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Pete Jones

PINK UN PROFILE by Gabrielle Lewis

Jones is a Forest flyer

PETE JONES Is a legend in the Forest of Dean.  Having launched his career at Cinderford at the age of 16, he moved on to Lydney 12 years later.  At Regentsholme, he was in the first Forest club to appear on television’s Rugby Special when Lydney lost to Sale in the Pilkington Cup In 1981.  He also enjoyed their centenary season and won three successive County Cups, before returning to Dockham Road, where he captained Cinderford for their centenary year. A third centenary celebration followed when he became Drybrook’s player-coach in 1988.  He returned for a third term at Cinderford as their coach, completing a spell at Bream before resuming duties at Drybrook in 1998.

FACT FILE

FULL NAME:         Peter Jones.
BORN:                     7.10.51.
BIRTHPLACE:        Ruardean.
STAR SIGN:             Libra.
JOB:                         Scaffolder.
FAMILY:                 Wife Elaine, twins Ryan and Lucinda (23). Plus brothers, Neil, Roger, Ian, Keith and Martin, who I played with at Cinderford.  I also have a sister, Alison.
NICKNAME:            Jonah.
POSITION:               Openside flanker.
CURRENT TEAM: Drybrook.
FORMER TEAMS: Cinderford (player and coach) Lydney, Drybrook (as player-coach) and Bream (coach).
PLAYING DEBUT:  Cinderford against Abergavenny  I played in the centre and scored two tries in our win.
COACHING DEBUT: Drybrook, at the start of the 1988-89 season. We did no lose a game that season.
TRIES SCORED IN LAST PLAYING SEASON:          18.
HIGHEST LEVEL PLAYED: Lydney I did come on as a replacement for Gloucestershire once against Cornwall in Cheltenham, when I was 38.
CUP ACHIEVEMENTS: was in the Lydney side that lost to Sale in the Pilkington Cup and then went through two rounds of the cup with Drybrook, losing to London Welsh. We’d have hosted Leicester if we’d won. I also won three successive County Cups with Lydney in the 1980s and reached the1988-89 final with Drybrook.

Pete Endures stick tape saga in distinguished career a forest legend.

Long-haired Lad from Cinderford gets earful.

MEMORABLE MATCHES
Beating Lydney 6-3 In the 1989 County Cup semi-final when I was at Drybrook. Lydney had been fancied to win, but we wouldn’t be beaten. We showed sheer guts and determination. Half the Lydney players wouldn’t come into the club­house after the game.  Also, when I played for Lydney against Sale in the Pilkington Cup. We lost, but the game was a hell of a battle. We just ran out of steam at the end but it was a great day.  Sale’s Steve Smith,  who had captained England against France the previous week, told the papers that he’d rather have played them than us, as at least the French back row hadn’t tried to kill him.

WORST MATCH
Losing the County Cup final to Berry Hill with Drybrook, hav­ing beaten Lydney (1989). It was the only game we lost all season and it was particularly galling as Berry Hill had scraped into the final, beating Spartans in extra-time in their semi. They hadn’t had a good season, but on the night they really put us to the sword. I think they beat us 35-6.

FUNNIEST MOMENT
I was playing for Cinderford when a piece of my ear was bit­ten off. The next day we had a cup game against Cheltenham. Bob Beavis, who was Cinderford’s president then, wrapped up my ear in two-inch tape, but because I had long hair at the time, my flowing locks soon got mangled in the tape. After­wards, I had to get the tape cut out of my hair and I looked like Edward Scissorhands.

EMBARRASSING MOMENTS
Taking a swing at someone on the field, missing him com­pletely and headbutting one of my own players in the back of the head. That broke my nose.

RUGBY HERO
Peter Winterbottom because he’s all-action and as hard as they come.

GREATEST INFLUENCES
My brother Neil — one of the five who also played at Cinderford with me. He captained the club for years and pushed me harder than anyone else ever did. He was a great player and should have played at a much higher level, but we always stayed together.

CURRENT PLAYERS ADMIRED
Scrum-half Clayton Ryder and back row Neil Morgan, who both give 100% in everything, particularly training, for Drybrook. Also Lydney captain Paul Price – he could play at a much higher level.

CLAIM TO FAME
Giving England captain Steve Smith a hard time when I played for Lydney against Sale in the Pilkington Cup.

YOUNG PLAYERS FOR FUTURE
All the young lads who have come through the youth set-up at Drybrook - Dale Critchley Danny Griffiths, Tom Reid, Lee Ward, Ian Murray Scott Ward, whose only 16, and Simon Rugman, to name a few

CHANGES TO IMPROVE THE LOCAL GAME
We need more consistency among the referees. They aren’t all bad and we have had some good ones this season, but some are so inconsistent.  It’s a shame that friendlies don’t carry the same value as they used to. It’s a Job getting the players motivated when they’ve got league and cup commitments. I think the leagues are a good thing, but the local rivalry of friendlies has gone.  We don’t get as many nights out as we used to.

FAVOURITE LOCAL GROUNDS
Dockham Road, because I played for Cinderford for so long and I’ve got many good memories of the place.  Also Kingsholm, from playing against Gloucester for Lydney and all the cup games.  And Regentsholme, because of the 150-odd tries I scored there.

RUGBY AMBITIONS
I don’t have many left now, Just for Drybrook to do well and thrive on and off the field and to help the young players reach their potential.

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS
Golf and DIY (my missus will like that one).

CLOSEST FRIENDS OUTSIDE CLUB
Steve Collins from Lydney I don’t see him much now, but we had some great times.  Brian Jones, Rich Gwillam, Cohn Henderson at Bream.  All the old school from Cinderford, especially Dave Jelf, Paul Bedley, James Bennett and Derek Parry and everyone involved at Drybrook.

RUGBY PET HATES
Players who don’t reach their potential and who listen to people on the touchline when they should know better and get on with their own game -take note Chris Rawlings.

ANY SUPERSTITIONS?    None.

MAJOR INJURIES:    Nothing too serious.

OTHER SPORTS FOLLOWED AND SPORTS-PEOPLE ADMIRED: Rowing and Steven Redgrave, for the effort be had to put in to get where he did.

WHAT DO YOU LISTEN TO IN THE CAR?:     Virgin Radio.

FAVOURITE TELEVISION PROGRAMMES:     The Royle Family They Think It’s All Over.

FAVOURITE AUTHORS:     Stephen King

FAVOURITE FOOD:    Steak, Chicken Jalfrezi.

FAVOURITE DRINK:    Guinness, Baileys.

FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION:    Spain. The beer’s cold and my missus loves the sun. And I’ve got a fear of flying, so we’re limited on where we can go.

FAVOURITE RESTAURANT:    Ye Hostelrie Hotel, Goodrich.

ANYTHING SPECIAL YOU TAKE TO MATCHES?:  20 fags. I usually smoke them all watching our lot.

PEOPLE YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO MEET:    Steven Redgrave, Hannibal Lecter.

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE BEEN IN A PREVIOUS LIFE? Casanova.

MOTTO IN LIFE: Live every day as if it’s your last, because one day it will be.

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