T. G. Jones
Encyclopedia
Thomas George "T.G." Jones (12 October 1917 – 3 January 2004) was a Welsh
footballer
most notable for his career with Everton
and Wales
.
, Jones started his professional career with Wrexham
. He signed for for £3,000 in 1936. He won a Football League First Division
champions medal in only his second full season at Everton in 1938-39
, before his career was interrupted by the Second World War
. Jones served as a sergeant in the RAF during the war, but he resumed his career for Everton in 1946. A.S. Roma
successfully bid £15,000 for him, a large sum in those days, but foreign exchange regulations stopped the transfer. Everton were still short of cash and so transferred Tommy Lawton
to Chelsea
and Joe Mercer
to Arsenal
. These deals were not only blows to the Everton team, but to him personally, as he had been best man at both their weddings.
A club director falsely accused Jones of feigning injury and his appearances thereafter were sporadic. Jones's injury was actually severe enough to put him in hospital for four months. Once the relations with the manager Cliff Brittain became so bad that he was even not picked for the reserve team, and played secretly for Hawarden Grammar Old Boys. After Kelly stopped being manager, Jones became club captain in 1949. Finally, in January 1950, Everton agreed to his release. He made 178 appearances for Everton, scoring five goals.
Jones won 17 caps for Wales
and eleven caps in war-time internationals.
After Jones left Everton he played non league football for Pwllheli
and became their part-time manager. He also ran a hotel. In 1962, he was manager of Bangor City. After winning the Welsh Cup
, the team beat beat Napoli 2-0 in the home leg in the European Cup Winners Cup but lost 1-3 in Italy
. With no away-goal rule, Bangor lost the replay 3-1. Later, Jones ran a newsagent's shop in north Wales.
He was elected a 'Millennium Giant' by Everton in 2000, one of the first eleven from the club's long history to be so honoured. The panel of assessors described him as an apparently effortless, skilful and assured footballer. He passed the ball from his position at centre-half in the same way that Franz Beckenbauer
would do later. He was renowned for his sporting behaviour. Stanley Matthews
, Tommy Lawton
, Joe Mercer
and Dixie Dean
each cited Jones as the greatest player that they ever saw. Former Liverpool star of the same era, Cyril Done
, said that "T. G. was a gentleman off the field, and a gentleman on the field".
In addition to his playing career, Tommy was instrumental in re-establishing senior football in his home town after the collapse of Connah's Quay and Shotton United in 1927, just six months after they had won the Welsh Cup and beating the previous season's FA Cup winners Cardiff City in the final. Though junior clubs, notable Connah's Quay Albion played in the town it was not until Tommy's intervention in July 1946 that Connah’s Quay Juniors, the fore-runner of the present-day Nomads club was formed. Attracted by the reputation of the famous international, youngsters from Connah's Quay and its surrounding towns and villages flocked to join the new team which quickly became a major force in North Wales youth soccer, winning the Welsh Youth Cup in 1948.
By natural progression a senior team was formed and joined the Flintshire League in 1948. Success soon followed and Connah’s Quay Juniors reached the final of the Welsh Amateur Cup in 1950/51. Prior to the 1952/53 season, the suffix Nomads was adopted and the team ventured into the Welsh League (North).
Wales
Wales 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...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
most notable for his career with Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
and Wales
Wales national football team
The 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...
.
Biography
Born in Connah's QuayConnah's Quay
Connah's Quay is the largest town in Flintshire, North Wales, lying on the River Dee, near the border with England. It can be accessed by road from the A550, by rail from the nearby Shotton station and also lies on the National Cycle Network Route 5. It is situated near the region's industrial...
, Jones started his professional career with Wrexham
Wrexham A.F.C.
Wrexham 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...
. He signed for for £3,000 in 1936. He won a Football League First Division
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....
champions medal in only his second full season at Everton in 1938-39
1938-39 in English football
The 1938–39 season was the 64th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
, before his career was interrupted by the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Jones served as a sergeant in the RAF during the war, but he resumed his career for Everton in 1946. A.S. Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
successfully bid £15,000 for him, a large sum in those days, but foreign exchange regulations stopped the transfer. Everton were still short of cash and so transferred Tommy Lawton
Tommy Lawton
Thomas "Tommy" Lawton was an English association footballer who rose to fame a short time before the outbreak of the Second World War and enjoyed a successful career which lasted until well into the 1950s....
to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea 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...
and Joe Mercer
Joe Mercer
Joseph 'Joe' Mercer, OBE was an English football player and manager.-Playing career:Mercer was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the son of a former Nottingham Forest and Tranmere Rovers footballer, also named Joe. Joe Mercer senior died, following health problems resulting from a gas attack...
to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. These deals were not only blows to the Everton team, but to him personally, as he had been best man at both their weddings.
A club director falsely accused Jones of feigning injury and his appearances thereafter were sporadic. Jones's injury was actually severe enough to put him in hospital for four months. Once the relations with the manager Cliff Brittain became so bad that he was even not picked for the reserve team, and played secretly for Hawarden Grammar Old Boys. After Kelly stopped being manager, Jones became club captain in 1949. Finally, in January 1950, Everton agreed to his release. He made 178 appearances for Everton, scoring five goals.
Jones won 17 caps for Wales
Wales national football team
The 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...
and eleven caps in war-time internationals.
After Jones left Everton he played non league football for Pwllheli
Pwllheli F.C.
Pwllheli F.C. is a football club in Pwllheli in North Wales. They are members of the Welsh Alliance League and play at the Recreation Ground. They will be competing in Division Four in the 2009-10 season.-Current squad:-Staff:...
and became their part-time manager. He also ran a hotel. In 1962, he was manager of Bangor City. After winning the Welsh Cup
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...
, the team beat beat Napoli 2-0 in the home leg in the European Cup Winners Cup but lost 1-3 in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. With no away-goal rule, Bangor lost the replay 3-1. Later, Jones ran a newsagent's shop in north Wales.
He was elected a 'Millennium Giant' by Everton in 2000, one of the first eleven from the club's long history to be so honoured. The panel of assessors described him as an apparently effortless, skilful and assured footballer. He passed the ball from his position at centre-half in the same way that Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
would do later. He was renowned for his sporting behaviour. Stanley Matthews
Stanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'...
, Tommy Lawton
Tommy Lawton
Thomas "Tommy" Lawton was an English association footballer who rose to fame a short time before the outbreak of the Second World War and enjoyed a successful career which lasted until well into the 1950s....
, Joe Mercer
Joe Mercer
Joseph 'Joe' Mercer, OBE was an English football player and manager.-Playing career:Mercer was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the son of a former Nottingham Forest and Tranmere Rovers footballer, also named Joe. Joe Mercer senior died, following health problems resulting from a gas attack...
and Dixie Dean
Dixie Dean
William Ralph Dean , better known as Dixie Dean, was an English football player. Dean originally started his career with Birkenhead based Tranmere Rovers before moving on to Everton, the club he had supported as a child, where he became one of the most prolific goal-scorers in English football...
each cited Jones as the greatest player that they ever saw. Former Liverpool star of the same era, Cyril Done
Cyril Done
Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:...
, said that "T. G. was a gentleman off the field, and a gentleman on the field".
In addition to his playing career, Tommy was instrumental in re-establishing senior football in his home town after the collapse of Connah's Quay and Shotton United in 1927, just six months after they had won the Welsh Cup and beating the previous season's FA Cup winners Cardiff City in the final. Though junior clubs, notable Connah's Quay Albion played in the town it was not until Tommy's intervention in July 1946 that Connah’s Quay Juniors, the fore-runner of the present-day Nomads club was formed. Attracted by the reputation of the famous international, youngsters from Connah's Quay and its surrounding towns and villages flocked to join the new team which quickly became a major force in North Wales youth soccer, winning the Welsh Youth Cup in 1948.
By natural progression a senior team was formed and joined the Flintshire League in 1948. Success soon followed and Connah’s Quay Juniors reached the final of the Welsh Amateur Cup in 1950/51. Prior to the 1952/53 season, the suffix Nomads was adopted and the team ventured into the Welsh League (North).