little curly alan ball
Player Valuation: £70m
For those in Helmand Province , Afghanistan generally , or otherwise Serving Their Country , and away from their Families as a result .
Stay Safe , Peoples ... THAT is a Goddamn' ORDER !!!
For ; My Mother , My World , L.C.A.Barb , THIS week above ALL weeks , ...
Me Aunty Do'- My Angel , an' Our Eva an' Archie , Me Baby's Babies ,...
An' , In Memory of My Beloved Nanna Margaret . 3 Years this week .
It hasn't gotten any easier .
May the Good Lord be with You All .
Welcome , everyone to our small corner of the Sabbath .
For the subject of today's lesson , I have decided to dip a little further back in the St. Domingo Annals . Indeed , it is a time that our Great Club really did stand at the Pinnacle - along with Arsenal , of English , and therefore , World Football . The Subject of Today's lesson would appear with some of the finest ever Players to grace a Blue Jersey , yet was the equal of any of them . A Rolls Royce of a Centre Half , is a term often applied to this man , whom , no less a Everton Afficianado than My Nanna Peg , named as her Fav'. Therefore ...
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congregation , May I introduce Tommy , T.G. Jones .
Tommy , he was known as T.G. , as his eventual replacement was also a Tommy Jones , was born in Connah's Quay , on October 12 , 1917 , with World War One still raging . Tommy was gifted as a kid , and was a Welsh Schoolboy Player whilst turning out for his Home Town Team , from where he was bought by Wrexham F.C. , where he would spend the next 2 years. However , Wrexham was more of a Proving Ground for Tommy Jones, as he would play only 6 First Team games over that period . Nevertheless , that was enough for Everton , as Theo Kelly - now Officially Everton Manager , the last First Division to appoint a Full Time Boss . made an offer of £3,000 for the youngster which was accepted and , in July 1936 , Thomas George Jones became a Professional Footballer for Everton Football Club .
He was signed , as raw as he was , alongside other youngsters , Mercer and Lawton - Sagar was still young enough , as Kelly's Kids were being put together . Let's not forget , 1938 was to be the year the Dixie departed Goodison Park . It was a time of Mourning , as even Lawton's purchase - he was the Boy Wonder of English Football at the time , did not fully remove the Spectre of General Gloom . Tommy Jones played one game in his first Season as the side struggled into 17th place . We had , you may recall , been relegated for the first time in our History in 1929-30 , 2 years after being Champions , and after Dixie breaks the record . Moreover , we go down for a Season , then proceed to win the 2nd Division , Promoted , win the First Division , then the following Campaign , lift the F.A. Cup . However , the side was ageing , and needed refreshing .
Having made just the one start in 1936/37 - the 0-3 defeat at Leeds United , the following year , T.G. established himself in the stead of one time England Centre Half , Charlie Gee . The Season did not get off to the most auspicious of starts however , against what is generally agreed , was the finest side of the Age , Ted Drake's Arsenal . We are battered at The Old Lady - whom , was actually still rather Hot and Sexy at this juncture , 1-4 with Dixie - of course scoring our goal . Sadly , it was to be his final strike in Royal Blue . Indeed , we also lose our next 2 , and wait until our 4th game before collecting maximum points , versus Manchester City , as Lawton opened his account for the Season in a 4-1 triumph . A , 3-0 victory over Brentford at home , preceded an odd run of results , as our next 4 games finish , 2-1 - 2 losses , two wins , the latter of which was in the year's first Derby , at Goodison , as Lawton introduces himself to The Vermin . Nevertheless , the inconsistency was apparent . The youngsters were improving certainly , but the unit was still bedding down .
Our next 4 results were , 0-2 , 1-1 , 1-2 , 3-5 , the latter 2 being against Grimsby and Preston respectively . Three wins from 5 - the other two being defeats ... Like that . Dixie was about to depart , but his passing was somewhat cushioned by Lawton's ascent to the Title of Finest English Centre Forward . Indeed , he went on a run from October - November scoring in ten of 14 consecutive matches . Our results leading up to Christmas were , 1-3 , 1-3 , 1-1 , and on Yuletide itself , another 1-3 , away at Leicester City . As was the way then , the return game was 2 days later , which we win , then proceed to lose , win , lose , win , etc ... The New Year couldn't come fast enough .
However , Hogmanay did little to affect results , as January came and went with only 2 victories from a possible 5 , domestically , but we did manage to overcome Chelsea in the F.A. Cup 3rd Round . Unfortunately , the reverse result occurs in the next round , as we are beaten at Roker Park . The Goodison Derby was another huge let-down , as despite Tommy Lawton managing to score on both his Derby debuts , we are defeated 1-3 . We achieve only 4 more victories all season , the last of which in our final home fixture as Portsmouth are hammered 5-1 , and Lawton scores his 28th League Goal of his first full season . The side are to compete in the British Empire Cup , an Anglo-Scots affair , played at Ibrox Park , Glasgow . We defeat both Aberdeen and Glasgow Rangers before losing in the Final , 1-0 , to Celtic . Meanwhile , depsite the up-and-down Campaign , Theo Kelly , and Evertonians generally , were , whilst not exactly Dancin' , they could see it was coming together . The Great Side had gone . Dixie himself , God Forbid , had now left too - having played his last 5 matches for Everton FC during this Season . Indeed , in any other year , having finished in 14th place , and with Bill Dean gone , Funeral Garb would have been sartorially acceptable in Goodison Avenue . Yet Lawton's unquestionable ability allied to his having hit the ground running , more than softened that blow . The Spine of the Side was young but also undoubted quality . Sagar had a League Championship Medal behind him yet was still in his Mid-20's . Mercer , no medal , but the ability and the youth . Lawton , everyone could see was , The Goods , but Tommy Jones was , The Key of the Works . His rise to prominence - he played 28 League Games without scoring ; if only in the esteem of his Goodison Collegues , came in this year . It is said that T.G. was , An Inside Forward , playing Centre Half , due to his exceptional ball skills and passing ability . Indeed , no less than Stanley Matthews and Bill Dean , both noted that , Tommy Jones was , " .. The Best Player they had ever seen ..." Dixie elaborated ; " .. Neater than John Charles , for instance , and he could get himself out of trouble by running towards the ball , then letting it run through his legs , knowing a team-mate would be there to collect it ..." Dixie is describing , as you are aware , the Modern Day , Step-Over Dummy . Moreover , T.G's ability to spray passes all over the park with the grace and technique of a Midfield Player , was being noticed at National Level . He made his International Debut , at the end of his Campaign , against Northern Ireland at Wrexham .
In contrast to the previous Season , 1938/39 dawned with optimism replacing the sombre mood of a year ago . Despite the results , all Kelly's youngsters had shone , indeed been the best players in the side . We began with 5 consecutive wins - with Tommy Lawton scoring in each . A blip , 0-3 at Huddersfield , preceded the first Merseyside Derby of the Season , which we defeat The Bealzebubs , 2-1 , in from of nearly 65,000 , as this time Lawton did not score . We stutter for a few weeks , as goals are the Order of the Day . We beat Wolves 1-0 , before losing to Bolton Wanderers , 2-4 . Then two , 4-0 victories with a 0-3 defeat sandwiched inbetween . Our next 2 wins were 3-0 against Manchester United , and 4-1 over Chelsea , as this side was not only settling in , they were Mustard . People began to whisper that this could be the Finest Ever St. Domingo XI . They were dubbed , The School Of Science , and liked it . Still it went on . A 1-0 triumph at Preston , then a 1-4 loss at Charlton Athletic , prior to a 4-0 spanking of Blackpool on Christmas Eve . 1938 drew to a underwhelming close with a draw and 2 defeats , but no matter . By now , The Goodison Faithful had seen the evidence . Everyone just sat back and watched ,..
Due to the Weather , we would play only 3 games in the month of January , all victories , the last of which an 8-0 caning for Doncaster , in the F.A. Cup at our place . On February 4 , we go to Grey Skull and Whoop them 3-0 , as Lawton gets a Kop End header . They Really didn't like him , and he hadn't been here 2 years yet . Two draws , 2 wins , then an anomaly , 0-7 , to Wolves , they also put us out of the F.A. Cup a fortnight later . Goals were back on The Menu though . Victories , 4-0 , and 4-2 , Leicester and Birmingham respectively , with a 4-4 at Middlesborough inbetween . A win , 2-0 at Manchester United , a draw at Stoke City , and a 2-1 triumph at Sunderland basically , seals The Title and it's only just about Easter . The remainder of the Season is up and down . A win at Chelsea , a caning of Sunderland in the Goodison fixture , 6-2 , a draw , a win , 2 defeats . The Point Was , that this Team was The Business . The Genuine Article . Class , Pace , Strength , Heart , all over the side . Stevenson , Bentham , Gillick , Warney Cresswell , another of Me Nanna's Poster Boys , who basically invented the role of the Over-Lapping Full Back . Sagar , collecting his 2nd Championship Medal at the age of 29. Joe Mercer , a Local Lad , Evertonian all his life , another of real ability blossoming like a Fine , Rare Orchid in Midfield , Lawton of course , On Fire , Up Front . But , if you could ask that Team who was The Guv'nor , then they would answer in unison , Tommy Jones . The reason being , that the Young Welshy was re-writing the role of Centre Half . Beckenbauer would later lay claim to it , but Tommy Jones was coming out of defence , starting attacks , and spraying passes to all points of the Compass , years before Der Kaiser was born . Journalists , Fans , and well , most everyone else , Raved about this Everton side . The fact that Dixie could , not be forgotten of course , but , was moved on from , so completely , so soon , is Testament to their collective abilities . In the Summer of 1939 , Tommy Lawton would make his England Debut at Ninian Park , Cardiff . The English were defeated , 2-4 . However , Lawton scored a late consolation Penalty . He said , " It was a good job . It was the only shot I had in the game . " Lawton subsequently Christened T.G. , " The Prince Of Wales .." The Moniker stuck . Lawton added that The Taff , had the ability , " ...To make Football look easy . ..." Another of Tommy's Peers , Gordon Watson , said of T.G. .." T.G. was the best signing Everton ever made ... When the Opposition got a Corner Kick , he would head it back to our Goalkeeper . Nine times out of 10 , Ted , ( Sagar ) , would play , Merry-Hell , if you passed the ball back to him . He'd say , " I've enough to do with watching these fellows .." .. But never to Tommy ..."
Unfortunately for Tommy Jones , Tommy Lawton , Joe Mercer ,and all of that magnificent side , Global Politics was about to impact upon , D'Affairs Du Goodison Avenue , as Hitler , aided by Slovakia , as is often overlooked , invaded first the Sudentenland - North Czechoslovakia , and then , in late August , Poland , claiming Territorial Rights to the Danzig Corridor . As a result , Great Britain , in the Person of its Prime Minister , Harold McMillan , gave the Germans an ultimatum that if an undertaking - that Germany would withdraw immediately all Forces upon Polish Territory , was not received at Downing Street by 11 a.m. on September 1st , then The U.K. would be , " ..At War with Germany ." " ..No such undertaking was received . Therefore ..." The entire Football League Programme was suspended forthwith , with many Sporting Stadiums playing home to Army / Air Force Units . Steel Fencing was removed for the War Effort . So were the Players , with many Joining
Up . Tommy Jones would spend the War Years as a Seargent in the R.A.F. , as did Mercer , and turning out for various Forces sides , playing for Everton in certain , None-Official Fixtures , even turning out for Wrexham and Swansea City as a Guest Player , and representing Wales , as a virtual , Ever-Present throughout their War-Time Fixtures , of 14 games during the conflict .
The Football League did not resume upon the cessation of hostilities in 1945/46 , but the F.A. Cup was re-instated . Unfortunately , we were eliminated in the 3rd Round by Preston North End , 3-4 on aggregate - it was a 2 legged affair . However , being dumped out of The Cup was not our immediate concern . Remember , given the League has not restarted , we are still Reigning Champions , having entered World War 2 with , what was widely agreed to be the Finest Side In Our History , we returned to competitive action a , Broken Football Club . The Finances were no longer available to the Pre-Conflict levels . Furthermore , never mind the Luftwaffe , the biggest Bombshell to hit Goodison Park in the 1940's was Tommy Lawton returning from the fighting to say , " I want to be closer to My Mother .." His Mother was from Lancashire . He went to Chelsea . Furthermore , the 6 year gap had cost us the older players from the Title Winning Team . Gillick , Thompson , Cresswell in addition to Lawton . Nevertheless , there were games to be played , so we played them .
1946/47 began , portentially for the next 15 years as it turned out , with a 0-2 Home defeat to Brentford United . Two further victories and another loss preceded the first Post-War Merseyside Derby , which was a Non-Event and ended Nils Each . However , 4 of our next 5 are losses , two of them , 1-4 , then two draws , 2 more losses . We won our 4th First Division game of the Season on November 30 . It was to be the way of it for the medium term . Two weeks later , in a 2-3 Home defeat to Sheffield United , Tommy Jones scores his First Everton Goal and scored his second , the week after in another loss , this time at Preston . The season was shown in Microcosm as on Christmas Day we defeat Derby County , 4-1 at Goodison , yet go to The Baseball Ground a day later and a beaten 1-5 . Typical . The New Year at least showed a glimmer of Hope . 3 straight victories began the Annus , 4 from six in the month of January . Alas the other 2 were defeats , the later in the F.A. Cup 4th Round . Our final game of the opening month of 1947 was the return Derby , as The Bealzebubs Came to Town . We triumph 1-0 , but it is no real consolation as they , as they at least , seem to have come out of The War in a better condition than they went into it , and go on to The Title . Once more , a convincing 4-1 home victory over Sunderland , was followed over the next month , by a 0-3 at Manchester United and a 0-4 at Ayresome Park , Middlesborough , and illustrated perfectly the problems that the Club were experiencing . There was quality , Farrell and Eglington had arrived and would provide a Bulwark against medoicrity for the nearly a decade , but the real diamonds were being - to mix mateaphors for a second , cherry picked . It showed in the inexorable slide towards the banal , and worse , that would befall Everton Football Club into into the early 1960's . As it was , we lost only 2 of our final eight matches during the remainder of the Season and finished in a respectable , but , in view of the last Team Evertonians had seen Grace Goodison Park , a disappointing 10th place . Furthermore , to rub salt in the wounds , our Trophy which had now resided in the Everton Trophy Cabinet for some 15 years of its existence , was now passed across Stanley Park as the Vermin take Lucifers Luck once more . Tommy Jones was to play 22 First Team games in 1946/47 - scoring 5 goals as injury befell him for the first time in his St. Domingo Career .Indeed he would play only 2 games after the Middle of January . However , the break up of the Championship Squad hit T.G. hard on a Personal level , having , for example , been Best Man at the Weddings of both Joe Mercer and Tommy Lawon . The Club gave Kelly an ultimatum ; 2 from Three . Lawton had made his own mind up , so that was a given . Mercer was reluctantly allowed to leave for Arsenal - where he would win another Championship Medal , in order that Tommy Jones was retained . That was the esteem in which this man was held .
Indeed , in what in retrospect is a truly remarkable tale , in 1947 , A.S. Roma , in an almost unprecedented act of Shopping Abroad - certainly in England , and made a bid of £15,000 to sign T.G. Jones . The magnitude of the bid required that Everton , however reluctantly , accepted , and in fact , the deal was to fall through due to restrictions upon Currency Transfer in those , still early , Post-Conflict Times . Nevertheless , for a leading Italian Outfit to come calling for Everton's Centre Half spoke volumes .
Anyway , stay he did , as with the 1947/48 Season came an air of realism replacing the Rose Hued optimism of 12 months previously . The Title side was all but gone , with only Sagar , T.G. and Alex Stevenson anything like regulars . Our first 6 games saw three wins , 3 losses , as the previous Campaign seemed to merely continue . However , two , 3-Goal defeats , 1-3 at Chelsea , and worse still , 0-3 to the RS at The Old Lady before September was out . There was no consistency . In any 6 games , they would win , lose and draw , two each , usually . For example , the Christmas and New Year Programme gave results , 4-1 , 0-2 , 3-0 , 0-5 . Enough said , I think . Fulham then put us out of the F.A. Cup , in a 5th Round Replay , though we respond by winning three straight games . Then lose 4 in a row . Another three wins , then another four straight losses . It was bizarre . Even more so when , in the last in the sequence of losses , was a 0-4 debacle at Grey Skull as The Vermin , " Rubbed it in ..." We stumble for the remaining three matches and finally end up in 14th position in the League , nearer in points to the bottom than the top . Tommy Jones again suffered from injury , playing just over half of the Side's games , missing all but 2 up to Mid-November , and as many believed then , one could draw a conclusion that the consecutive defeats were directly atrributubal to his absence . He made 24 starts in the First Division , scoring one goal .
Season 1948/49 began with a cracking 3-3 against The Barcodes at our place . However , from there , our next four results were , Portsmouth away ; 0-4 , Middlesborough away ; 0-1 , Pompey return game 0-5 !!! Birmingham at Goodison , 0-5 ,... Auspicious , would not be the term that immediately sprung to mind . We then win 2-0 over Stoke , then , Everton 0 Chelsea 6 , followed by , 0-1 in the return game with Stoke City . The Anfield Derby draw , 1's each , was to be Theo Kelly's final game as Everton Manager , as Cliff Britton , an Ex- Evertonian , was brought in to replace him . He did get a victory in his opening game , before He too, suffered 4 straight defeats , the latter a , 0-5 caning at the Marble Halls of Highbury . From there it kinda stuttered rather than fired . There were victories , and an odd sequence of five 1-0 matches , 3 wins, two defeats . Chelsea put us out of The F.A. Cup in the 4th Round . The week later a Derby stalemate , then wins , then defeats . Like that again . Our Season is basically a Battle to stay afloat , as we finish in a most perturbing 18th position , only 4 points above the Relegated sides . It had become a true problem . Tommy Jones played 35 First Team games without scoring .
Britton's main business of the summer was to make T.G. Jones his new Everton Captain , in the place of Peter Farrell . The start is relatively acceptable , two victories , only by the odd goal , but still a win is a win . Our next 5 games were a 3-0 win , two draws and 2 defeats , 0-4 at Newcastle and , 0-7 at Portsmouth - again ,.. Two more losses from 3 , then another hding , 2-5 at Highbury . A further 0-4 , at West Bromich Albion , yet another loss 2-3 at Chelsea all before we manage a win . During this period , T.G. Jones truly one of the finest Players to ever grace a Blue Jersey , was accused of Feigning Injury by a Club Director - he was actually Hospitalised for 4 months , and his time at Goodison was effectively over - he was struggling to make even the Reserve Side , and actually turned out , surreptitiously for Hawarden Grammar Old Boys . Tommy , ever the pragmatist , saw the Writing on the Wall , and asked to be released from his Contract in January 1950 . He made 176 First Team Appearances For Everton FC , scoring 5 goals over a period of 14 years .
From Goodison Avenue , Tommy went back to Wales . Moreover , he had become involved with a local Welsh Club , Connah's Quay Juniors , and in 1946 , they had become the Connah's Quay Nomads . Attracted by T.G's Fame , Youngsters from all the surrounding area came to Trail for a chance to join the Club . As a result , they soon advanced as a Force in Welsh Football and won the Welsh F.A. Cup in 1948 . He also ran a Hotel in Pwellhi whilst turning out for Pwellhi and making them a side of some repute within that League . In 1956 he began a Career in Management , taking over at Bangor City , guiding them to a noteable Welsh Cup victory over Wrexham in 1961 . The triumph enabled qualification for the European Cup Winners Cup and an amazing
3 - legged tussle with Italian Giants Napoli . The Sides being level after the Home and Away legs , a decider was staged at Highbury with the Italians eventually overcoming Jones' Heroes in a narrow 0-1 result . T.G. then went on to Manage Rhyl between 1967/68 but left after a Season to be a Journalist with The Liverpool Echo .
Tommy Jones was inducted into the Original Everton Millenuim Giants in 2000 , one of the First XI to be selected . The Selection Committee noted ; " .. An apparently effortless though skilfull and assured Footballer ..." Tommy lived in North Wales until his Death , aged 86 on January 3 , 2004 .
In describing the Career of T,G, Jones which in all but name , was a One-Club Affair , and one which maintained such a Standard of Excellence as Regulation , and whom personally re-wrote the book on playing Centre Half to such an extent that it would take nearly 20 years for it to be truly appreciated ; one is yet again saddened by the treatment of such an Icon upon his departure from Goodison Park . It must be accepted that even up until the late 1960's , the Upstairs - Downstairs , Class Aspect was unquestionable prevalent , with even John Moores calling the Players , Ball , and Labone , for example . Yet for The Great T.G. Jones to be basically Railroaded from a Club he had only ever served with distinction , on the inaccurate suspicions of a Money-Man , is indeed heartbreaking and does no justice to either the Player nor The Institution . Yet , as I say , it has too often been the way . I shall leave the final epitaph of this week's Sermon to the Man himself ;
" .. We had won The League by Easter . I swear that there were games that I didn't even break sweat . It was that good ...."
When asked to comment upon the highlights of a Great Career ...
" There are not many People about who can say they played alongside Dixie Dean ...." Toffee , btw ,...
So , My Congregation , this Domingo please give thanks to The Almighty in his Divine Provision of The Magnificent Thomas George Jones . Centre Half without Peer , Dyed in the Wool Evertonian and The Prince of Wales .
Amen .
May The Good Lord be with You all .
Remember , Jesus Loves you 'cause You're a Blue .
Look after Your Peoples .
Peace Out .
The Catholic Reverand L.C.A.B.
" I know My Peoples hearin' me ... Holler if Y'all need me ... Word .... "
Stay Safe , Peoples ... THAT is a Goddamn' ORDER !!!
For ; My Mother , My World , L.C.A.Barb , THIS week above ALL weeks , ...
Me Aunty Do'- My Angel , an' Our Eva an' Archie , Me Baby's Babies ,...
An' , In Memory of My Beloved Nanna Margaret . 3 Years this week .
It hasn't gotten any easier .
May the Good Lord be with You All .
Welcome , everyone to our small corner of the Sabbath .
For the subject of today's lesson , I have decided to dip a little further back in the St. Domingo Annals . Indeed , it is a time that our Great Club really did stand at the Pinnacle - along with Arsenal , of English , and therefore , World Football . The Subject of Today's lesson would appear with some of the finest ever Players to grace a Blue Jersey , yet was the equal of any of them . A Rolls Royce of a Centre Half , is a term often applied to this man , whom , no less a Everton Afficianado than My Nanna Peg , named as her Fav'. Therefore ...
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congregation , May I introduce Tommy , T.G. Jones .
Tommy , he was known as T.G. , as his eventual replacement was also a Tommy Jones , was born in Connah's Quay , on October 12 , 1917 , with World War One still raging . Tommy was gifted as a kid , and was a Welsh Schoolboy Player whilst turning out for his Home Town Team , from where he was bought by Wrexham F.C. , where he would spend the next 2 years. However , Wrexham was more of a Proving Ground for Tommy Jones, as he would play only 6 First Team games over that period . Nevertheless , that was enough for Everton , as Theo Kelly - now Officially Everton Manager , the last First Division to appoint a Full Time Boss . made an offer of £3,000 for the youngster which was accepted and , in July 1936 , Thomas George Jones became a Professional Footballer for Everton Football Club .
He was signed , as raw as he was , alongside other youngsters , Mercer and Lawton - Sagar was still young enough , as Kelly's Kids were being put together . Let's not forget , 1938 was to be the year the Dixie departed Goodison Park . It was a time of Mourning , as even Lawton's purchase - he was the Boy Wonder of English Football at the time , did not fully remove the Spectre of General Gloom . Tommy Jones played one game in his first Season as the side struggled into 17th place . We had , you may recall , been relegated for the first time in our History in 1929-30 , 2 years after being Champions , and after Dixie breaks the record . Moreover , we go down for a Season , then proceed to win the 2nd Division , Promoted , win the First Division , then the following Campaign , lift the F.A. Cup . However , the side was ageing , and needed refreshing .
Having made just the one start in 1936/37 - the 0-3 defeat at Leeds United , the following year , T.G. established himself in the stead of one time England Centre Half , Charlie Gee . The Season did not get off to the most auspicious of starts however , against what is generally agreed , was the finest side of the Age , Ted Drake's Arsenal . We are battered at The Old Lady - whom , was actually still rather Hot and Sexy at this juncture , 1-4 with Dixie - of course scoring our goal . Sadly , it was to be his final strike in Royal Blue . Indeed , we also lose our next 2 , and wait until our 4th game before collecting maximum points , versus Manchester City , as Lawton opened his account for the Season in a 4-1 triumph . A , 3-0 victory over Brentford at home , preceded an odd run of results , as our next 4 games finish , 2-1 - 2 losses , two wins , the latter of which was in the year's first Derby , at Goodison , as Lawton introduces himself to The Vermin . Nevertheless , the inconsistency was apparent . The youngsters were improving certainly , but the unit was still bedding down .
Our next 4 results were , 0-2 , 1-1 , 1-2 , 3-5 , the latter 2 being against Grimsby and Preston respectively . Three wins from 5 - the other two being defeats ... Like that . Dixie was about to depart , but his passing was somewhat cushioned by Lawton's ascent to the Title of Finest English Centre Forward . Indeed , he went on a run from October - November scoring in ten of 14 consecutive matches . Our results leading up to Christmas were , 1-3 , 1-3 , 1-1 , and on Yuletide itself , another 1-3 , away at Leicester City . As was the way then , the return game was 2 days later , which we win , then proceed to lose , win , lose , win , etc ... The New Year couldn't come fast enough .
However , Hogmanay did little to affect results , as January came and went with only 2 victories from a possible 5 , domestically , but we did manage to overcome Chelsea in the F.A. Cup 3rd Round . Unfortunately , the reverse result occurs in the next round , as we are beaten at Roker Park . The Goodison Derby was another huge let-down , as despite Tommy Lawton managing to score on both his Derby debuts , we are defeated 1-3 . We achieve only 4 more victories all season , the last of which in our final home fixture as Portsmouth are hammered 5-1 , and Lawton scores his 28th League Goal of his first full season . The side are to compete in the British Empire Cup , an Anglo-Scots affair , played at Ibrox Park , Glasgow . We defeat both Aberdeen and Glasgow Rangers before losing in the Final , 1-0 , to Celtic . Meanwhile , depsite the up-and-down Campaign , Theo Kelly , and Evertonians generally , were , whilst not exactly Dancin' , they could see it was coming together . The Great Side had gone . Dixie himself , God Forbid , had now left too - having played his last 5 matches for Everton FC during this Season . Indeed , in any other year , having finished in 14th place , and with Bill Dean gone , Funeral Garb would have been sartorially acceptable in Goodison Avenue . Yet Lawton's unquestionable ability allied to his having hit the ground running , more than softened that blow . The Spine of the Side was young but also undoubted quality . Sagar had a League Championship Medal behind him yet was still in his Mid-20's . Mercer , no medal , but the ability and the youth . Lawton , everyone could see was , The Goods , but Tommy Jones was , The Key of the Works . His rise to prominence - he played 28 League Games without scoring ; if only in the esteem of his Goodison Collegues , came in this year . It is said that T.G. was , An Inside Forward , playing Centre Half , due to his exceptional ball skills and passing ability . Indeed , no less than Stanley Matthews and Bill Dean , both noted that , Tommy Jones was , " .. The Best Player they had ever seen ..." Dixie elaborated ; " .. Neater than John Charles , for instance , and he could get himself out of trouble by running towards the ball , then letting it run through his legs , knowing a team-mate would be there to collect it ..." Dixie is describing , as you are aware , the Modern Day , Step-Over Dummy . Moreover , T.G's ability to spray passes all over the park with the grace and technique of a Midfield Player , was being noticed at National Level . He made his International Debut , at the end of his Campaign , against Northern Ireland at Wrexham .
In contrast to the previous Season , 1938/39 dawned with optimism replacing the sombre mood of a year ago . Despite the results , all Kelly's youngsters had shone , indeed been the best players in the side . We began with 5 consecutive wins - with Tommy Lawton scoring in each . A blip , 0-3 at Huddersfield , preceded the first Merseyside Derby of the Season , which we defeat The Bealzebubs , 2-1 , in from of nearly 65,000 , as this time Lawton did not score . We stutter for a few weeks , as goals are the Order of the Day . We beat Wolves 1-0 , before losing to Bolton Wanderers , 2-4 . Then two , 4-0 victories with a 0-3 defeat sandwiched inbetween . Our next 2 wins were 3-0 against Manchester United , and 4-1 over Chelsea , as this side was not only settling in , they were Mustard . People began to whisper that this could be the Finest Ever St. Domingo XI . They were dubbed , The School Of Science , and liked it . Still it went on . A 1-0 triumph at Preston , then a 1-4 loss at Charlton Athletic , prior to a 4-0 spanking of Blackpool on Christmas Eve . 1938 drew to a underwhelming close with a draw and 2 defeats , but no matter . By now , The Goodison Faithful had seen the evidence . Everyone just sat back and watched ,..
Due to the Weather , we would play only 3 games in the month of January , all victories , the last of which an 8-0 caning for Doncaster , in the F.A. Cup at our place . On February 4 , we go to Grey Skull and Whoop them 3-0 , as Lawton gets a Kop End header . They Really didn't like him , and he hadn't been here 2 years yet . Two draws , 2 wins , then an anomaly , 0-7 , to Wolves , they also put us out of the F.A. Cup a fortnight later . Goals were back on The Menu though . Victories , 4-0 , and 4-2 , Leicester and Birmingham respectively , with a 4-4 at Middlesborough inbetween . A win , 2-0 at Manchester United , a draw at Stoke City , and a 2-1 triumph at Sunderland basically , seals The Title and it's only just about Easter . The remainder of the Season is up and down . A win at Chelsea , a caning of Sunderland in the Goodison fixture , 6-2 , a draw , a win , 2 defeats . The Point Was , that this Team was The Business . The Genuine Article . Class , Pace , Strength , Heart , all over the side . Stevenson , Bentham , Gillick , Warney Cresswell , another of Me Nanna's Poster Boys , who basically invented the role of the Over-Lapping Full Back . Sagar , collecting his 2nd Championship Medal at the age of 29. Joe Mercer , a Local Lad , Evertonian all his life , another of real ability blossoming like a Fine , Rare Orchid in Midfield , Lawton of course , On Fire , Up Front . But , if you could ask that Team who was The Guv'nor , then they would answer in unison , Tommy Jones . The reason being , that the Young Welshy was re-writing the role of Centre Half . Beckenbauer would later lay claim to it , but Tommy Jones was coming out of defence , starting attacks , and spraying passes to all points of the Compass , years before Der Kaiser was born . Journalists , Fans , and well , most everyone else , Raved about this Everton side . The fact that Dixie could , not be forgotten of course , but , was moved on from , so completely , so soon , is Testament to their collective abilities . In the Summer of 1939 , Tommy Lawton would make his England Debut at Ninian Park , Cardiff . The English were defeated , 2-4 . However , Lawton scored a late consolation Penalty . He said , " It was a good job . It was the only shot I had in the game . " Lawton subsequently Christened T.G. , " The Prince Of Wales .." The Moniker stuck . Lawton added that The Taff , had the ability , " ...To make Football look easy . ..." Another of Tommy's Peers , Gordon Watson , said of T.G. .." T.G. was the best signing Everton ever made ... When the Opposition got a Corner Kick , he would head it back to our Goalkeeper . Nine times out of 10 , Ted , ( Sagar ) , would play , Merry-Hell , if you passed the ball back to him . He'd say , " I've enough to do with watching these fellows .." .. But never to Tommy ..."
Unfortunately for Tommy Jones , Tommy Lawton , Joe Mercer ,and all of that magnificent side , Global Politics was about to impact upon , D'Affairs Du Goodison Avenue , as Hitler , aided by Slovakia , as is often overlooked , invaded first the Sudentenland - North Czechoslovakia , and then , in late August , Poland , claiming Territorial Rights to the Danzig Corridor . As a result , Great Britain , in the Person of its Prime Minister , Harold McMillan , gave the Germans an ultimatum that if an undertaking - that Germany would withdraw immediately all Forces upon Polish Territory , was not received at Downing Street by 11 a.m. on September 1st , then The U.K. would be , " ..At War with Germany ." " ..No such undertaking was received . Therefore ..." The entire Football League Programme was suspended forthwith , with many Sporting Stadiums playing home to Army / Air Force Units . Steel Fencing was removed for the War Effort . So were the Players , with many Joining
Up . Tommy Jones would spend the War Years as a Seargent in the R.A.F. , as did Mercer , and turning out for various Forces sides , playing for Everton in certain , None-Official Fixtures , even turning out for Wrexham and Swansea City as a Guest Player , and representing Wales , as a virtual , Ever-Present throughout their War-Time Fixtures , of 14 games during the conflict .
The Football League did not resume upon the cessation of hostilities in 1945/46 , but the F.A. Cup was re-instated . Unfortunately , we were eliminated in the 3rd Round by Preston North End , 3-4 on aggregate - it was a 2 legged affair . However , being dumped out of The Cup was not our immediate concern . Remember , given the League has not restarted , we are still Reigning Champions , having entered World War 2 with , what was widely agreed to be the Finest Side In Our History , we returned to competitive action a , Broken Football Club . The Finances were no longer available to the Pre-Conflict levels . Furthermore , never mind the Luftwaffe , the biggest Bombshell to hit Goodison Park in the 1940's was Tommy Lawton returning from the fighting to say , " I want to be closer to My Mother .." His Mother was from Lancashire . He went to Chelsea . Furthermore , the 6 year gap had cost us the older players from the Title Winning Team . Gillick , Thompson , Cresswell in addition to Lawton . Nevertheless , there were games to be played , so we played them .
1946/47 began , portentially for the next 15 years as it turned out , with a 0-2 Home defeat to Brentford United . Two further victories and another loss preceded the first Post-War Merseyside Derby , which was a Non-Event and ended Nils Each . However , 4 of our next 5 are losses , two of them , 1-4 , then two draws , 2 more losses . We won our 4th First Division game of the Season on November 30 . It was to be the way of it for the medium term . Two weeks later , in a 2-3 Home defeat to Sheffield United , Tommy Jones scores his First Everton Goal and scored his second , the week after in another loss , this time at Preston . The season was shown in Microcosm as on Christmas Day we defeat Derby County , 4-1 at Goodison , yet go to The Baseball Ground a day later and a beaten 1-5 . Typical . The New Year at least showed a glimmer of Hope . 3 straight victories began the Annus , 4 from six in the month of January . Alas the other 2 were defeats , the later in the F.A. Cup 4th Round . Our final game of the opening month of 1947 was the return Derby , as The Bealzebubs Came to Town . We triumph 1-0 , but it is no real consolation as they , as they at least , seem to have come out of The War in a better condition than they went into it , and go on to The Title . Once more , a convincing 4-1 home victory over Sunderland , was followed over the next month , by a 0-3 at Manchester United and a 0-4 at Ayresome Park , Middlesborough , and illustrated perfectly the problems that the Club were experiencing . There was quality , Farrell and Eglington had arrived and would provide a Bulwark against medoicrity for the nearly a decade , but the real diamonds were being - to mix mateaphors for a second , cherry picked . It showed in the inexorable slide towards the banal , and worse , that would befall Everton Football Club into into the early 1960's . As it was , we lost only 2 of our final eight matches during the remainder of the Season and finished in a respectable , but , in view of the last Team Evertonians had seen Grace Goodison Park , a disappointing 10th place . Furthermore , to rub salt in the wounds , our Trophy which had now resided in the Everton Trophy Cabinet for some 15 years of its existence , was now passed across Stanley Park as the Vermin take Lucifers Luck once more . Tommy Jones was to play 22 First Team games in 1946/47 - scoring 5 goals as injury befell him for the first time in his St. Domingo Career .Indeed he would play only 2 games after the Middle of January . However , the break up of the Championship Squad hit T.G. hard on a Personal level , having , for example , been Best Man at the Weddings of both Joe Mercer and Tommy Lawon . The Club gave Kelly an ultimatum ; 2 from Three . Lawton had made his own mind up , so that was a given . Mercer was reluctantly allowed to leave for Arsenal - where he would win another Championship Medal , in order that Tommy Jones was retained . That was the esteem in which this man was held .
Indeed , in what in retrospect is a truly remarkable tale , in 1947 , A.S. Roma , in an almost unprecedented act of Shopping Abroad - certainly in England , and made a bid of £15,000 to sign T.G. Jones . The magnitude of the bid required that Everton , however reluctantly , accepted , and in fact , the deal was to fall through due to restrictions upon Currency Transfer in those , still early , Post-Conflict Times . Nevertheless , for a leading Italian Outfit to come calling for Everton's Centre Half spoke volumes .
Anyway , stay he did , as with the 1947/48 Season came an air of realism replacing the Rose Hued optimism of 12 months previously . The Title side was all but gone , with only Sagar , T.G. and Alex Stevenson anything like regulars . Our first 6 games saw three wins , 3 losses , as the previous Campaign seemed to merely continue . However , two , 3-Goal defeats , 1-3 at Chelsea , and worse still , 0-3 to the RS at The Old Lady before September was out . There was no consistency . In any 6 games , they would win , lose and draw , two each , usually . For example , the Christmas and New Year Programme gave results , 4-1 , 0-2 , 3-0 , 0-5 . Enough said , I think . Fulham then put us out of the F.A. Cup , in a 5th Round Replay , though we respond by winning three straight games . Then lose 4 in a row . Another three wins , then another four straight losses . It was bizarre . Even more so when , in the last in the sequence of losses , was a 0-4 debacle at Grey Skull as The Vermin , " Rubbed it in ..." We stumble for the remaining three matches and finally end up in 14th position in the League , nearer in points to the bottom than the top . Tommy Jones again suffered from injury , playing just over half of the Side's games , missing all but 2 up to Mid-November , and as many believed then , one could draw a conclusion that the consecutive defeats were directly atrributubal to his absence . He made 24 starts in the First Division , scoring one goal .
Season 1948/49 began with a cracking 3-3 against The Barcodes at our place . However , from there , our next four results were , Portsmouth away ; 0-4 , Middlesborough away ; 0-1 , Pompey return game 0-5 !!! Birmingham at Goodison , 0-5 ,... Auspicious , would not be the term that immediately sprung to mind . We then win 2-0 over Stoke , then , Everton 0 Chelsea 6 , followed by , 0-1 in the return game with Stoke City . The Anfield Derby draw , 1's each , was to be Theo Kelly's final game as Everton Manager , as Cliff Britton , an Ex- Evertonian , was brought in to replace him . He did get a victory in his opening game , before He too, suffered 4 straight defeats , the latter a , 0-5 caning at the Marble Halls of Highbury . From there it kinda stuttered rather than fired . There were victories , and an odd sequence of five 1-0 matches , 3 wins, two defeats . Chelsea put us out of The F.A. Cup in the 4th Round . The week later a Derby stalemate , then wins , then defeats . Like that again . Our Season is basically a Battle to stay afloat , as we finish in a most perturbing 18th position , only 4 points above the Relegated sides . It had become a true problem . Tommy Jones played 35 First Team games without scoring .
Britton's main business of the summer was to make T.G. Jones his new Everton Captain , in the place of Peter Farrell . The start is relatively acceptable , two victories , only by the odd goal , but still a win is a win . Our next 5 games were a 3-0 win , two draws and 2 defeats , 0-4 at Newcastle and , 0-7 at Portsmouth - again ,.. Two more losses from 3 , then another hding , 2-5 at Highbury . A further 0-4 , at West Bromich Albion , yet another loss 2-3 at Chelsea all before we manage a win . During this period , T.G. Jones truly one of the finest Players to ever grace a Blue Jersey , was accused of Feigning Injury by a Club Director - he was actually Hospitalised for 4 months , and his time at Goodison was effectively over - he was struggling to make even the Reserve Side , and actually turned out , surreptitiously for Hawarden Grammar Old Boys . Tommy , ever the pragmatist , saw the Writing on the Wall , and asked to be released from his Contract in January 1950 . He made 176 First Team Appearances For Everton FC , scoring 5 goals over a period of 14 years .
From Goodison Avenue , Tommy went back to Wales . Moreover , he had become involved with a local Welsh Club , Connah's Quay Juniors , and in 1946 , they had become the Connah's Quay Nomads . Attracted by T.G's Fame , Youngsters from all the surrounding area came to Trail for a chance to join the Club . As a result , they soon advanced as a Force in Welsh Football and won the Welsh F.A. Cup in 1948 . He also ran a Hotel in Pwellhi whilst turning out for Pwellhi and making them a side of some repute within that League . In 1956 he began a Career in Management , taking over at Bangor City , guiding them to a noteable Welsh Cup victory over Wrexham in 1961 . The triumph enabled qualification for the European Cup Winners Cup and an amazing
3 - legged tussle with Italian Giants Napoli . The Sides being level after the Home and Away legs , a decider was staged at Highbury with the Italians eventually overcoming Jones' Heroes in a narrow 0-1 result . T.G. then went on to Manage Rhyl between 1967/68 but left after a Season to be a Journalist with The Liverpool Echo .
Tommy Jones was inducted into the Original Everton Millenuim Giants in 2000 , one of the First XI to be selected . The Selection Committee noted ; " .. An apparently effortless though skilfull and assured Footballer ..." Tommy lived in North Wales until his Death , aged 86 on January 3 , 2004 .
In describing the Career of T,G, Jones which in all but name , was a One-Club Affair , and one which maintained such a Standard of Excellence as Regulation , and whom personally re-wrote the book on playing Centre Half to such an extent that it would take nearly 20 years for it to be truly appreciated ; one is yet again saddened by the treatment of such an Icon upon his departure from Goodison Park . It must be accepted that even up until the late 1960's , the Upstairs - Downstairs , Class Aspect was unquestionable prevalent , with even John Moores calling the Players , Ball , and Labone , for example . Yet for The Great T.G. Jones to be basically Railroaded from a Club he had only ever served with distinction , on the inaccurate suspicions of a Money-Man , is indeed heartbreaking and does no justice to either the Player nor The Institution . Yet , as I say , it has too often been the way . I shall leave the final epitaph of this week's Sermon to the Man himself ;
" .. We had won The League by Easter . I swear that there were games that I didn't even break sweat . It was that good ...."
When asked to comment upon the highlights of a Great Career ...
" There are not many People about who can say they played alongside Dixie Dean ...." Toffee , btw ,...
So , My Congregation , this Domingo please give thanks to The Almighty in his Divine Provision of The Magnificent Thomas George Jones . Centre Half without Peer , Dyed in the Wool Evertonian and The Prince of Wales .
Amen .
May The Good Lord be with You all .
Remember , Jesus Loves you 'cause You're a Blue .
Look after Your Peoples .
Peace Out .
The Catholic Reverand L.C.A.B.
" I know My Peoples hearin' me ... Holler if Y'all need me ... Word .... "
