Jones Ernie Image 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1947

Description

Cwmbwrla, Swansea born outside right Ernie Jones began his football career with Cwmbwrla Juniors and joined hometown Second Division club Swansea Town on amateur forms in 1937 without making their first eleven. He spent 1938-39 at Bolton Wanderers, still an amateur, but again didn’t get into their first team, and the outbreak of the Second World War delayed his football career, during which he re-signed for Swansea Town as a professional in October 1943. His senior debut came once peacetime football had resumed in an FA Cup tie at Bristol City in January 1946, and his Football League debut followed in August against West Bromwich Albion, Jones being a regular in the side although Swansea suffered relegation at the season end. He was first capped by Wales in 1946 and went on to win 3 further caps in the following two years.

Jones was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £7,000 in June 1947 after 4 goals in 41 matches for The Swans, and although he struggled to get into the first team during his first two seasons at White Hart Lane, he scored 12 goals in their 1948-49 campaign. He left Spurs in May 1949 to join Southampton in a transfer deal which involved Alf Ramsey after 14 goals in 57 matches, where he featured in 45 matches, scoring on 3 occasions over the next three seasons. In November 1951 he transferred to Bristol City as a player/coach and played a further 52 matches and netting 7 times between 1951 and 1954. Jones ended his senior career at Rhyl in the position of player/manager between 1954 and 1956 and later played for Poole Town before his eventual retirement.