Tuesday, 7th October 2008

News Archive

- Andy Parker – Burton Mail

18th November 1988
Much-travelled striker Graham Jones became the latest Oldbury United defector to join Gresley Rovers last week – then made a promise to Moat Ground fans.

“I think I know the sort of a player the fans like at Gresley – and I’m that sort of player,” declared the man who topped the Banks’s League scoring charts last season with 32 goals for the Black Country side.

Despite that record Jones said: “Please don’t think of me as a goalscorer. I’m a battler – and I’m prepared to battle for Gresley.”

The 33-year-old – whose list of former clubs reads like a West Midlands non-league football – was a surprise signing by manager Frank Northwood.

But when top scorer Kieron Smith headed for the maternity ward with his expectant wife on Saturday instead of lacing up his boots for Rovers Jones was plunged straight in at the deep end – and had a hand in both Gresley’s first half goals.

“It was a near-perfect debut for me,” Jones glowed afterwards. “Only a goal could have made it better. But even though I had a hand in the first two. I’m very critical of my own performances and I’ll think back on this one occasion in the second half where I gave the ball away rather than on the glory.”

Jones was not among strangers on Saturday despite not having trained with Rovers previously. He explained: It’s a good move for me because I’m linking up with Tracey Norton and Ian Wells who both play in the same Sunday side as me. Plus I played along side Tracey for four seasons at Oldbury so we have a deep understanding of the way each other plays.

“Frank Northwood told me he needed to fit the final piece to the jigsaw puzzle – and I’m that final piece.”

Jones will be looking to emulate the success he enjoyed as skipper of Oldbury who he led to a Staffordshire Senior Cup victory and twice to runner-up spot in the Banks’s League, scoring 70 goals in the process.

That came after a career that led from Dudley to Stourbridge, Kidderminster – where he was selected for the FA Non-League squad – Worcester, Alvechurch and Oldbury.

The move to Gresley came, says Jones, “because there was no sparkle left at Oldbury. There’s a bit of passion about this Gresley side.”

Now the West Bromwich glazier is planning to shatter a few records in his bid to help Gresley to achieve their dream prize of the Banks’s League title – and Southern League football next season.

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