Stan Jones (footballer)
Stan Jones was born in Highley near Bridgnorth and grew up in the same street playing football with Gerry Hitchens who went on to play for Aston Villa and England.
Jones started his footballing career as an amateur with Wolverhampton Wanderers before signing for Walsall Football Club making his first team debut in 1958. After making 40 appearances for Walsall and helping them secure the fourth division championship in 1960 he was transferred to West Bromwich Albion who secured his services after watching him develop over two seasons. At the time WBA were looking for a straight replacement for stalwart pivot Joe Kennedy who was coming to the end of his career at the Hawthorns.
Jones fitted the bill perfectly and soon became a worthy successor to Kennedy and assumed the centre half position in the baggies defence alongside Stuart Williams, Don Howe and Bobby Robson. As the dominant centre half Stan was noted for his aerial ability and hard tackling. An inspiring defender, standing over 6 feet tall and 13 stone he became the baggies first choice centre back for over 250 first team games hardly missing a game over the next six seasons.
He occasionally captained the side and was a key figure as the baggies became a formidable cup side in the mid 1960s reaching the 1965/66 League Cup Final which they won in a two legged final against West Ham and then the infamous 1967 League Cup Final defeat to 3rd division Queens Park Rangers at Wembley, having led 2-0 at half time thanks to two Clive Clark goals for the cup holders. He also played in Albions very first European cup tie versus DOS Utrecht as a result of that league cup win in 1965/66.
Jones missed both final ties, despite having played every match in the previous rounds. In 1966 he was left out in favour of Danny Campbell and injury ruled him out of the 1967 final having failed a fitness test at Wembley due to a hamstring injury sustained at Leeds United a couple of weeks earlier. Down as captain in the official programme Jones had to sit alongside manager Jimmy Hagan and watch from the sidelines as Albion surrendered the cup to QPR.
A recurrence of an old back injury saw his appearances limited after that and the arrival of John Talbut from Burnley saw Jones go back to third division Walall as captain in May 1968. He continued to serve the saddles as first choice centre half and captain until 1973 when he moved into non league football with Burton Albion and Kidderminster Harriers. He assisted Walsall as trainer/scout in the early 1980s helping nurture the talent of players such as David Preece, David Kelly, Dean Smith and Stan Collymore.
After retiring from the game he became an agent for a sports wholesaler in Nuneaton. He still regularly attends games at the hawthorns and is an active member of the Former Players Association.