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Ken Jones 1965-70 RIP


Fitzhugh Fella
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Ken Jones ex-Saints full-back from the 60s has died over Xmas. Here is what I was planning to publish about him next year but on a personal note I would like to add a nicer man you could not wish to meet. So helpful towards us historians too - always ready for a chat or to lend a photo. My sympathies to his wife and family.

 

Ken Jones was widely regarded as the best full-back playing in Division 4 when Ted Bates decided he wanted his services to bolster Southampton’s ambitions to finally gain promotion to the top-flight. His first contract was interesting because he was not only offered £27 a week but also a pound for every 1000 above 20,000 in attendance at home games. A tidy and unflappable defender, he initially jousted with Stuart Williams for the right to wear the nos 2 shirt and then Tommy Hare, but all three lost out when Ted returned to the market in March 1966 to bring in David Webb and with the crew-cutted Londoner now ensconced at right-back, the team reached Division 1 by remaining unbeaten in their last 12 matches. The next season the versatile Ken made 19 League appearances all but one of them at left-back and played his part in the consolidation process as the club strived to hold onto their newly found position among the country’s elite. His best season was 1968-69 when he alternated between both back positions at the expense of Joe Kirkup or Denis Hollywood as Saints qualified for Europe but by the following year Bob McCarthy and Tony Byrne had joined the full-back selection fray and Ken fell further behind in the pecking order. He joined Cardiff then being managed by Jimmy Scoular his old Bradford PA manager but injuries preceded a retirement to a job in Southampton Docks, a resting place for quite a few other Saints players of the era. He settled in Chandlers Ford but was not lost to the sporting pages of the Southern Daily Echo as he forged quite a name for himself as an accomplished snooker player/ coach.

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Ken Jones...I actually measured him for a suit ....in my first job!

 

Nice fella' R.I.P.

 

Ken was a brilliant bloke

Typical Yorkshire.

Very dry sense of humour.

Decent player too although injury haunted him for most of his playing career.

Big mates with Dennis Hollywood although they often vied for the same full back shirt.

Part of the team in the mid/late 60's that really knew how to enjoy life off the pitch outside the glare of today's tabloids.

Remember going on a football tour with Ken and co to Germany where we were invited to a Trotting Race.

Ken told us to back the favourite in all of the 10 races.

'Can't lose', but of course we did!!

As has been said in earlier posts, Ken was a very competent snooker player and coached a lot of youngsters.

Much better at potting balls than manouvering containers into ships hatches!!

Ken struggled a bit with his health in recent times but seemed to have overcome the issues before this sad news.

Much sympathy to his wife Jean, son (big Saints fan) and daughter.

A real loss.

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Sympathies to all the family - my sister (now deceased) used to work at Barclays Bank and had regular encounters with Mr Jones - strange really as she became a Mrs .Jones!

Crew cutted Londer Dave Webb - blimey he used to frighten me as a young lad! Hard as nails - but I reckon Docker "Walker" would have had him!

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