Mark Jones (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Mark Jones was an English
footballer and one of eight Manchester United
players to lose their lives in the Munich air disaster
. Born in Wombwell
, near Barnsley
, South Yorkshire
in 1933, he was the club's first-choice centre half
for much of the 1950s and collected two League Championship
winner's medals.
He signed for Manchester United as an apprentice on leaving school in 1948 and made his first two appearances in the 1952-53 season
, and by the time of United's title glory in 1955-56
he was a regular first team player, although he often found himself out of the team in favour of Jackie Blanchflower
. Earlier in his United career, he had also worked as a bricklayer in the Barnsley area.
He missed the 1957 FA Cup Final
defeat to Aston Villa
because of an eye injury, and looked set for an international call-up which many sources believe would surely have come his way had he not perished at Munich.
He played a total of 120 first team games for United (103 of them in the league), and scored once.
Jones is buried in Wombwell
near Barnsley
, his birthplace. He had moved from there in the early 1950s after turning professional with Manchester United and moving to Flixton
.
He was survived by his wife, June, and their two-year-old son, Gary. His daughter, Lynne, was born four months after the Munich air disaster, and June later re-married to a man called Herbert Barker. She died in December 2007, and was buried next to her first husband just weeks before the 50th anniversary of his death
Jones was often nicknamed Dan Archer
by his team mates, in reference to his pipe smoking habit similar to that of the character in the radio serial The Archers
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer and one of eight Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester 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...
players to lose their lives in the Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...
. Born in Wombwell
Wombwell
Wombwell is a small town near Barnsley, located in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 15,180.Its name's origin may mean "Womba's Well", or "well in a hollow"....
, near Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
in 1933, he was the club's first-choice centre half
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for much of the 1950s and collected two League Championship
Football League First Division
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's medals.
He signed for Manchester United as an apprentice on leaving school in 1948 and made his first two appearances in the 1952-53 season
1952-53 in English football
The 1952–53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the closest championship win in English league history at the time, with Arsenal claiming the title by just 0.099 of a goal. Both Arsenal and Preston had identical records aside from their goal averages...
, and by the time of United's title glory in 1955-56
1955-56 in English football
The 1955–56 season was the 76th season of competitive football in England. The First Division was won by Manchester United, the fourth time they had won that particular accolade.-Awards:Football Writers' Association...
he was a regular first team player, although he often found himself out of the team in favour of Jackie Blanchflower
Jackie Blanchflower
John "Jackie" Blanchflower was a Northern Irish football player. He graduated from Manchester United's youth system and played for the club on 117 occasions, before his career was cut short due to injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster...
. Earlier in his United career, he had also worked as a bricklayer in the Barnsley area.
He missed the 1957 FA Cup Final
1957 FA Cup Final
The 1957 FA Cup Final was a football match played on 4 May 1957 at Wembley Stadium. The match was contested by Aston Villa and Manchester United. Villa won 2-1, with both of their goals scored by Peter McParland...
defeat to Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
because of an eye injury, and looked set for an international call-up which many sources believe would surely have come his way had he not perished at Munich.
He played a total of 120 first team games for United (103 of them in the league), and scored once.
Jones is buried in Wombwell
Wombwell
Wombwell is a small town near Barnsley, located in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 15,180.Its name's origin may mean "Womba's Well", or "well in a hollow"....
near Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, his birthplace. He had moved from there in the early 1950s after turning professional with Manchester United and moving to Flixton
Flixton, Greater Manchester
Flixton is a village and electoral ward within the Urmston area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. It lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.Flixton's present-day population is...
.
He was survived by his wife, June, and their two-year-old son, Gary. His daughter, Lynne, was born four months after the Munich air disaster, and June later re-married to a man called Herbert Barker. She died in December 2007, and was buried next to her first husband just weeks before the 50th anniversary of his death
Jones was often nicknamed Dan Archer
Dan Archer
Daniel G. "Dan" Archer is a former American football offensive tackle in the American Football League. he played college football at the University of Oregon, and then professionally for the Oakland Raiders in 1967 and for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968. He currently lives in Mill Valley,...
by his team mates, in reference to his pipe smoking habit similar to that of the character in the radio serial The Archers
The Archers
The Archers is a long-running British soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting"...
.