Tributes after former Saints defender dies

10:10am Sunday 30th December 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Patrick Knox, Senior Reporter

A young Ken Jones. A young Ken Jones.

TRIBUTES have been paid to “legendary” former Saints defender and snooker coach Ken Jones who has died aged 68.

Jones was signed by Saints from Bradford PA in 1965 with the former electrician playing eight times as Saints won promotion in his first season with the club.

The grandfather who lived in Chandlers Ford passed away on Thursday.

Among those remembering today are leading lights in the world of Hampshire snooker where he forged his second sporting life after retiring because of an injury.

World snooker coach and good friend David Mumford said: “He was a top top bloke, loved and revered and respected by all of us what ever age.

“Snooker will be a poorer place without him.”

More recently he was known as top coach to Hampshire snooker stars such as Nick Jennings and Billy Castle.

Castle, 20, from Marchwood, said: “He was legendary and more than just a coach for me - he was a father figure in snooker.

“Everybody who knew him will have a good word to say for him, he will always be a legend.”

Former fellow Saints defender Bob McCarthy, who played in the same side, also paid tribute to Ken Jones.

Bob, who lives in Southampton, said: “Very sad news. He was a lovely guy and had some good memories of him when we played together at the Dell.”

Ken was born, in Havercroft, near Wakefield in 1944, in a footballing family with his dad a fine schoolboy player and his grandfather Aaron Jones turned out for Barnsley, Notts County and Birmingham in the 1900s.

Jones signed for Bradford Park Avenue in September, 1961, aged 17, but after making 100 appearances with the club he was to leave his beloved Yorkshire and headed south when legendary Saints manager Ted Bates came knocking.

He signed two days before his 21st birthday in 1965 for £15,000, playing eight times as Saints won promotion in his first season with the club.

He went on to play 92 times for Saints with his last game for the club coming against Tottenham on January 31, 1970.

After retiring from football Jones because of injury he continued to live in the area working in Southampton docks first as a checker then as a crane driver.

But his sporting career was not to end with football. He soon fell back on a duel passion of snooker having first picked up a cue aged nine, joining the Southampton & District Social Clubs League.

He went on to lift four Town Championships.

Comments(14)

Just another reader says...
3:37pm Sat 29 Dec 12

Lovely man Ken was. I had the honour of working with him at SCT for a few years, playing loads of games of cards and having a laugh with him. He rarely spoke about his football career unless asked, but was very proud of his Saints days. A true gent, RIP my friend.

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localnews says...
3:40pm Sat 29 Dec 12

Just another reader wrote:
Lovely man Ken was. I had the honour of working with him at SCT for a few years, playing loads of games of cards and having a laugh with him. He rarely spoke about his football career unless asked, but was very proud of his Saints days. A true gent, RIP my friend.
Couldn't agree more,true gent, RIP Ken

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Fatty x Ford Worker says...
4:36pm Sat 29 Dec 12

A true great Saint and Snooker player you will be sadly missed xxx.

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tedwalsh says...
6:52pm Sat 29 Dec 12

A true gentleman...RIP

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Saintlygirl says...
8:59pm Sat 29 Dec 12

RIP. XXX

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st1halo says...
10:15pm Sat 29 Dec 12

RIP Ken

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saintsteves says...
11:13pm Sat 29 Dec 12

Enjoyed working with Ken as a crane driver at SCT and now DP WORLD. enjoyed even more my snooker lessons with him. Lovely guy and will be sorely missed. Sorry I didn't get to see you more after your retirement ken RIP mate :-(

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Dasal says...
5:08pm Sun 30 Dec 12

After retiring from football Jones because of injury he continued to live in the area working in Southampton docks first as a checker then as a crane driver.

Modern pro footballers would do well to rememember just how fortunate they are !!!
How many of them on retiring would have to find other employment to survive ??

Too many prima donnas around now.

RIP Ken.

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Scrutinizer says...
9:50pm Sun 30 Dec 12

Although I must admit that I can't quite recall Ken, I would nevertheless have seen him many times when I was regularly taken 'up the Dell', as a young kid, in the mid-'60's. Sad to hear of this news.

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florida saint says...
12:21am Mon 31 Dec 12

once a saint always a saint. R I P ken,

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John robertson says...
9:03pm Mon 31 Dec 12

Ken

"To have a friend you need to be one", and you were one of the best, we were friends for over 40 years, you never changed, always the same mate as when we first met, RIP mate

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madmike says...
9:06pm Mon 31 Dec 12

Ken was a lovely man. We were members of the same social club and i didn't know anyone who didn't like him.He had a great sense of humour and his stories about his time at S.F.C. were fascinating.He will be sorely missed by us all. R.I.P. KEN.

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madmike says...
9:08pm Mon 31 Dec 12

Ken was a lovely man. We were members of the same social club and i didn't know anyone who didn't like him.He had a great sense of humour and his stories about his time at S.F.C. were fascinating.He will be sorely missed by us all. R.I.P. KEN.

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Scrutinizer says...
11:39am Tue 1 Jan 13

Also, a dockie pal of mine has told me that he was well liked in there too. So, sounds like he was a great guy all-'round.

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