Bio:
Michael David Jones (born 24 April 1945) is an English former footballer who played as centre forward with Leeds United during the 1960s and 1970s. He was also capped for England.
Leeds won the League Cup in his first season, although Jones did not feature in the campaign because he was cup-tied. Leeds also won the Fairs Cup, with Jones scoring twice during the competition, including what turned out to be the winner in the final against Ferencvaros. The first leg finished 1–0 thanks to Jones’ goal and the second leg remained goalless to give Leeds the cup.
The following season Leeds won the League championship with Jones scoring 14 goals, and then joined by fellow striker Allan Clarke in 1969 to forge a strike partnership with Jones. Leeds pursued a possible “treble” of League title, FA Cup and European Cup. Everton beat Leeds to the League title, and Celtic F.C. beat Leeds home and away in the European Cup semi-finals.
In the FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley, the game was 1–1 on a bumpy, sandy pitch (due to the Horse of the Year show being held there the previous week). with fewer than ten minutes to play. Jones fired a left foot shot into the net beyond Peter Bonetti. Chelsea, however, equalised quickly so the contest went to a replay at Old Trafford. Leeds took the lead in the first half, when a run by Clarke set Jones on his way towards goal, and he hit right foot shot past Bonetti.
Chelsea, however, ended up winning after extra time and Leeds ended the season trophyless. In 1972, Leeds beat Arsenal 1–0 in the Centenary FA Cup Final with Jones setting up Clarke for the only goal of the game.[3] However, Jones suffered a dislocated elbow in the last minute of the game after landing awkwardly from an innocuous and accidental clash with the Arsenal goalkeeper, Geoff Barnett.
Jones was assisted by Norman Hunter, up to the Royal Box to collect his F.A. Cup winners medal.[3] The injury however, meant Jones missed the League title decider away to Wolves just two days later which Wolves won 2–1. The defeat cost Leeds the Division 1 championship title to Derby County by a single point. Perhaps his finest performance of the 1971–72 season came on 19 February 1972, when he scored a hat-trick against Manchester United in a 5–1 league win at Elland Road. In a 29-match unbeaten run at the start of the next season, Jones bagged 14 goals as Leeds won the title, but he was now beginning to have problems with one of his knees and spent the summer of 1974 having intensive physiotherapy.
In early 1975, he began playing reserve football again, but in constant pain. Joe Jordan took the number nine shirt. The team (despite Revie’s departure in the summer to take over the England job) reached its first European Cup final, Jones was a spectator who did not figure in the team all season. He watched as Leeds lost the European Cup final to Bayern Munich and then retired at the age of 30, unable to beat his knee problem. His Leeds career ended with 111 goals from 312 appearances. Allan Clarke, Jones’ strike partner, admitted that it was never the same for him after Jones retired.
Factfile:
- Full Name: Michael David Jones
- Position: Forward
- Date of Birth: 24.04.1945
- Birthplace: Shireoaks
- Nation: England
- Club Career: Leeds United
- Period: 1967-1975
- League Games, 220
- League Goals, 77
- Previous Club: Sheffield United
- Transfer Fee: £100.000
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