It was while he was being propped up by four wheels that Jim Greenwood knew he needed to get back on his own two feet again.
Greenwood spent close to eight months living in his car in his native Hampshire, after his business went bust and deciding he did not need the overheads of paying for a flat.
But, while it suited him for that period of time, the new Gordonians head coach knew it was not a long-term fix.
“I started my own business and it went really well,” he said. “I over-extended myself and ended up going bankrupt shortly after Donald Trump was voted in and Brexit happened. I didn’t quite know how to react after I lost that business.
“I spent seven or eight months living in my car, while putting up marquees, driving diggers, volunteer coaching in my spare time.
“During that time I did my level three (qualification), which is an 18-month course.
“I’m a big believer in taking the positive out of every situation. The seven or eight months I spent in my car, while it sounds bad, I had everything I needed. I was working three jobs and was perfectly happy.”
Greenwood, who played youth rugby for London Irish and Saracens, had already done some coaching.
He noticed a job at Robert Gordon’s College and applied, was offered an interview and he started last March. It meant leaving the New Forest and relocating just shy of 600 miles up to Aberdeen. “I applied for the job, offered an interview then realised how far it was,” said Greenwood. “I drove up, did the interview and got offered the job and decided to accept it.”
He got involved with Gordonians during last season after a chance meeting with director of rugby Bevis Reid. A brief playing stint with the National Two side got him involved in the ranks and working with head coach Ryan Morrice, who has stepped down to be his assistant.
Greenwood added: “Bevis coaxed me into coming down for a session. I sort of came out of retirement and enjoyed it, but I’m definitely not the future of Gordonians!
“I’m excited to work on my coaching now. I’ve coached for about 15 or 16 years.
“It makes perfect sense in terms of continuity. I coach the senior team at Gordon’s, so that makes for a seamless transition for lads who are leaving the college who want to continue playing rugby. It’s an opportunity for me to run my own coaching team and put my own stamp on the brand of rugby we want to play.
“The players have got aspirations to play an exciting, free-thinking brand of rugby; they want to develop this brand of rugby that allows them to attack anywhere on the pitch and have no fear of repercussions. If we can keep them together and develop them as experts in their positions, you’re going to have a real force to be reckoned with.”
