Legendary footballer
by Anton McCabe
(a slightly different version was published in the Irish Times of March 8th 2014)
Jimmy Jones – born 25th July 1928, died 13th
February 2014
Jimmy Jones, who has died after a long illness, was a
legendary Northern footballer, and at the centre of one of Irish soccer’s most
infamous incidents. Belfast Celtic withdrew from the Irish League after
Linfield fans attacked him following a match on Boxing Day 1948.
That infamous 1948 match was played at Linfield’s ground, Windsor Park
in Belfast.
Linfield was perceived as a Protestant team, Belfast Celtic being perceived as
Catholic – despite Jones being Church
of Ireland. During the
first half, a Linfield player suffered a broken leg when tackling Jones. At
half time, a Linfield official announced the injury. When the game ended,
Linfield supporters invaded the pitch. Jones was kicked unconscious, then a
Linfield fan jumped off a wall onto his leg, breaking it in five places. A
friend saved Jones’ life by lying on top of him. Afterwards, surgeons
considered amputating the leg.
Jones recovered, to become the Irish League’s top scorer ever,
hitting 646 goals in a career that continued at Glenavon, Larne and Newry Town.
He was capped three times for Northern
Ireland. He was a strong centre-forward with
legs like tree-trunks, who defined his function simply: “I am there to score goals.”
An opponent broke his jaw in one match: he was back playing in a fortnight.
As well as being a footballer, Jones was a motorcycle racer.
He won the Skerries 100, among other races.
Jones was born in July 1928 in his maternal grandparents’
house in Keady, Co Armagh, only child to Thomas Jones, a police sergeant, and
his wife Ellen (née Wilson).
When Jones was days old, his mother returned to Lurgan. He spent the rest of
his life in or near that town.
After education at Carrick
Primary School and Lurgan Technical
College, he served his
apprenticeship as a mechanic – while making an impact as a footballer. While
playing football, he became a salesman for dairy products, briefly ran a pub -
and married Cecily, a nurse from Co Kilkenny.
At the time of his death, he was President of the Belfast
Celtic Society. When his death was announced at a Glasgow Celtic home game, the
crowd applauded him. They knew who he was, though most were not born when his
career ended.
Jones is survived by his wife Cecily, children Jennifer and
Trevor, and grandchildren.
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