Ray Jones (footballer born 1944)

Football player infobox
playername = Ray Jones


fullname = Raymond Michael Jones
height =
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date|1944|6|4
cityofbirth = Chester
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = July 2007 (aged 63)
cityof death = Chester
country of death = England
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Full back
youthyears = 1958–1962
youthclubs =
years = c.1962–1969
1969–1971
1971–197?
197?–197?
197?–1979
clubs = Chester
Runcorn
Oswestry Town
Bethesda Athletic
Colwyn Bay
caps(goals) = 170 0(0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
managerclubs = Colwyn Bay
Rhyl
Connah's Quay Nomads
manageryears = c.1977–1979
c.1981–1986
c.1989–1992
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Ray Jones (born 4 June 1944, Chester; died July 2007, Chester) was an English professional footballer who played as a full back. He made 170 Football League appearances for Chester City and also played and managed in non-league football.

Playing and Managerial Career

Jones joined Chester as a schoolboy, making his first-team debut in a 1–0 win over Hartlepool United on December 7 1962 in the number two shirt.cite book | author=Chas Sumner | title=On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City 1885-1997 | year=1997| pages= stats section |id=ISBN 1-874427-52-6] By the 1964–65 season Jones was a regular in the side, performing well when asked to mark George Best in an FA Cup tie against Manchester United in January 1965.cite web|url= http://www.chester-city.co.uk/ray_jones_obituary.asp |title= Ray Jones 1944-2007| publisher = chester-city.co.uk | accessdate=2008-01-26]

Unfortunately, Ray and his namesake and fellow full-back Bryn Jones suffered broken legs in a match against Aldershot 12 months later. The pair missed the remainder of the season as Chester fell out of promotion contention, with Ray not returning to action until October. He remained at the club until the end of the 1968–69 season, with his final game being a 1–0 home defeat to Exeter City on April 19 1969.

That was to be the last Football League match played by Jones, as he joined non–league side Runcorn. He followed it up by playing for Oswestry Town, Bethesda Athletic and Colwyn Bay, where he became player–manager. He went on to have spells as manager of Rhyl, where he achieved three promotions, and Connah's Quay Nomads. Away from football he worked as an engineer.

Jones died in July 2007 at the Hospice of the Good Shepherd near Chester. [cite web|url= http://www.rhyljournal.co.uk/sport/Tributes-paid-to-former-manager.3076832.jp | title= Tributes paid to former manager | publisher = Rhyl Journal| accessdate=2008-01-26]

External links

* [http://www.chester-city.co.uk/ray_jones_obituary.asp Chester City obituary]
* [http://www.rhyljournal.co.uk/sport/Tributes-paid-to-former-manager.3076832.jp Rhyl Journal obituary]

References