Andy Jones

Jones played youth football in Wales for Ysgol Y, Berwyn, Bala Town and Wrexham, before joining Rhyl in 1981. During this time as a semi-professional player, he also worked in a warehouse. He played for Rhyl in the Cheshire County League, North West Counties League and Northern Premier League. He was bought by manager John Rudge at English Fourth Division side Port Vale for a £3,000 fee in May 1985. After hearing that Arsenal had offered Jones a trial, Rudge drove over to Rhyl to put a contract in front of Jones before he had the chance to go to Highbury. Jones scored his first goal in the English Football League on 31 August, in a 1–1 home draw with Rochdale. He quickly became a regular in the squad and was the Vale's top-scorer in 1985–86 with 18 goals, his strike partnership with Robbie Earle helping the club win promotion to the Third Division. One of his goals came against top-flight West Bromwich Albion in a 2–2 draw at The Hawthorns in the League Cup. He enhanced his growing reputation in the 1986–87 season, again top marksman with 37 goals (a post-World War II club record); his 27 league goals made him the most prolific scorer outside of the First Division (where Clive Allen scored 33 for Tottenham Hotspur). Jones scored twelve of his goals from the penalty spot, missing just three in the campaign; throughout his career at Vale Park he scored 20 of his 23 penalties in competitive games – an all-time club record. He scored a brace in eight games, bagged a hat-trick…

Jones played for Wales at under-16 level. He made his senior debut as Ian Rush's strike partner on 1 April 1987 against Finland at the Racecourse Ground in his home town of Wrexham. The Welsh recorded a 4–0 victory, with Jones scoring one goal on the volley. After his debut he paid tribute to the Port Vale fans who had travelled to the game to support him. He played the rest of the five games in the unsuccessful Euro qualification campaign, making three appearances from the bench. Wales drew 1–1 with Czechoslovakia at Wrexham and beat Denmark at Cardiff City's Ninian Park, but were defeated at Copenhagen and Prague. Had they drawn in Denmark or beaten Czechoslovakia home or away, the Welsh would have qualified for Euro 1988. Jones made his sixth and final appearance for Wales against the Netherlands on 11 October 1989, the Dutch winning 2–1 and ending Welsh hopes of qualification out of Group 4 at the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification stage.

A goalscoring striker, he had shooting ability despite weakness with his touch and linking play.

"Andy had tremendous pace and power, and although he was new to league football, that rawness turned out to be an advantage. He hadn't really been coached so didn't think like other forwards or make the runs other forwards would. Consequently, defenders didn't really know what to expect from him. Andy liked the ball early and over the top, rather than worrying about a lot of build-up play. That was fine because, once you got him in behind the opposition defence, he was a fantastic finisher. Off the field he was a great lad. He was both humble, despite his scoring record, but also a very confident player."

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