REMEMBERING RAY
Sunday 26th August 2007
by Simon Skinner

The news that Ray Jones had been tragically killed in a car crash greeted us en route to Burnley and there was a shocked silence in the car. It was difficult to get your head around at first. That a player who Ron and I have had the pleasure of watching since he first arrived in the Rangers youth team had been lost in such terrible circumstances.

I can remember quite vividly the first time we saw Ray; it was an Under 18’s game against Swindon Town at the Twyford training ground. We were staggered by the size of this kid that Joe Gallen and his team had plucked from Sunday league football in Essex. He was bigger that Big Pat and so we christened him Giant Ray from that day and the name stuck with us! 

All through his career at that level you could see he had something about him. A great touch; brave as a lion and with a great knack of scoring goals. He formed a brilliant partnership with Shabazz as that team set about dismantling many a side that they came up against. 

There is always a real sense of pride when you see a kid from the youth team make his first team debut and when he climbed off the bench against Watford at the back end of the 05/06 season you couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. He got another run out against Reading on the final day of the season and made a goal for Furlong. Ray Jones had arrived. 

His first senior goal came with a brilliantly placed header against Northampton Town to win a pulsating Carling Cup tie in the 87^th minute. His first league goal came in John Gregory’s first game against Hull City. He ended up with six in total, including a coolly taken last minute winner at Ninian Park in front of the Sky cameras. He found himself out of favour in the latter part of the season but forced his way back into the first team reckoning at the business end of the campaign. 

He was injured in pre season and the kicker is that had he not been injured then he would not have been out with his pals on Friday night as he would have been in Burnley with the squad. Ray Jones’ memory will be preserved in the minds of the R’s fans, despite him making less than 40 appearances for the club, he had made his mark, he had served notice of his potential and he had won countless admirers on the terraces. 

Our thoughts at this sad time are with his family and friends and those of the other lads tragically killed in the accident. It is always sad when a life is snuffed out but it always seems doubly so when it is one that has barely had a chance to get going.

We’ll miss you big man.