T. G. Jones

Thomas George "T. G." Jones (12 October 1917 – 3 January 2004) was a Welsh footballer most notable for his career with Everton and Wales.

Biography

Born in Connah's Quay, Jones started his professional career with Wrexham. He signed for Everton 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 Theo Kelly 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.