Alfred George Jones (c. February 1861 – c. November 1935[1]) was an English footballer who played as a full back.[2] He was born in Walsall and represented the England national football team three times.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alfred George Jones | ||
| Date of birth | 1861 | ||
| Place of birth | Walsall, England | ||
| Date of death | 1935 (aged 74) | ||
| Place of death | Walsall, England | ||
| Position(s) | Full back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 0000–1883 | Walsall Swifts | ||
| 1883 | Great Lever | ||
| 1883–1885 | Walsall Swifts | ||
| 1885 | Burnley | ||
| 1885–1886 | Aston Villa | ||
| 1886–1888 | Walsall Town | ||
| 1888–1890 | Walsall Town Swifts | 36 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 1882–1883 | England | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jones was born in Walsall and played junior football in the Walsall area before signing with Walsall Swifts, going on to become the club's first player to gain international recognition.[3]
His first cap came on 11 March 1882 against Scotland. Scotland won the match 5–1, with England's consolation goal coming from Howard Vaughton.[4] Despite the size of the defeat, Jones was retained in defence for the next international match against Wales two days later. England were expected to claim a "comfortable victory", but the Welsh side "fought magnificently to secure a 5–3 victory",[5] with Jones scoring an own goal in the 60th minute.[6][7]
He left Walsall Swifts in early 1883 for a short spell with Great Lever in Bolton,[8] during which he collected his third and final England cap in a 3–2 defeat by Scotland on 10 March 1883.[9]
A return to Walsall Swifts followed in the summer of 1883 and two years later he joined Aston Villa[10] via a short spell at Burnley. In 1885 when Jones and Scotland international Alex McLintock played for Burnley against a Blackburn Select XI, it was the first time that two international players had appeared in the same Burnley line-up.[11]
He later returned to Walsall in 1886 when he joined Walsall Town, who then amalgamated with Walsall Swifts to form Walsall Town Swifts in 1888. Jones was an ever-present for the new Walsall club in both of their first two seasons; in 1888–89 he played 14 Midland Alliance fixtures and in 1889–90 he played 22 Football Alliance matches, scoring one goal.[3] He holds a unique place in Walsall footballing history; being the only man to play for the Swifts, Town and Town Swifts teams.[8]