After seven days of voting it’s now time to announce the winner of the fans unofficial Player Of The Year. The choices were, the front two of Steve Jones and Dean Ashton, two midfield men Dave Brammer and Kenny Lunt, winger David Vaughan, defenders David Wright and Steve Foster and goalkeeper Clayton Ince.
There was no doubt about the winner though. After 120 votes and with a 27 vote margain, the winner is…….
1st - Steve Jones
The 27 year old arrived from Leigh RMI in summer 2001. Loaned to Rochdale after failing to prove his worth, Jones had 1 season to proved the £150,000 Dario paid for the Irishman wasn’t to be be a wasted £150,00.
In Division Two he finally got his chance and on his home debut, in October 2002, he scored the 2 winning goals in the 2-0 win over QPR. Jonah ended 2002 with 4 goals in 11 starts for the Alex and was quick becoming a fans favourite. He soon got on his way to securing the fans faith in him during a spell where he was the Alex’s most proven striker who was fit, in January 2003. The third game of the year saw the Alex travel to Colchester United, somehow the high-flying Alex were 1-0 down at half time and hopes of moving into 2nd place were fast evaporating.
Jones soon put that right. Two goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half saw us cruise into the 2nd spot. Jonah first showed he had an eye for goal from outside the box, as well. From down the right wing he cut in down the edge of the area and curled a 25 yard screamer into the top left corner. 5 minutes later saw him complete the come back when he smelt panic in the Colchester defence, running onto a back pass to roll the ball past the keeper.
Jonah followed up them two goals with two more in the next two games. Jones opened the score at home to Bournemouth in the FA Cup, which we lost 4-1 on penalties, and then secured another 3 points at home to Huddersfield. After huffing and puffing for 90 minutes it seemed bottom of the league Huddersfield were standing strong until Jones hit a rebound from a Hulse header.
His season was marred with injury, breaking his cheekbone as he fell into the advertising board at home to Wycombe and a dreadful two footed, from behind, tackle by Wigan’s Tony Dinning saw Jonah in and out of the squad. He recorded just two more goals in the season that saw Crewe promoted back to the 1st Division. Two at home to Northampton twice put us ahead but somehow we drew the game 3-3 and possibly the quickest goal of the season at Notts County saw Jones score within 30 seconds of kick-off.
He finished the season on 11 goals and was improving by the match. Whether he could do it in the first division was the worry on the fans lips. With Hulse leaving and Rodney Jack being released it seemed Jonah’s ‘back-up’ was leaving him and with a failed bid for Shrewsbury’s Luke Rodgers all eyes were on Steve Jones and Dean Ashton to prove the deadly strike force.
The first Division One game of the season saw Steve Jones up front with James Robinson, who was in for the injured Ashton. Neither threatened as Jones looked to be punching above his weight. Cynics wanted to say they were proved right when Jones only scored one goal in his first 4 games, and that was a curling lob from 25 yards against Wrexham - 2nd division opposition, in the Carling Cup.
Jones was just starting to find his feet as he bundled home his first Division One goal of his career as he steered Crewe home to a 1-0 victory over, the yet unbeaten, Walsall. Three games later he got his 2nd of the season as he headed home the 3rd against Forest, in a 3-1 win. Two games later his 3rd as he put us 1-0 ahead against Bradford with a superb solo effort as he beat 2 defenders and rounded the keeper.
The cynics were being proved wrong as Jones showed improvements every game. More of an all round striker he bundled home the opener in a 1-1 draw at Stoke. Next match he rounded the Reading keeper to secure another 3 points in a 1-0 win. He notched up his 6th goal of the season showing some cool calm play and threatening runs as him and Ashton were proving the deadly partnership.
Two disappointing 2-0 defeats to Gillingham and Sheff Utd didn’t put the Derry Dasher off. He proved his class as he notched two more goals against Sunderland. By far his best month in a Alex shirt was December 2003.
With 8 goals to his name by December an extra 5 goals went far enough to book his place in Alex history. The opener at home to Gillingham, in a 1-1 draw, was joined with the Alex’s 2nd of the game at West Brom as Jones put us 2-1 up against the league leaders, slack defending saw us draw 2-2. The same could be said for the game against Wigan. After Wigan went ahead it was Billy Jones and his wonder goal who brought us back level before Jonah himself put us 2-1 ahead after staying cool to go one on one with the keeper before slotting it past him. More slack defending saw us lose 3-2 in that unbelievable game.
Jonah scored his last of 2003 with 2 against Burnley on boxing day. After Ashton scored his 10th of the season Jones used the defensive f*ck up of the year to his advantage after the ball rebounded 3 times off two defenders it rolled free on the edge of the area for Jones to just chip round the keeper. Burnley pulled one back with a penalty but at 2-1 they threw 9 men forward and Jones found it all too easy to run onto a free ball on the 89th minute and score his 13th of the season
Jones goes into the record books for scoring more than any one player for Crewe in this division. Well I lie, but he’s one away from doing it. The most scored in this division, in one season, by any one player is Hulse with 13 and Steve Jones is well on his way to, maybe, doubling that.
With over a 25 vote gap Jones was the clear winner and not just for his goals but coming on from a fairly average Division Two winger to one of the best Division One strikers. For £150,000 Jones is still improving with every game and is certainly a fans favourite and fully deserves to be named the CreweAlex.com Player Of The Year!
CreweAlex.com Player of 2003 final standings:
1st Steve Jones
2nd Clayton Ince
= Kenny Lunt
4th David Wright
5th David Vaughan
= Steve Foster
7th Dean Ashton
8th Dave Brammer
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