Clopton Allen Lloyd-Jones (12 November 1858 – 7 March 1918) was an English businessman and amateur sportsman, best known for
football and
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
. He played for the
Clapham Rovers
Clapham Rovers was from its foundation in 1869 a leading English sports organisation in the two dominant codes of football, association football and rugby union. It was a prominent club in the late 19th century but is now defunct. The club playe ...
when they won the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
in
1880 and was selected, but did not play, for
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
as an international.
Early life
![Shrewsbury Cemetery - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Shrewsbury_Cemetery_-_geograph.org.uk_-_79382.jpg)
He was born in
Hanwood
Hanwood is a large village in Shropshire, England.
It is located SW of Shrewsbury town centre, on the A488 road. The A5 is only a mile away. The Cambrian Line runs through the village but there is no longer a railway station here. It was clo ...
, Shropshire, the younger son of Charles Lloyd Jones (1828-1901), who was known as the squire of Hanwood, about three miles from
Shrewsbury. Like his father, his name was not hyphenated on his
birth certificate
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a person. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensui ...
; while commonly named as Lloyd-Jones in newspaper reports, he was also at other times named as C.A.L. Jones,
[Example report as "C.A.L. Jones".] rarely Clopton Jones.
[Example of report as "Clopton Jones".]
He studied at
Trent College
Trent College is a co-educational independent day and boarding school located in Long Eaton, Derbyshire between Nottingham and Derby. Founded in 1868 as a local ’middle class alternative’ to the more famous public schools, it is now a coedu ...
, where he was a boarder at the
1871 census, and was being reported as Lloyd-Jones by the time he left in 1875. He was one of two senior pupils who passed "Satisfied" at the Cambridge University Local Examinations of Christmas 1874 but he did not enter university.
Football career
School
Lloyd-Jones had been in the football XI at Trent College where he played against
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
and was described as the outstanding player on the field. He also won two athletics cups at the
school sports in 1875. He was described in the ''Trent College Magazine'' that year as "A wonderful goal getter, being fast, and able to kick in any position".
In London
After leaving Trent and arriving in London he played for; St Mary's,
Peckham, for which he was reported appearing in 1876 against the
1st Surrey Rifles
The 1st Surrey Rifles (often spelled out in full as First Surrey Rifles and abbreviated as FSR) was a volunteer unit of the British Army from 1859 until 1993. It saw considerable service on the Western Front, at Salonika and in Palestine during ...
at
Camberwell, scoring the first of his team's three goals;
Southill Park
Southill Park contains the site of late medieval Gastlings or Gastlyns Manor House and is the name given to a country house in Southill, Bedfordshire and its adjoining privately owned gardens and separate public parkland; it includes a lake and wo ...
(1877–78); the
Pilgrims of Tottenham in a match against the
Ramblers
The Ramblers is the trading name of the Ramblers Association, Great Britain's leading walking charity. The Ramblers is also a membership organisation with around 100,000 members and a network of volunteers who maintain and protect the path ...
in 1879;
Clapham Rovers
Clapham Rovers was from its foundation in 1869 a leading English sports organisation in the two dominant codes of football, association football and rugby union. It was a prominent club in the late 19th century but is now defunct. The club playe ...
(1879–84); the
Wanderers against
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
in December 1880, when he scored the first and last of his side's three winning goals, the third "kicked well with his left foot on to the goal post, off which it glanced through"; and the
Corinthians
The First Epistle to the Corinthians ( grc, Α΄ ᾽Επιστολὴ πρὸς Κορινθίους) is one of the Pauline epistles, part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-aut ...
in their opening season (in a single match against
Westminster School
(God Gives the Increase)
, established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, head_label = Hea ...
, 1882).
He played, without scoring, in representative inter-city association matches for London against: Sheffield (13 November 1878) at
Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane is a association football, football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United.
The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramal ...
;
Birmingham at
Kennington Oval
The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it ...
(27 November 1880), and
Aston Lower Grounds
Villa Park is a football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, England, with a seating capacity of 42,682. It has been the home of Premier League side Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witton and Aston railway stations ...
(5 February 1881); Edinburgh at the Oval (30 December 1882); Glasgow at
Hampden Park
Hampden Park (Scottish Gaelic: ''Pàirc Hampden''), often referred to as Hampden, is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The -capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland. It is the no ...
(20 January 1883); Birmingham at Aston (17 February 1883); the combined Oxford and Cambridge Universities at the Oval (24 March 1883); Nottinghamshire at the Oval (3 November 1883), and Glasgow at the Oval (13 December 1883).
Lloyd-Jones captained a 'fairly strong' scratch team called The Casuals against
Westminster School
(God Gives the Increase)
, established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, head_label = Hea ...
in November 1880, winning 3–2. His team were drawn from Clapham Rovers, Pilgrims,
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
,
Swifts and
Hawks
Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica.
* The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfamily a ...
, as well as including two players whose clubs were not noted.
He appeared with Clapham Rovers in the first two seasons of the
London Senior Cup
The London Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the London FA. The London Senior Cup was first won by Upton Park in 1882. Although the leading professional sides in London no longer compete, the Cup has been won in the past by the likes of Ar ...
, scoring the first of three winning goals to one against Old Etonians in round one in October 1882, and in the next season when he appeared through to the replayed losing fifth round against
Upton Park, the ultimate winner of the Cup's final, in 1883.
He appeared at county level in 1883 for Middlesex versus Essex, scoring one of his side's two goals to three, and versus Norfolk when he scored the first of his team's five winning goals, as well as for Surrey against Nottinghamshire, scoring one goal to seven.
F.A. Cup competitions
He had played for Southill Park, in losing first-round ties of the F.A. Cup against
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
in
1877 and the
Old Harrovians
The following is a list of some notable Old Harrovians, former pupils of Harrow School in the United Kingdom.
Politicians, civil servants, and royalty Civil servants, intelligence officers, and police
*Sir Alex Allan (born 1951), Chairman of ...
in
1878
Events January–March
* January 5 – Russo-Turkish War – Battle of Shipka Pass IV: Russian and Bulgarian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire.
* January 9 – Umberto I becomes King of Italy.
* January 17 – Battle o ...
captaining his team in the latter match.
He joined Clapham Rovers in time for the start of the
1879–80 season and took part in all the ties up to the Final. He appeared without scoring against
Romford
Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Historically, Romford ...
in the first round, scored two out of his team's four goals against Pilgrims, and two of their four goals against
South Norwood
South Norwood is a district of south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon, Greater London and formerly in the historic county of Surrey. It is located 7.8 miles (12.5 km) south-east of Charing Cross, north of Wood ...
in the third. In the fifth round, in February 1880 at Kennington Oval, against the Cup's then holders,
Old Etonians
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...
(who had beaten Clapham Rovers in the
previous Cup Final), he scored the only goal of the match, in the first half.
He returned to the Oval on 10 April, when as the
inside-forward
Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
or
winger he scored the only goal when Clapham Rovers won the Cup Final against
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
to deserve fully his description in the ''
Football Annual
__NOTOC__
The ''Football Annual'' was a reference work published annually from 1868 to 1908. It reported on the various codes of football played in England, and also provided some coverage of the other home nations, supplemented on occasion by r ...
'' for that year as 'A very neat dribbler and dangerous shot at goal; was invaluable in the Cup Ties.' In the first half, he attempted to score twice, with a shot from the left which glanced off a goalpost, and a centre kick downfield which was saved by the Oxford goalkeeper
Percival Parr
Percival Chase Parr (2 December 1859 – 3 September 1912) was an English footballer who earned one cap for the national team in 1882. Parr played club football usually as goalkeeper but later as centre-forward for Oxford University, taking part ...
. In the second half, six minutes before the close of time, the deadlock was broken when his teammate
Francis Sparks
Francis John Sparks (4 July 1855 – 13 February 1934) was an English amateur footballer, who played as a forward. He won the FA Cup in 1880 with Clapham Rovers and made three appearances for England, scoring three goals and being appointed ...
conducted the ball to within "about six yards of the University goal". Although Oxford's
Charles King attempted to stop the ball with a weak mis-kick, Lloyd-Jones, "who had followed well up shot it between the posts. This feat quite 'brought down the house.'" According to ''The Field'' magazine's report, there was "vociferous cheering, throwing up of hats, and other demonstrations of delight from their supporters." At the game's end, Lloyd-Jones, and his team captain
Robert Ogilvie
Robert Andrew Muter Macindoe Ogilvie (20 October 1852 – 7 March 1938) was an English footballer who made one appearance as a defender for England in 1874, and was a member of the Clapham Rovers team that won the 1880 FA Cup Final.
Football c ...
, were specially cheered by the crowd. At 21 years and 150 days Lloyd-Jones was the 'baby' of his team and the youngest Cup Final scorer in the event's then history.
He appeared for the Rovers in FA Cup ties for three further seasons. In the
1880–81 season, he scored one of his team's 15 goals to nil against
Finchley
Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. Finchley is on high ground, north of Charing Cross.
Nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, Mill Hill and H ...
in the first round. Early in the fourth round tie against
Upton Park (12 February 1881) he was injured. He recovered to appear, without scoring, in their losing fifth round tie against
Old Carthusians. He did not play at all during the 1881–82 season.
In that of
1882–83 he scored one of his team's seven goals against
Hanover United in second round (2 December 1882) and appeared in the third round against
Windsor Home Park
The Home Park, previously known as the Little Park (and originally Lydecroft Park), is a private Royal park, administered by the Crown Estate. It lies on the eastern side of Windsor Castle in the town and former civil parish of Windsor in the E ...
in the third (6 January 1883). In the fifth round, as in 1881, he appeared with his team against Old Carthusians again, scoring one of four goals to five, again on losing side. In his last London soccer season of
1883–84, he appeared in the second round against
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
and in the losing third round against
Swifts.
In Shropshire
After returning to Shropshire, Lloyd-Jones played with
Pontesbury
Pontesbury is a village and civil parish in Shropshire and is approximately eight miles southwest of Shrewsbury. In the 2011 census, the village had a population of 1,873 and the parish had a population of 3,227. The village of Minsterley is ju ...
's village football club in 1884, then towards the end of that year joined up with
Shrewsbury Castle Blues, playing mainly at inside-right. He made a reappearance in and for Pontesbury in February 1885 when they played at home to a visiting
Llanfyllin
Llanfyllin ( – ) is a market town, community and electoral ward in a sparsely populated area in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. Llanfyllin's community population in 2011 was 1,532, of whom 34.1% could speak Welsh. Llanfyllin means ''church or p ...
(Montgomeryshire) team, scoring the only goal in the match.
Already known as 'the crack forward of the Clapham Rovers', his joining the
Castle Blues was welcomed in the words of a football commentator writing in ''The Wellington Journal and Shrewsbury News'': "To any of my readers who would wish to see football, I would give the advice, 'See him play'. Some may perhaps consider his play a little selfish and that he does not pass enough, but that may be when he has not players by his side on whom he can depend, or who are anything of his own calibre."
The Castle Blues had become holders of the
Shropshire Senior Cup
The Shropshire Senior Cup is a county cup football competition that is open for professional and non-professional senior football teams in the English county of Shropshire.
The competition is one of the oldest cup competitions in the world, and ...
(then known as the County Cup) earlier in 1884, but Lloyd-Jones was unable to successfully add goals in further cup competitions the Castle Blues played. He played with them in the semi-final against St Georges F.C. (near Wellington) in February 1885, but they lost without him scoring. The next season (1885–86) he was in a losing second round tie for the
Birmingham Challenge Cup against
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
at Shrewsbury when the Blues lost 0–5, although he attempted to head a goal, in November 1885. He also appeared in a replayed but losing first round tie for the Shropshire Senior Cup against
Wellington Town
Telford United Football Club was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.
The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was a founder member of the Alliance Premier League (la ...
, and the replayed and losing third round of the
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the most ...
against
Newtown (
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as ''Maldwyn'' ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn meaning "the Shire of Baldwin's town"), is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after its county tow ...
) in January 1886, his last reported appearance in a match for the club.
The Blues disbanded voluntarily at the end of the latter season after some members (not including himself) were found guilty of violent and dangerous play (at matches where he was not present) and Lloyd-Jones ended his active football career. He continued to play on occasions in scratch teams formed by
Old Salopians
List of Old Salopians is a list of some of the many notable old boys of Shrewsbury School, a leading UK independent boarding and day school in Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, England.
Old Salopians
A
* Francis William Lauderdale Adams (1862 ...
to play the current pupil teams at
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury.
Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into the ...
, his last reported match being in March 1887.
He made one county appearance for Shropshire, against Denbighshire at
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
in January 1885, but muddy conditions made scoring impossible and it ended indecisively although an opponent attempted a late score judged two minutes out of time.
He was selected for Wales v England 1884–85 but unavailable. His selection for the
Wales national team came about because his parents were Welsh and Castle Blues were affiliated to the
Wales and Border Counties F.A.
In 1889 and 1890 he was on the committee of the Shropshire Amateur F.A. as one of Shrewsbury's representatives. In the former year he was also a member of the executive committee of the Shropshire Mayor's Charity Cup Association.
Other sports
Again from his days at Trent College, he was also a keen cricketer. He had played for the
Stock exchange
A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for th ...
XI and for Clapham Rovers who also ran a cricket section as well as fielding association and
rugby football
Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union and rugby league.
Canadian football and, to a lesser extent, American football were once considered forms of rugby football, but are seldom now referred to as such. The ...
teams. He later played at county level for
Herefordshire
Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire ...
in 1886–89,
Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
in 1887–89 and
Radnorshire
, HQ = Presteigne
, Government = Radnorshire County Council (1889–1974) Radnorshire District Council (1974–1996)
, Origin =
, Status = historic county, administrative county
, Start ...
in 1888. At Shrewsbury area club level he played for Abbey Foregate, Pontesbury, Montgomery and
Shrewsbury CC. He did not appear in
'first-class' matches, and he has not been found to have scored more than 40 runs, in a match for Pontesbury against
Condover
Condover is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is about south of the county town of Shrewsbury, and just east of the A49 road, A49. The Cound Brook flows through the village on its way from the Stret ...
's CC in 1886.
In 1892 Lloyd-Jones entered a
fancy dress
A costume party (American English) or fancy dress party (other varieties of English) is a type of party, common in contemporary Western culture, in which many of the guests are dressed in costume, usually depicting a fictional or stock chara ...
ball held by Shrewsbury Amateur Dramatic Society under the name of Clopton Jones and in the character of a member of 'Clapham Rovers C.C.'
The month after his
Cup final appearance he won two events, the mile and quarter-mile handicap races, at Clapham Rovers' annual athletic sports. He appeared at their sports again in 1883, when he won the obstacle race, came second in the 250 yards hurdle race, and third in the mile and the 120 yards handicaps, and entered but did not win four running events in 1884.
He was also a keen angler and good rifle shot.
Lloyd-Jones became a full member of the Severnside Bowling Club, Shrewsbury, in 1899 and was a player until 1916, winning the club's major annual trophy, the Allcroft Vase, and being runner-up for another, the Greene Challenge Cup, in 1911 He was on the committee 1901–14 and was elected a life member in 1912. He also became involved with the
Pengwern Boat Club, Shrewsbury, from 1885 though not as a competitive rower. He was on the club's committee at various times between 1888 and 1906 and was Deputy-Captain in 1896. In 1894 he was the starter at the club's annual athletics meeting.
He became a familiar sight in general Shrewsbury sporting circles and was involved as organising committee member, judge or more frequently starter at various local athletics events including the
Whit Monday
Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday, also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit, is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast in the Christian liturgical calendar. It is moveable because it is determined by the date of Easter. I ...
Fete between 1890 and 1908; starter (and in 1913 judge) at the annual Shropshire Constabulary Sports held from 1897, and those held on various commemorative occasions.
Personal life and death
Lloyd-Jones worked in London as an
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
broker (lodging in Hetherington Road,
Clapham
Clapham () is a suburb in south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (most notably Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth.
History
Early history
T ...
, in the
1881 census) but during 1884 returned to Shropshire and later moved into Shrewsbury where he set up as a commission agent, i.e. a
bookmaker
A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays off bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds.
History
The first bookmaker, Ogden, stood at Newmarket in 1795.
Range of events
Bookma ...
(
1891,
1901
Events
January
* January 1 – The Crown colony, British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and Western Australia Federation of Australia, federate as the Australia, ...
and
1911 census).
Lloyd-Jones married on 30 October 1894, at
St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury
St Chad's Church occupies a prominent position in Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire. The current church building was built in 1792, and with its distinctive round shape and high tower it is a well-known landmark in the town. It faces Th ...
, Sarah Emma Catherine (also known as Lily), daughter of Robert Everall, a Shrewsbury builder. The couple had four children who survived him.
[Obituary, which mentions his bowling and boat club activities but not his football and cricket.]
Lloyd-Jones died on 7 March 1918, aged 59, at his last home, Montreux, Belle Vue Gardens in Shrewsbury, after what was described as 'a long and painful illness',
from
cancer of the bladder. He was buried on 9 March in Shrewsbury's General Cemetery in Longden Road where, more recently in 2002, the Football League's all-time leading goalscorer,
Arthur Rowley
George Arthur Rowley Jr. (21 April 1926 – 19 December 2002), nicknamed "The Gunner" because of his explosive left-foot shot, was an English football player and cricketer. He holds the record for the most goals in the history of English lea ...
, was also buried. His headstone, in section 147, bears the Italian motto ''Godi tu che vinci'' – a translation of this being "Enjoy, you who win".
Honours
Clapham Rovers
*
1880 FA Cup Final: winner
At an auction in Bristol in 2008, his gold Cup winner's medal was sold for £4,200 by a descendant.
Antiques Trades Gazette report by Alex Capon, 1 June 2008.
References
* The Early FA Cup Finals by Keith Warsop, published by Tony Brown's Soccerdata imprint. This is the source for this article except where otherwise indicated above.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lloyd-Jones, Clopton
English footballers
English cricketers
Businesspeople from Shropshire
Sportspeople from Shropshire
Deaths from bladder cancer
1858 births
1918 deaths
People educated at Trent College
Corinthian F.C. players
Clapham Rovers F.C. players
Wanderers F.C. players
Association football forwards
Deaths from cancer in England
FA Cup Final players
19th-century English businesspeople