For other persons named Joey Jones, see
Joey JonesJoey Jones may refer to:* Joey Jones, head college football coach at the University of South Alabama* Joey Jones, Welsh association footballer-See also:*Joe Jones *Joseph Jones...
.
For other similarly named people, see
Joseph JonesJoseph Jones may refer to:* Joseph E. Jones, US state legislator from Wisconsin* Joseph Jones , U.S. statesman, Virginia delegate in Continental Congress* Joseph Jones , U.S...
or
Joe JonesJoe Jones may refer to:* Joe Jones , American painter, muralist, and lithographer* Joe Jones , avant-garde musician associated with Fluxus...
.
Joseph Patrick "Joey" Jones (born 4 March 1955 in
LlandudnoLlandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
) is a former
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international football
full-backWithin the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
who played for
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
for three seasons, including the 1977 season, in which they chased "the European Treble".
Wrexham
Jones joined
WrexhamWrexham Football Club are a professional football team based in Wrexham, north-east Wales, who play in the English football pyramid.Founded in 1872, they are one of the oldest surviving football clubs in Britain and the oldest professional club in Wales...
, along with
Mickey ThomasMichael Reginald "Mickey" Thomas is a former football player. As a Welsh international, he made 51 appearances and scored four goals.-Biography:...
, straight from school as an apprentice in 1971. They doubled up as ground staff, as well as doing the normal apprentice roles, including cleaning the professionals boots, and were paid the princely sum of
£The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
8 per week, a fiver of which went on their lodgings.
He made his debut at the age of 17 in a
Welsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
tie against local rivals
Chester CityChester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
; Wrexham lost 1–0. He did, however, win the Welsh Cup with the club in 1975, when they beat
Cardiff CityCardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
in the final. Jones established himself as a right-back and helped Wrexham to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 1974, the first time the club had reached the that stage of the prestigious competition. Ironically, it was Liverpool that went on to win the trophy defeating
Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
comfortably 3–0.
Liverpool
Jones left Wrexham to join his boyhood heroes, Liverpool (he has a Liverbird
tattooA tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
ed on his forearm), when
Bob PaisleyRobert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...
paid £110,000 for his services in July 1975. He made his debut on 16 August in a 2–0 league defeat to
Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
at
Loftus RoadLoftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
. He missed out on a league championship medal in 1975–76, as he did not quite play enough matches to qualify.
In 1977 left back Jones was part of the treble-chasing
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
team which won the
League championshipThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and reached the finals of the
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and
European CupThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. Jones scored his first goal for the club on 9 November 1976 in the 5–1 league thrashing of
Leicester CityLeicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
at
AnfieldAnfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. The treble, unprecedented in English football, was not forthcoming. Liverpool lost 2–1 in the FA Cup final at Wembley to
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, though Jones supplied the accurate long pass for
Jimmy CaseJames Robert Case is a retired English football player who shot to fame with the all-conquering Liverpool side of the 1970s and became known as a player with one of the hardest shots in the game.-Early life:...
to score Liverpool's goal. However, they won their first European Cup in
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
four days later, defeating
Borussia MönchengladbachBorussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
3–1. A memorable
bannerA banner is a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message. Banner-making is an ancient craft.The word derives from late Latin bandum, a cloth out of which a flag is made...
was unfurled by Liverpool supporters at the European Cup final in Rome which said "Joey Ate The Frogs Legs, Made The Swiss Roll, Now He's Munching Gladbach".
Jones was in and out of the side the following year, with the renaissance of
Tommy SmithThomas "Tommy" Smith MBE was a long-serving footballer with Liverpool, known for his uncompromising defensive style. Manager Bill Shankly once said of him: "Tommy Smith wasn't born, he was quarried."-Life and playing career:...
and the emergence of young Scottish defender
Alan HansenAlan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
severely reducing his first team opportunities to the extent that he left in the summer of 1978 after exactly 100 appearances and 3 goals for the Reds.
Chelsea
In 1982, Jones joined
ChelseaChelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
for £34,000, signed by the manager who had given him his professional debut,
John NealJohn Neal is a former English football player and manager.Neal was a full-back whose playing career included numerous clubs, including Hull City, Southend United and Swindon Town...
. Jones' Chelsea career got off to a slow start; he was booed by his own fans and sent-off on his debut against Carlisle United at
Brunton ParkBrunton Park is a football stadium and the home of Carlisle United F.C. It is situated in the city of Carlisle, Cumbria and has a certified capacity for the 2011/2012 season of 18,202. The ground opened in 1909...
on 30 October 1982. However, Jones' committed attitude and pre-match fist-clenching ritual eventually made him a cult hero among the fans. He also proved instrumental in Chelsea's successful battle to avoid relegation to the
Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
, culminating in him being voted the club's Player of the Year at the end of his first season.
The Chelsea team was re-built by Neal over the summer, with the likes of
David SpeedieDavid Robert Speedie is a retired Scottish footballer who played for several clubs in England during the 1980s and 1990s, most notably Chelsea, Coventry City, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers. He accumulated more than 500 football league appearances and scored almost 150 goals in a 14 year...
,
Kerry DixonKerry Michael Dixon is a retired English professional footballer who played most notably for Chelsea and England.-Early years:...
,
Pat NevinPatrick Kevin Francis Michael "Pat" Nevin is a retired Scottish footballer. In a 20-year career, he played for Clyde, Chelsea, Everton, Tranmere Rovers, Kilmarnock and Motherwell as a winger. Nevin was a fans' favourite at Chelsea during the 1980s...
and Mickey Thomas arriving, and Jones was a part of the side which romped to promotion as
Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
champions in
1983–84The 1983–84 season was the 104th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history...
. He remained with the club in the top flight for one more season, before surprisingly being sold to
Huddersfield TownHuddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
for £35,000 in August 1985. He finished his Chelsea career with 91 appearances and 2 goals to his name.
Huddersfield and third spell at Wrexham
He joined Huddersfield in the summer of 1985 from Chelsea, and was named Town's player of the year in his first season. After two seasons he left to re-join Wrexham.
International career
Joey made his
WalesThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
debut in November 1975 against
AustriaThe Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
. He went on to win what was then a record of 72 caps, scoring one goal. Jones remains Wales most capped defender.
After retirement
Jones underwent heart surgery in 2002 and has since scaled down his commitments with Wrexham, he works as the Under 18's and Reserve team coach. In 2001 he had a brief spell as caretaker manager between the departure of
Brian FlynnBrian Flynn, is a Welsh football manager and former Welsh international player.On 13 September 2010 Flynn was confirmed caretaker manager of the Wales national football team after John Toshack stepped down...
and arrival of Denis Smith.
In 2005, Jones completed his autobiography entitled "Oh Joey, Joey!" about his life in football. This was a book of the week on
Sky Sports NewsSky Sports News is a 24-hour sports news channel in the United Kingdom. It is run by BSkyB whose sports channels include Sky Sports 1, 2, 3 and 4, as well as Sky Sports HD1, HD2, HD3 and HD4....
in February 2006.
Also in 2005, Jones was named as Wrexham's ultimate Cult Hero on
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV's
Football FocusFootball Focus is a BBC television show, broadcast on BBC One on Saturday lunchtimes, covering football, presented from the 2009/2010 season by Dan Walker...
. Jones is much respected by Liverpool supporters and he finished in 63rd place in the 2006 poll of all-time favourite Liverpool players (100 Players Who Shook The Kop
official Liverpool Football Club web-site). 110,000 fans worldwide had taken part in the vote.
Honours
Wrexham
- Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
- Winner: 1975
- Runner-up: 1988, 1991
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
- Division 1
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
- Winner: 1977
- Runner-up: 1978
- FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
- European Cup
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
- UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
- European Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual football game between the reigning champions of the two cup competitions organized by UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League...
ChelseaChelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
- Division 2
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
External links