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Players Index Page Last Updated
29 February 2024
 
 

Alf Jones

Walsall Swifts FC, Great Lever FC, Burnley FC

3 appearances, 0 goals
1 own goal

P 3 W 0 D 0 L 3 F 6: A 13
0% successful

1882-85

captain: none
minutes played:
270

Timeline

  Alfred George Jones
Birth Tuesday, 15 January 1861 at 19 Forster Street, Walsall, Staffordshire
  registered as Alfred G. in Walsall January-March 1861
"I was born in Forster-street, Walsall, in 1861, our house overlooking the playing grounds of the Grammar School." - Saturday, 7 February 1914, The Walsall Advertiser.
  There are two Alfred Jones' born/registered in Walsall around 1861. One Alfred falls off the record structure. But the other, is our Alfred George. There is only one Walsall-Alfred Jones in the 1891 census, he also happens to be the same Jones in 1881/1901/11 census' - a certain Alfred George - who confirmed his place of birth as Forster St.
 

According to the 1861 census, two month old Alfred G. is the youngest of three children to Benjamin and Eliza (née Maish). Alfred is an errand boy. They live at 19 Upper Forster Street in Walsall Foreign. His father is a currier

 

According to the 1871 census, ten year old Alfred G. is still one of three children and is an errand boy. They still live at 19 Upper Forster Street in Walsall Foreign. His father is still a currier

 

According to the 1881 census, Alfred G. and his family remain at 19 Upper Forster Street. Alfred is a saddler.

Marriage to Rosa Hazeldine, on 20 March 1887, at St. George's Church in Walsall.
Stated as living at 107 Paddock Lane in Walsall.
registered as Alfred George in Walsall January-March 1887
Children: Alf and Rosa Jones had three children together. Rosa Beatrice, Alfred James and Rosa.

According to the 1891 census, Alfred is now married to Rosa with two children, Rosa Beatrice and Alfred James. He is a publican living at 143/144 Blue Lane in Walsall.

(His son, Alfred James, died in 1894)
According to the 1901 census, Alfred George is now back to being a saddler. Living with his wife, Rosa, and daughter, also Rosa, at 33 Old Birchills in Walsall.

According to the 1911 census, Alfred George remains a saddler and married to his tailoress wife and tailoress daughter at 123 Bentley Lane in Walsall.
He was still living there in February 1914, when the left photo was taken.

According to the 1921 census, Alfred G. is an out of work saddler (leather horse collar maker) and is still married to Rosa. They now live with their daughter, Rosa, and her new family (husband Reginald Hill and children, Reginald and Jane) at The Pheasant Hotel, 7 Windmill Street in Walsall.
Death Tuesday, 15 October 1935, in Queen Street, Walsall, Staffordshire.
aged 75 years 273 days registered in Walsall October-December 1935

Obituary

"Death of Ex-International Footballer.—Mr. Alfred Jones, the only Walsall footballer who has ever gained English international honours, died on Tuesday at the age of 75 years. He played for England against Scotland in 1882-83, and against Wales in 1882. He had been confined to his bed for the last two years at the home of his son-in-law in Queen Street."
-
Saturday, 19 October 1935, Staffordshire Advertiser
Funeral He is buried in Ryecroft Cemetery, Walsall

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], Kevin Powell, the excellent Bob Pickett &

Playing Career


Club(s)
"The first club I joined was a small one called the Butts Perseverance, who played where the present Council Schools stand, in William-street and Butts-road. Our first fixtures were with the Trinity Club, of Caldmore, first and second teams, and I was greatly disappointed when I discovered that I had been picked for neither. I went up to the captain of the Trinity II, and asked him to let me play against the Butts 'chaps', telling him I could stop any two of their forwards. He agreed and.... The Trinity won by 3 goals to nil. I must have given satisfaction for the following Saturday, I was asked to play.
"I was selected to play for Walsall Football Association against Walsall Swifts, in a benefit match. This led to my joining the Swifts, which I did at the beginning of the season 1879-80.
"It was in 1880 that I first began to play for the Birmingham Football Association, my first match being against London, at the Oval, and I played in every Association match that season. The following year I was selected for the North v. South match, at London, and scored the only goal of our side, who were defeated by 3 to 1." - Saturday, 7 February 1914, The Walsall Advertiser.
Alf Jones was the ultimate Walsall footballer, he played with all three of its teams. He started with Walsall Swifts FC, and briefly left to play professionally for Great Lever FC in August 1883, only to be suspended until January 1884, after which he returned to Walsall Swifts, and then Burnley FC in February 1885, and then after joining Aston Villa FC briefly for the 1885-86 season, returned to Walsall Town FC from 1886 to 1888, and then for the amalgamated Walsall Town Swifts FC thereafter. He played in the Town Swifts' first ever competitive match, against Aston Villa FC in the Lord Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup Final in April 1888, he
played 22 Football Alliance games between 1888 and 1892, scoring once.
Club honours Walsall Cup winners 1879-80, 1880-81; Birmingham Senior Cup winners 1880-81, runners-up 1883-84, 1884-85;
Individual honours None
Height/Weight not known

Source

Patrick Talbot's White Shirt, Black Country [2004].

England Career

Player number 97th player to appear for England.
Position(s) Left-back
First match No. 15, 11 March 1882, Scotland 1 England 4, a friendly match at Hampden Park, Hampden Terrace, Glasgow, aged 21 years 55 days.
Last match No. 19, 10 March 1883, England 2 Scotland 3, a friendly match at Yorkshire County Cricket Ground, Bramall Lane, Highfield, Sheffield, aged 22 years 54 days.
Individual honours Birmingham & District (one appearance, March 1881)

Beyond England

No additional information, but the census records state he was a saddler, taking time out to be a publican in Walsall. His only son died in 1894...was this a reason to return to his saddling vocation? - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.145/6./FindMyPast.com


The Numbers
parties Appearances minutes captain
4 3 270 0 1 none
minutes are approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stuck to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
3 0 0 3 6 13 -7 0 0 2 4.333 0 -3
All of his matches were friendly matches

Venue Record

Venue P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home 1 0 0 1 2 3 -1 0 0 2.00 3.00 0.00 -1
Away 2 0 0 2 4 10 -6 0 0 2.00 5.00 0.00 -2

Match History

 Club: Walsall Swifts F.C. - two full appearances (180 min) 1ᵒᵍ F.A. Committee - three full appearances (270 min) 1ᵒᵍx

Age 20 trial  
one appearance - Birmingham & District vs. England, 5 March 1881;
Age 21    
one appearance - The South vs. The North, 28 January 1882;

apps match match details comp res rundown pos

1 15 11 March 1882 - Scotland 5 England 1
Hampden Park, Glasgow
Fr AL   lb

the 97th player to appear for England
the first player from Walsall Swifts FC to represent England

2 16 13 March 1882 - Wales 5 England 3
The Racecourse, Wrexham
Fr AL 68 header lb
   

the second ever own goal conceded by England

 Club: Great Lever F.C. - one full appearance (90 min)  

Age 22
3 19 10 March 1883 - England 2 Scotland 3
Yorkshire Cricket Ground, Sheffield
Fr HL   lb
   

the only player from Great Lever FC to represent England

 Club: Burnley F.C. - no full appearances  

Age 24
23 28 February 1885 - England 4 Ireland 0, Manchester Football Ground, Manchester BC HW reserve
   

Age 25 trial  
one appearance - The Players vs. The Gentlemen, January 1886.

   

 
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