Vinnie Jones

Vincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones (born 5 January 1965) is a British actor and former professional footballer. Born in Watford, Hertfordshire, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. As a member of the "Crazy Gang", Jones won the 1988 FA Cup Final with Wimbledon, a club for which he played well over 200 games during two spells between 1986 and 1998. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. Jones appeared in Celebrity Big Brother 2010, where he finished in third place behind Dane Bowers and Alex Reid. He has capitalised on his tough man image as a footballer and is known as an actor for his aggressive style and intimidating demeanour, often being typecast into roles as coaches, hooligans and violent criminals. --- Jones was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, to Peter (a gamekeeper) and Glenda (née Harris) Jones, and attended Chancellor's School in Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire. Jones started his football career in 1984 at Alliance Premier League side Wealdstone, during which time he combined playing football with being a hod carrier. He played one season with Swedish club IFK Holmsund in 1986 and helped the team to a victory in Division 3. In the autumn of 1986, Jones moved to Wimbledon for £10,000. He was part of the 'Crazy Gang' team that won the 1988 FA Cup Final against Liverpool, the dominant English side of that era. He was transferred to Leeds United in the summer of 1989, where he was part of a young side under the management of Howard Wilkinson. During his time there, he won promotion to the old Division One from the Second Division. After helping them win promotion to the top-flight as champions of the Second Division, Jones proved that he could thrive without the illegal side of his game, and under the stewardship of Wilkinson, he received only three yellow cards in the whole season. Jones left Leeds United early in the 1990-91 season after losing his first-team place to youngsters David Batty and Gary Speed, as well as new signing Gary McAllister - much to the disappointment of the Leeds fans - in order to seek regular first-team football. To this day, he remains a hugely popular figure with the Leeds fans; Jones has a Leeds United badge tattooed on his leg (after having helped them to the 1989-90 Second Division championship). Jones also showed his passion for the club when he returned to Leeds for Lucas Radebe's testimonial in 2006. His former Wimbledon manager Dave Bassett signed him for Sheffield United on his exit from Elland Road, before selling him to Chelsea a year later. After just one year at Stamford Bridge, he was on his way back to Wimbledon, where he stayed until becoming player/coach of QPR in 1998, scoring on his debut against Huddersfield Town. Jones was once rumoured to take the vacant managers post at QPR but that failed. --- He made his debut for Wales on 14 December 1994, three weeks before his 30th birthday, in a 3-0 home defeat to Bulgaria in the Euro 96 qualifiers. The last of his nine caps came on 29 March 1997 in a 2-1 defeat to Belgium in a World Cup qualifier, also at Cardiff Arms Park. Jones's international call-up was however greeted with consternation and even ridiculed by Jimmy Greaves, who said, "Well, stone me! We've had cocaine, bribery and Arsenal scoring two goals at home. But just when you thought there were truly no surprises left in football, Vinnie Jones turns out to be an international player!". --- Jones made his 1998 feature film debut in Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. He later starred in Guy Ritchie's next blockbuster Snatch as Bullet-Tooth Tony. He became known to American audiences in the 2000 film remake of Gone in 60 Seconds, where he played "the Sphinx." Although Jones had a major role as well as significant on-screen time, he only had one line in the entire film, as his character was portrayed as a silent tough brawler. --- During his football career Jones resided in Dronfield, near Sheffield. Jones married Tanya Terry (b. 1966) in 1994 in Watford. She has a daughter by her first husband, footballer Steve Terry. His son joined the British Army, completing his training in August 2008, and serves in the Life Guards. Jones, his wife, and her daughter live in Los Angeles.