News

25 January 2021 / Club News

Andrew Jones

There was further heartbreak for the Club and the Community over the weekend after we received the news of the passing of the wonderful Andrew Jones.

Andrew, son of the late Billy “Brush “ Jones who did so much for the Club, was an incredible and fun loving character who brought so much joy to others. Everybody at the Club held him in the greatest esteem and there are so many people who have lots of tales and stories to say of him. 

He was a great supporter of the Club and would be a frequent visitor to Mount Pleasant when his beloved Pontypridd were not in action. Players , including many top Internationals, from many a generation enjoyed his company.

Everybody at the Club send out their deepest condolences to Andrew’s mum Marilyn, sister Dianne, brother Gary and their extended family and his many friends.

The below wonderful tribute from his nephew James Dunford really shows what a wonderful person Andrew will be remembered as - 

Not one to post these kinds of things on facebook but I know what a character and how loved by many this man was. This is the hardest thing ive ever had to write, unfortunately we’ve lost the star of our family this afternoon. Growing up around Andrew was probably the best thing that could ever happen to me. I learnt so much from him you couldn’t learn from any other person, it was his love for other people was one of his biggest qualities.
His memory amazed me as a child, remembering all the fixtures and results from Ponty RFC off the top of his head, hed know league positions and players inside out. You would know if ponty won because he’d come home and play absolute havoc winding my nan and bamp up, wickedly turning the telly over while my nans watching strictly come dancing, and lobbing pillows at my bamps sleeping head, which he took great satisfaction doing so whilst sitting there eating a packet of chocolate digestives, smiling and giggling from ear to ear when theyd give him a row!!
AND heres a SECRET only Ponty players knew – he was orange boy and mascot for ponty, he went on pitch half time with oranges for the players, but he would deliberately drop a load, wipe the dirt off and give to the other team if ponty was losing!! 
Besides Ponty rugby his love for Liverpool Football Club was something else! Andrew was always jotting down in his little book all of Liverpools results and goal scorers after the games. And he would be singing YNWALK ALONE at the top of his voice, in his own language, and he would take great pleasure in winding me up next time I saw him, he would never let me or my dad live it down when Liverpool won and Man United lost! But he wouldn’t take it well when it was the other way around, giving us the middle finger was his classic response!
Andrew always came with us to Florida where he had the holidays of his life, he had travelled all over the world with my nan and bampi , was never left home, my nan said wherever they went, by the 3rd day everyone in the hotel knew Andrew! Couldn’t even guess at the number of people he met in his lifetime! 
He absolutely adored Disney world, not for the rides but because he fancied the pants of Cinderella!! He would stick his Mickey Mouse ears on and run around asking all the characters in costume for a ‘cwtch’. The joy on his face when they ALL happily did so was absolutely priceless and will never ever leave me.
A memory I have on another holiday shows exactly the type of character he was, Andrew was always my gramps personal drinks waiter, my bamp would give him plenty of money to get him a beer and Andrew a shandy (shandy Andy was one of his nicknames, along with Blondie, (baldy in later years) Dopey, Grumpy, Handsome, or my dads favourite cos of his love of the ladies was Hot D…K !!! )
After 30minutes of waiting my bamp would send one of us grandsons to and find him, we would see Andrew by the bar chatting up a random woman, we’d drag Andrew by the scruff like a naughty schoolboy back to my bamp, he would ask him for his change, Andrew would shrug his shoulders, as if to say ‘ I don’t know, didn’t have any’ my gramp would force him to empty his pockets and there was his change an a few bob extra he’d pinched the day before.
Just a few of the things Andrew Jones loved was Liverpool, Ponty RFC, Beddau RFC, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones my nans fav reclining armchair and pinching my bamps change! 
When Sophie came into our lives Andrew took a massive affection to her, as if he had known her all of his life. He would come in and first thing he’d do is run to Sophie with his arms open “Sophie, Sophie I love you, will you be my girlfriend” he’d cuddle her and kiss her on the cheek , “ James shes my girlfriend now” he would say, staring at me with his arms around her laughing his head off purposely to wind me up ! He really always did just love winding everyone up and teasing them! Especially where women were concerned, he had so so many girlfriends such as Teresa Jenkins, Tina , Lesley and Any other woman, he , meets
I have so many stories I could share about Andrew that I would be here all night he was the funniest, cheekiest most loving person I have ever known. All he ever wanted to do was have a laugh and spread his love as much as he could.
I am truly blessed to have known such a character like you Andrew and so so proud to be able to call you my uncle. The void in our family can never be filled. We are gonna sip a shandy and toast you tonight
We know you are in good hands because bampy is up there ready to take you under his wing once again, until we meet again my amazing Uncle Andrew I will love you for eternity XXXXXX

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