boys.
Col’s respect and regard for his close mate, long serving player and administrator, Peter Binet (Life Member) remains as strong today.
In 1998, Col chose the cricket history route and through researching newspapers (the local being the Referee) and the missing data was retrieved and the records updated - this still occurs each year. Col joined the CNSW historian team and under the "secrecy required", he got hold of annual reports and newspapers which he photocopied (not permitted then) to build our performance history.
He became a fully-fledged CNSW librarian in 2002 and he is now the historian for the SCA, a position he not only treasures but used to build accuracy in the records of the Balmain Cricket Club, now Sydney Cricket Club. His efforts and dedication have continued over the years.
I first met Col on a Saturday at cricket in the early 2000’s at Drummoyne Oval and I was certainly inducted into the Balmain way of life. Col is a Life Member of the SCA for his services and I commend his nomination to be honoured with Life Member of the Balmain / Sydney Cricket Club.
Greg Healy
