William John Jones

Better known as Shoni was born and bred in Merthyr. He was a keen footballer playing for various teams including Ton Pentre when they reached the final of the Welsh Cup, only to be beaten 2-1 by the mighty Cardiff. In the team was Cecil Poynton who went on to be the trainer for the greatest football side of the 1960s, Tottenham Hotspur. When the depression came to the valleys in the 1930s, he moved his family to Birmingham and worked at the Rover Car Company until his retirement in 1961. Then he and his wife, Annie moved to Margate where he spent his remaining years until he passed away in 1967 in Ramsgate Hospital at the age of 71.