One Liverpool star never played for the club again after making the mistake of clocking his manager in the face
Joey Jones and Emlyn Hughes at the Moat House hotel to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 1977 Liverpool FC European Cup Final victory over Borussia Monchengladbach
Former Liverpool star Joey Jones [L] made the unfortunate mistake of accidentally punching manager Bob Paisley in the face(Image: Trinity Mirror Copyright)
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Former Liverpool star Joey Jones had no ill intent when he punched club legend Bob Paisley in the face. Nevertheless, the late Reds star was convinced his clash with a member of Anfield royalty was a significant factor in his exile.
Ex-Wales defender Jones, who joined Liverpool from Wrexham in 1975, had lost his place in the first team after Paisley promoted the likes of Alan Hansen and Tommy Smith. He had won two First Division titles, two European Cups and a UEFA Cup before slipping back down the pecking order.
By early 1978, Jones was already verging towards the end of his Anfield career. However, the breaking point occurred after he was taken off during an FA Cup showdown with Chelsea in January of that year, when a complete accident involving the manager appeared to have big consequences.
"I punched him, that's what I did," he once told LFC History. "It was accidental. I loved him like a father. It was a complete accident, but I didn't play for Liverpool after that! It was at Chelsea, an FA Cup tie. I had been switched to right-back to mark Clive Walker.
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"They thought I could mark wingers better than Phil Neal. We got battered at Chelsea. I hadn't had a good game anyway. Clive Walker scored two. You can still see it on YouTube. I felt I was no worse than anybody else. I was always really critical of my own performance, maybe too critical.
"I didn't feel I was any worse than anyone else on this particular day, but I got substituted. I remember the boss Bob Paisley throwing the tracksuit at me, 'Put that on.' Obviously, I was agitated and sweaty and had a few problems getting it on. I couldn't get my head all through the neck.
Liverpool manager Bob Paisley stands on the Anfield pitch, proudly displaying his haul from the 1980-81 season which included the European Cup (v Real Madrid in final), League Cup (v West Ham in final), Liverpool Senior Cup (v South Liverpool in final), Central league Trophy (reserves) and 16 bottles of Bell's whiskey as manager of the month and other special season awards during a photoshoot
Liverpool icon Paisley had a reputation for being a tough customer(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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"As I was sitting there struggling then all of a sudden my hand went straight through the sleeve and I felt my fist hit somebody's flesh. As my head came through I could see the boss rubbing his face. To this day I don't know if it is whether I punched him in the face or played c**p that I never played for Liverpool again after that. The following season I left."
Jones, who represented Wales on 72 occasions, returned to Wrexham later in 1978 for a record fee of £210,000. Remarkably, that remained the highest transfer fee the now-Championship club paid for almost half a century, until Ollie Palmer joined from AFC Wimbledon in a £300,000 move back in 2022.
He spent another four years in his home country before returning to England's top flight with Chelsea in 1982. Jones, who died at the age of 70 in July last year, later joined Huddersfield Town before embarking on one final stint with his beloved Wrexham, where he retired in 1992.
Joey Jones of Liverpool runs out of the tunnel during the 1976/77 season at Anfield
A 1978 FA Cup tie spelled the end of Jones' Reds career(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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As it turns out, hitting Paisley square in the face may not have been the only move that earned Jones an Anfield exit. He also got into a scrap with team-mate Ray Kennedy after treading on his foot while shadow-boxing, much to the chagrin of their manager.
"I hit him twice and we end up in this brawl," Jones once recalled of the encounter. "I remember Bob Paisley saying, 'Both of you can leave the club.' Obviously he thought more of Ray than me because it was me who left (laughs)."
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