‘We needed someone like Budgie’ - legends remember Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Bob Jones

Back then, in the World Cup winning year of 1966, Rovers went down to a 3-2 defeat to a star-studded Leeds line-up, managed by future England boss Don Revie and including the likes of Billy Bremner and Jack Charlton, on their way to a second-placed finish.

That match, played in front of 25,398 supporters, would prove to be the last of the 52 appearances goalkeeper Bob Jones would make for Rovers.

Jones spent eight years at Ewood Park before finishing his playing days at Great Harwood where he would be reunited with Bryan Douglas.

And, with the help of Douglas and fellow Rovers legend Mick McGrath, we traced the career of one of Rovers’ lost keepers.

Jones started out at his hometown club Southport where his father, and namesake, was first-team trainer.

Goalkeeping was in the blood with Bob Jones Snr having been regarded as one of the finest shot-stoppers of his generation.

The older Jones made 244 appearances between the sticks for Bolton Wanderers between 1929 and 1937 after previously turning out for both Everton, where he was best friends with the great Dixie Dean, and Southport.

His son started out at Southport before moving to Chester where he would play 166 times across five seasons.

Jones’ eye-catching performances for the then Third Division North outfit attracted the interest of Rovers who brought him to Ewood for a fee of £3,000 in March 1958 shortly before they sealed promotion from the Second Division.

Rovers remained in the top flight throughout Jones’ eight-year stay at the club which began in earnest on November 15, 1958.

That was the day Jones made his debut in a 3-2 win over West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.

The West Brom team included another future England manager in Bobby Robson, who was thwarted in his attempts to score on more than one occasion by the Rovers new boy, who made his Ewood debut the following week, ironically against Leeds.

At the time Jones was competing for the number one spot with Harry Leyland, who had been signed from Everton in 1956, and it was not until the 1960-61 season that he truly made his breakthrough.

He finished that campaign as Rovers’ first-choice keeper, racking up 20 league appearances.

Wing wizard Douglas, one of the club’s greatest ever players, remembers how Jones acquired his nickname.

The former England international said: “He was christened ‘Budgie’ because he’d never stop talking. He always had something to say in the dressing room – he was like a parrot. He was argumentative and always questioned what was going on, but in a friendly way.

“I’d already played with Bob in the Lancashire youth team before he joined Rovers. He was a popular member of the team, a fab guy and a good pal. He never let us down and was always part of the team and one of the lads. He was competitive, professional and played a lot of games.”

McGrath, who made 312 appearances for Rovers at wing-half, recalled: “Bob was very vocal in the dressing room. He said his piece and wasn’t frightened to do so. We needed that.

“Ronnie Clayton was a quiet captain. He wasn’t a shouter on the pitch so we needed someone like ‘Budgie’ because he spoke his mind. Bob would let us know if things weren’t going well.”

Former Republic of Ireland international McGrath, who left Rovers along with Jones at the end of the 1965-66 season, added: “They often say goalkeepers are ‘nutty defenders’ and Bob was just that. He was a brave keeper and certainly wasn’t afraid to come off his line.”

Jones had hoped to be given a chance to come off his line in the 1960 FA Cup final.

He travelled to Wembley in his own car but never made it on to the pitch.

Jones was on standby for the recently injured Leyland who, despite being a serious doubt in the lead up to the big game, recovered in time to take his place in a Rovers side that were beaten 3-0 by Wolves.

Jones had to watch on from the stands but he was between the posts for another memorable match of that era.

It came against Arsenal at Ewood on November 3, 1962. The game was a thriller as Rovers raced into a three goal-lead inside 28 minutes, courtesy of a Douglas double either side of a Fred Pickering strike.

But the Gunners fought back to level the match and, despite regaining the lead on two more occasions, through Ian Lawther and then Pickering’s second goal of the game, Rovers could not hold on and the contest ended 5-5.

At the end of the 1965-66 season Rovers were relegated to the Second Division and Jones subsequently joined former team-mate John Bray at Great Harwood, first as a player and then as manager, and where he was later joined by Douglas and Clayton.

Jones had played alongside and against some of the greatest players of his generation and at some of the most historic grounds; including Old Trafford, Anfield, Goodison Park, Maine Road and Stamford Bridge.

But it was his Structural Draughting business which brought in the money.

Wages were a lot different back then. Jones earned just £15 a week, with an extra £2 if he played in the first team, and £13 in the post-season.

Douglas summed up how it was a world away from the riches of today’s game when he said: “We were all mates with each other back then. We’d go on holidays together to Butlins or even Spain and players would bring their wives and children. We’d socialise in the summer but you don’t get that anymore.”

McGrath echoed Douglas’ thoughts on the team spirit they had at Rovers when he said: “We had one communal bath in the dressing room and after a game everyone would get in it. There was great camaraderie within the team.”

Jones passed away after a stroke in August 1998, aged just 65.

Roy Isherwood, his ex-Rovers team-mate and friend of 40 years, said at the time: “He was a great guy, a polite and friendly chap who will be sadly missed.”

No doubt Jones will be looking down this afternoon urging Rovers on to avenge the memory of their defeat against Leeds half a century ago.