Jones is a welcome addition to the staff

One of the most important signings this season was that of Wayne Jones who arrived at Edgar Street last March. Hereford United had been without a full-time physiotherapist for sometime and Jones is a welcome addition to the staff.

In the Stevenage programme Jones, interviwed by Laurie Teague, talked about his career being cut short and his working with Graham Turner for the second time.Jones was born in the Rhondda Valley and became a schoolboy player at the age of 13 with Bristol Rovers. At 18 he went professional with them and was capped for Wales eight times at under 23 level. He then made his first full international appearance for his country against Finland. Wales won 1-0 with John Toshack the scorer.

The following year he was selected to play against England but two weeks before the game he injured a knee which forced him to stop playing. Luckily he was kept on the staff at Rovers and took his FA Diploma in the Treatment of Injuries and his FA Coaching Badge.

After a further three years he moved to Shrewsbury Town who had Graham Turner as player/manager at that time. Jones became physio/reserve team coach.

"Though only a small club - one season there was just Graham and myself doing the
coaching - we were playing in the equivalent of today's Championship League."

Jones moved back to Bristol Rovers after three years but says he wonders whether he might have followed Graham to Aston Villa.

He had spells in Qatar, Notts County, Huddersfield and back to Notts County. Jones then joined Gillingham where he stayed for over nine years.

However last season Gillingham just survived in their league and they didn't have a very good start to the latest campaign either. Then he was sacked as the chairman wanted to make changes.

"It came out of the blue. It happens in football and you live with it."

Jones was out of the game for four and a half months, before he had the offer to come to Edgar Street.

"Graham Turner heard I was out of a job and he asked me if I would be interested in coming to Hereford. My first thoughts were the distance from my home in Kent to Hereford and if it hadn't been Graham I wouldn't have entertained it. But I know Graham, how he works and I got on with him ever so well at Shrewsbury.

"Also it was getting back into football. I didn't realise until a couple of weeks here how much I missed it. The day to day involvement with the players, the banter, and the build-up to matches. So I'm really enjoying it."

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