The signing of Mark Jones in the Autumn of 2008 got Dale
fans in something of a flutter. Armed with a whole host of
Youtube wonder goals as evidence, fans were ecstatic at the
signing of a highly rated creative midfielder who could
seemingly score goals from anywhere he chose. He signed
for Dale having spent all of his career at Wrexham up until
that point. His career had dwindled as the Dragons raced
towards relegation, but it hadn't stopped former team mate
Darren Ferguson trying to sign him for Peterboro in the
Summer. That move would have gone through had it not been
for a fractured cheekbone sustained at the hands of a
baseball bat. After hanging on for Jones to regain his
fitness, Posh lost patience and withdraw their contract
offer.
His pedigree made him the perfect Dale signing. His CV
could have been a Keith Hill wishlist. A proper footballer,
versatile, highly rated, yet one who had lost his way in the
past couple of years and needed a boost to his career which
looked on paper to be on the decline - the archetypal broken
toy. And not only that, it was one who was a full
international.
But for one reason and another, it never quite got going
for Jonah number two at Spotland, and his time at the club
was ultimately one of disappointment as he failed to live up
to the hype and expectation that accompanied his signing.
Critics may well point out that he was somewhat underused
throughout the season, with just nine league appearances to
his name during that time but fitness issues ultimately
robbed him of that chance to make a name for himself at
Spotland.
When released from Dale, it didn't take him long to get
fitted up with a new club, as he returned to his old side
Wrexham who were happy to have him back in the books, though
his fitness issues were noted as a concern by new boss Dean
Saunders who was well aware of Jones through his Welsh FA
commitments.
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