Dave Jones

Central defender Dave Jones was first noticed as a player by Liverpool when he was invited to their Melwood training ground. But it was with Liverpool's Merseyside rivals Everton that Jones eventually signed professional terms. He made 79 first team League appearances for the Goodison Park club. Jones also turned out for the England Youth Team and won an Under-21 cap for the national team. In 1979 Jones was transferred to Coventry City in a £275,000 deal and it was while playing for the Sky Blues reserves against Derby County that his career took a major blow. A player who had eyes on a full England call-up, a tackle on Jones all but ended his career. Despite his knee injury, Jones went and played in Hong Kong with club side Seiko. He the ignored medical advice to play 50 games for Preston North End before bringing the curtain down on his playing career. His move into social work followed and Jones came back into football by coaching at non-league clubs Southport, Mossley and Morecambe. It was his spell at current First Division club Stockport County that Jones came to public prominence. Stockport enjoyed their most successful spell since the war under Jones as they were promoted to Division One as well as becoming synonymous in the League Cup. Jones guided Stockport to victory over three Premiership clubs as they reached the semi-finals of the League Cup in 1997. They met Middlesbrough and lost out in a closely fought contest. Jones then left for Southampton who he guided to 12th in the Premiership at the end of the 1997/1998 season. He helped maintain their top-flight status before being replaced by Glenn Hoddle in January 2000, after being falsely accused of having targeted vulnerable young boys during his time as a care worker at a residential school on Merseyside in the 1980s. He was cleared of all charges and took up a job with Wolverhampton Wanderers in Jan 2001. He helped gain them them promotion to the Premiership in June 2003.