Liverpool career stats for Joey Jones - LFChistory

Players - Joey Jones

Birthdate: 4 March 1955

Birthplace: Bangor, Wales

Other clubs: Wrexham (1971-75), Wrexham (2 / 1978-82), Chelsea (1982-85), Huddersfield Town (1985-87), Wrexham (3 / 1987-92)

Bought from: Wrexham

Signed for LFC: £110,000, 14.07.1975

International debut: 19.11.1975 vs. Austria

International caps: 72/1 (18/0 at LFC) - 20.05.1986

Liverpool debut: 16.08.1975

Last appearance: 07.01.1978

Debut goal: 09.11.1976

Last goal: 19.02.1977

Contract expiry: 18.10.1978

Win ratio: 54% W:54 D:26 L:20

Honours: League Championship 1976/77; European Cup 1977, 1978; UEFA Cup 1976

LFC league games/goals: 72 / 3

Total LFC games/goals: 100, / 3

Player Profile

An enthusiastic and tough-tackling left-back whose uncompromising style quickly endeared him to the Liverpool crowd. The charismatic Welshman whose mother was from Dingle in Liverpool became a 'cult figure' on the Kop even though he only actually played for the club during three different seasons. Wrexham manager John Neal was furious when Jones was sold to Liverpool: "The directors went over my head. Now I’ll have to consider if I have any future with the club.” The former self-confessed youth delinquent was 20 years old when Bob Paisley signed him in the summer of 1975 and still a bit "raw". Even though Jones started the season as first-choice he only appeared in 13 first division matches in total that campaign as the gulf in class between the Third Division he left behind and the First Division became too apparent in his performance. The left-back role was also covered by Phil Neal and Alec Lindsay in 1975/76 but a year later Jones had established himself in the first team and only missed three of the 42 League fixtures. His exploits on the road to victory in the European Cup in 1977 were immortalised in a banner that read: "JOEY ATE THE FROGS LEGS, MADE THE SWISS ROLL, NOW HES MUNCHING GLADBACH". Only Manchester United's victory in the FA Cup final prevented it from being possibly the greatest-ever season in the club's history. However, the European victory seemed to be the beginning of the end for Jones who lost his place in the team in January the following season to the ageing but still dependable Tommy Smith.

Jones admits to being like a madman on the pitch but he never shirked a challenge. A clenched fist towards the Kop when Jones ran onto the field became his trademark and got the crowd going, but he got in serious trouble at other clubs when displaying the same passion. He was accused of "inciting riots" and was arrested twice when playing for Chelsea; at Derby County and at Newcastle.

Jones eventually rejoined Wrexham and later had spells at Chelsea and Huddersfield. He finally returned to his first club for a second time before the 1987/88 season and when his playing career ended, he has continued to work at the Racecourse Ground as a coach with the same enthusiasm that he had always displayed as a player. Jones was 'capped' over 70 times by his country and he is still fondly remembered by Liverpool fans as one of the most colourful characters ever to pull on the famous red shirt. "To be honest, I couldn't believe it when Liverpool came in for me in 1975. I had three great years and while I was never one of the household names like Keegan, Clemence, Hughes or Smith, I always had a good rapport with the fans. I think they knew that deep down, I was just one of them."

Appearances per season

Season	League	FA	LC	Europe	Other	Total
Totals	72	9	4	13	2	100
1975-1976	13	0	0	1	0	14
1976-1977	39	8	2	9	1	59
1977-1978	20	1	2	3	1	27
1978-1979	0	0	0	0	0	0

A more detailed look at the player's appearances

Total	Opponent
6	Middlesbrough
6	Manchester United
5	Derby
5	Newcastle United
5	Everton
4	WBA
4	QPR
4	Arsenal
4	Ipswich Town
4	Coventry City
4	Leeds United
3	Aston Villa
3	Chelsea
3	Manchester City
3	West Ham United
3	Birmingham City
3	Tottenham
3	Leicester City
2	Dyn. Dresden
2	Crusaders
2	Trabzonspor
2	Saint-Étienne
2	Zurich
2	Crystal Palace
2	Bristol City
2	Stoke City
2	Sunderland
1	Southampton
1	Norwich City
1	Nottingham Forest
1	Oldham Athletic
1	Hibernian
1	Carlisle United
1	Burnley
1	Wolves
1	Gladbach
1	Hamburg SV

Total	Started/substitutions
100	Started
16	On the bench
0	Substitute
4	Substituted

Total	Competition
72	League
11	European Cup
9	FA Cup
4	League Cup
2	Charity Shield
1	European Super Cup
1	UEFA Cup

Goals per season

Season	League	Total
Totals	3	3
1975-1976	0	0
1976-1977	3	3
1977-1978	0	0
1978-1979	0	0

A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring

Total	Opponent
1	Bristol City
1	Derby
1	Leicester City

Total	Started/substitutions
3	Started
0	Substitute

Total	Competition
3	League

Total	Goal minute period
2	61-75 minutes

Total	Open play/Penalty
3	Open play

Milestone Appearances

#	Date	Against	Stadium	Competition
1	16.08.1975	QPR	Loftus Road	League
50	19.02.1977	Derby	Anfield	League
100	07.01.1978	Chelsea	Stamford Bridge	FA Cup

Milestone Goals

#	Minute	Date	Against	Stadium	Competition
1	72	09.11.1976	Leicester City	Anfield	League

Joey Jones - Shakes his fist

LFChistory.net had a very entertaining talk with the one and only Joey Jones, who was a cult hero at Liverpool for three years.

Chelsea hand out the punishment

Daily Mail report on Chelsea – Liverpool 4-2 on 9 January 1978.

Goodbye Joey!

An article from the Liverpool Echo on 19 October 1978.

Related Quotes

"I've always been a Liverpool fan and cheered them on from the Kop for years. I thought that was the closest I'd get to playing at Anfield - until one year Wrexham played Liverpool in the Youth Cup.

We drew at our place and I thought 'fantastic, the replay will be at Anfield'. Instead, the game was switched back to Wrexham because Liverpool had a league game... and we ended up getting beaten!

To be honest, I couldn't believe it when Liverpool came in for me in 1975. Talk about a dream come true!

I had three great years and while I was never one of the household names like Keegan, Clemence, Hughes or Smith, I always had a good rapport with the fans. I think they knew that deep down, I was just one of them."

Joey Jones

"I asked Phil Neal and Ray Clemence if they got telegrams from the boss when they were on international duty. Phil said they did, with the message ‘Good luck’. I told them the boss sent them to me when I was away with Wales. The message he put on was, ‘Keep out of trouble’."

Joey Jones

"It was during the close season and I'd gone fishing with a couple of mates from Llandudno. We were making our way back to shore after catching a couple of fish when I saw my dad standing on the beach waving his arms. I thought something was wrong at home but when he told me Wrexham had phoned to say Liverpool wanted to sign me I almost fell back into the sea."

Joey Jones on when he discovered Liverpool wanted to buy him

"Joey just loves to be happy and gets enthusiastic about the slightest thing. He’s just the sort of player every team need, because he’ll make you forget those tensions with one of his terrible jokes. He makes a joke about anything and everything."

Ray Clemence on Joey Jones in 1977

"I love Joey Jones. Always remember him dancing in a middle of a game when we were singing his name."

Kopites remember Joey Jones

The fist. The forearm. The tattoo. The tackles. The banner. They add up to greatness. A limited left back whose challenges often had a lunatic edge, Jones would race out the tunnel before the match and sprint towards the Kop waving a clenched fist to signal his determination. The entire Kop would return the salute. And then there is the banner. 'Joey ate the frog's legs, made the Swiss roll and now he's munchin Gladbach.'

Tony Evans from Times online on Joey Jones

Scrapbook

Focus on Joey Jones

How Joey set up a Melwood record - 1984

Joey Jones on the cover of Shoot! 23 July 1977

Joey Jones on the cover of Shoot! 28 January 1978

Joey Jones shows it's still a game of fun - 4 December 1976

Joey remembers his debut

Jones goal sinks Bristol! - 27 November 1976

Jumping Joey says it all - Rome 77

Let me at 'em! - May 1977

LFC Official Matchday Magazine interview 2000/01

Reds put a £1/4 million tag on Jones

Reserves are a real champion bunch - 5 May 1976

Spotlight on Joey Jones in the Liverpool match programme in the 1976/77 season

The game I remember - 15 December 1976

Top of the bill!

Other Clubs

Club	Season	Club rank	League apps	League goals	Total apps	Total goals
Wrexham	1972-1973	England Third Division	17	0	17	0
Wrexham	1973-1974	England Third Division	41	0	50	0
Wrexham	1974-1975	England Third Division	40	2	42	2
Wrexham	1978-1979	England Second Division	30	2	30	2
Wrexham	1979-1980	England Second Division	36	3	42	4
Wrexham	1980-1981	England Second Division	37	1	43	1
Wrexham	1981-1982	England Second Division	36	0	45	0
Wrexham	1982-1983	England Third Division	7	0	9	0
Chelsea	1982-1983	England Second Division	28	1	31	1
Chelsea	1983-1984	England Second Division	34	1	38	1
Chelsea	1984-1985	England First Division	16	0	20	0
Huddersfield Town	1985-1986	England Second Division	38	1	40	2
Huddersfield Town	1986-1987	England Second Division	30	2	33	2
Wrexham	1987-1988	England Fourth Division	35	0	39	0
Wrexham	1988-1989	England Fourth Division	41	8	52	8
Wrexham	1989-1990	England Fourth Division	24	1	28	1
Wrexham	1990-1991	England Fourth Division	21	2	22	2
Wrexham	1991-1992	England Fourth Division	11	0	15	0
Total			522	24	596	26