Cliff Jones has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list and has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to Welsh football.
Jones, 91, remains a true Cymru legend and is the only surviving member of the squad that qualified for the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden. Jimmy Murphy’s side reached the quarter-final stage but were eliminated by eventual winners Brazil as a teenage Pelé scored the only goal in the 1-0 defeat.
A talented winger and one of the best players of his generation, Jones was also a key part of Bill Nicholson’s great Tottenham Hotspur side that completed the domestic double in 1961. He then became the first Welshman to win a European trophy two years later as Spurs claimed the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup with a 5-1 win over Atlético Madrid.
Jones had only signed for the London club February of that year from Swansea Town, and would spend the next decade at White Hart Lane, scoring 159 goals in over 378 appearances before moving across London to join Fulham. During his international career, Jones scored 16 goals in 59 appearances for his country.
“Proud and humbled to receive this MBE,” said Jones on Friday evening. “It was an honour to me to represent my beloved Wales and pull on the red dragon shirt. I share this with all my teammates and my wonderful wife Joan and family.”
Jones was inducted into the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame as well as the National Football Hall of Fame, and was then presented with a lifetime achievement trophy at the Sport Wales awards. Current Tottenham Hotspur and Cymru defender Ben Davies paid tribute to Jones’s achievements on Friday.
“It is fantastic Cliff Jones is being recognised for his incredible contribution to both club and international football,” said Davies, who was recently presented with his 100th Cymru cap by Jones. “He is recognised as one of the true greats of the game at both Swansea and Tottenham and of course with Wales.
“I was lucky enough to meet him when I first arrived at Spurs, where I forged a close bond with him and his wife, who often had me round to the house, and I’d hear amazing stories about his life and football career. To have him present me with my 100th cap was an absolute honour.”
