Tribute to Gwyn Jones
RIP Gwynfor Robert Jones - 20th March 1935 - 13th November 2020
Quiet and unassuming full back Gwyn Jones gave sterling service to Rovers in the years following relegation back to Division Three in the spring of 1962.
Gwyn Jones
A gentle man, who had captained his school side at rugby, cricket and football, he also captained the Wales Youth XI in four matches before being spotted by Wolves whilst on National Service.
He made his First Division début against West Bromwich Albion over Christmas 1955. Wolves were, at that time, a dominant force in English football and he made brief appearances in both 1957/58 and 1958/59 as his side won back to back League titles; he also played in the 1959 Charity Shield at Molineux, Wolves defeating cup holders Nottingham Forest 3-1.
With Wolves, the young full back toured South Africa and Indonesia as well as playing in a friendly against Juventus. Jones was a reliable and strong defensively minded full back, calm and reliable on and off the field.
Rovers were rocked in the spring of 1963 by a bribery scandal which made national headlines and although Esmond Million had tried to involve and implicate him, Jones rose above this, refused to participate and continued to play well for Rovers.
Indeed, he acted as the whistleblower when the scandal erupted, ten footballers in all being imprisoned and two Rovers players, Million and Keith Williams being banned for life.
He played against Manchester United in the FA Cup clash of January 1964 at Old Trafford and he was a member of the side which recorded a 7-0 victory over Shrewsbury Town two months later, captaining the club at the end of his career.
An excellent pianist, he gained Advanced Honours from the Royal College of Music before working for 22 years in the clerical department of Anglesey Aluminium, a smelting company, from which he retired at the age of 57.
He became a fully qualified Football Association coach, having attended the same course as Bill McGarry (1927-2005). Gwyn Jones lived latterly at Bryn Seioint Newydd Care Home in Caernarfon, where he had Rovers and Wolves badges either side of his name on the door to his room; he is buried alongside his wife Margaretta (1936-2019) in the graveyard at St Twrog in Llandwrog.