Our tribute to past Everton players who have died recently

James Corbett
Saturday March 13, 2004
The Guardian

Roma launched an extraordinary, £15,500 bid in 1948 to make Everton's Thomas George "TG" Jones, who has died aged 86, among the first foreigners to play in Italy.  At the 11th hour, the deal collapsed over currency details.  Jones, the prince of centre-halves, an unruffled, elegant defender, remained at Goodison Park.  Jones bestrode the First Division and the Welsh national team in the 1930s and 1940s. Born in Connah's Quay, Flintshire, after six first-team games with Wrexham, he was signed by Everton in 1936 for £3,000.  At Goodison Park, Jones linked up with youngsters like Joe Mercer, and later Tommy Lawton, but initially struggled to arrest Everton's decline.

He made one appearance in the 1936-37 season, but the following year established himself in place of the sometime England centre-half, Charlie Gee, a traditional, uncomplicated centre back.  Jones was a defender with the skill and composure of an inside forward.  Cool and relaxed when in possession, few defenders of his ilk had been seen before.  A forerunner of Franz Beckenbauer, Jones's forte was dribbling out of trouble, and spraying the field with passes.

Along with Lawton and Mercer, he was instrumental in Everton's renaissance, lifting the 1938-39 League Championship.  One of the most attractive and youthful sides of their era, Everton looked set to dominate English football into the 1940s.

War changed everything, and Jones worked in a factory, while still turning out for Everton during the seven years that the Football League was suspended.  He also added 11 wartime appearances for Wales to the 17 caps he earned prewar.

When normal play resumed in 1946, Everton had lost Lawton to Chelsea and Mercer was on his way to Arsenal.  The departure of his friends (Jones was best man to both) was a blow to him and Everton, who plummeted into mediocrity.

Jones continued to illuminate Goodison Park, but differences with the management, dating back to the war, when a director falsely accused him of feigning injury, saw him in and out of the team.  Occasionally, the situation became so dire that he was unable to even make the reserves, instead turning out secretly for Hawarden Grammar Old Boys.  Finally, in January 1950, Everton agreed to his release.  It was an inauspicious ending to the career of the man Dixie Dean described as "the best all-round player I've ever seen".

On leaving Everton, Jones became Pwllheli part-time manager and ran a hotel.  In 1962, as manager of Bangor City, the Welsh Cup winners, he ventured into the European Cup Winners' Cup and, incredibly, won the home leg 2-0 against Italian giants Napoli, losing 1-3 in Italy.  Alas, there was no away goal rule, and, at the replay at Highbury, Bangor fought gallantly, but lost 3-1.

Later, Jones ran a newsagents' shop in north Wales, and filed a weekly column for the Liverpool Daily Post.  His wife Joyce died last September. He is survived by his two daughters, Jane and Elizabeth.

• Thomas George Jones, footballer, born 12 October  1917; died  3 January 2004

At the age of 80, having spent most of those years playing for, working for, or supporting the club he loved, he passed away on Saturday evening, 25 October 2003.  Farewell to a player, maintenance man, husband, father, grandfather, and pillar of Everton over many, many years.  He will be remembered by those who appreciate the club's heritage. 

An inside-right he was born in Leigh and first played for Wigan, before being poached by Everton in 1934 for whom he scored twice on his debut � a 4-0 win at Grimsby.  A true grafter, he was also very versatile and in his time at Goodison and played in every position, including in goal on one occasion.

He missed only one match in the title season of 1938-39, before the war interrupted his career at its peak.  He played on after the war at Everton before hanging up his boots and joining the coaching staff, leaving in 1962 to become coach at Luton Town.

Peter Farrell signed for Tranmere Rovers in October 1957 after playing 453 games in eleven seasons for the Blues, and scoring 17 goals. He also won 28 caps for Eire and seven for Northern Ireland. The game he is best remembered for was against Manchester United on 14th February 1953 when Everton won 2-1 – the legendary blood-soaked Dave Hickson scoring the winner. Peter was a tough player but never dirty. He was a great player and a true Gentleman, and will always be remembered by Evertonians privileged to watch him play.