Biography
Experienced left back Tom Jones was one of City’s pioneers, joining the newly formed club in 1904 and becoming club captain. He played in 40 matches during that initial range-finding season, 38 of which were friendly matches and not considered senior fixtures. When City joined the Football League in 1905 Jones remained club captain and started all but one of the first 33 fixtures. He scored his two senior goals for City in a November 5-3 drubbing of Bradford City and a Christmas Day 3-1 win over Burslem Port Vale. In March 1906 Jones lost his place to new signing George Hedley and he left the Tigers that summer.
Tom Jones was born in Newport, a market town between Shrewsbury and Stafford on the Shropshire Union Canal. He started his football career as an amateur at Shrewsbury Town before signing professional terms in 1901 at West Bromwich Albion. After two years in the Baggies’ first team Jones spent the 1903/04 season at Belfast Celtic before joining the Tigers in August 1904.
Tom joined Wigan Town for the 1906/07 season but by January 1907 the club were temporarily suspended by the Football League for non-payment of players’ wages, one of those players being Jones. He then dropped into the lower league scene for a few years, ending his playing days back in Shropshire playing for Wrockwardine Wood, then an agreeable village set amidst the Shropshire iron and steel industry, now a suburb of Telford New Town.
Jones was also a professional club cricketer during much of his football career. He died in Shrewsbury in 1949.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 30 September 1877, Newport
Hull City First Game: 17 September 1904, Stockton A (FA Cup Preliminary Round), 26 years, 353 days old
Hull City Final Game: 10 March 1906, Glossop H (Division Two), 28 years, 161 days old
Clubs
Shrewsbury Town, West Bromwich Abion (1901-1903), Belfast Celtic (1903-1904), Hull City (1904-1906), Wigan Town (1906-1907), Heywood (1907-1910), Wrockwardine Wood (1910-1911)
Hull City Record
Career: 34 apps, 2 goals
Tom Jones| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1904/05 | - | - | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1905/06 | 27 | 2 | 5 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |