Former Billericay Town and West Ham United striker Steve Jones on the friendly that earned him his dream Premier League move

On August 1, 1992, Billericay took on the Hammers in a pre-season clash - and it proved to be an entertaining one.

The home side secured a 5-3 win, with striker Jones bagging all five of Town’s goals.

Jones, who is based in Laindon, says: “I had been on trial about a year before and Harry Redknapp asked what had happened to me.

“Him and Billy Bonds took a team to another club for a friendly, while Tony Carr brought a side to Billericay.

“I scored all five goals for Billericay that day.

“I remember one hit the underside of the crossbar and went in from 25 yards, I went around the goalkeeper for another and they had a decent side out.”

Just a matter of months after the friendly, Jones was signed by the Hammers in a deal worth £22,500, rising to £45,000 after making 20 appearances.

Dream move - Steve Jones joined West Ham United from Billericay Town in November 1992

But Jones enjoyed his time with Billericay, who he joined after impressing for the Basildon United reserves.

Jones, 47, added: “I started out at Basildon United, but then me and Mark Jenkins were taken to Billericay.

“We played under Peter Brabrook at Billericay and Willie Carrick at Basildon and they were great.

“Brabrook is obviously seen as a legend at West Ham and he left Billericay to go on and coach the West Ham side that won the FA Youth Cup in 1998.

“But my time at Billericay was outstanding. We had some good players and won the Essex Thameside Trophy. We also did well in the FA Vase and we might have done better but the team split up - which happens with most non-league sides.

“I can’t remember my goals record very well but I know I scored about one in every two games at Billericay.

“One year I scored three hat-tricks in a row in FA Cup ties. In the fourth qualifying round, I scored a hat-trick but we lost 4-3.”

Influential - Steve Jones with Hammers legend Billy Bonds

Jones’ move to West Ham allowed him to fulfil his dream.

The frontman was a Hammers fan, having watched the club he loves on the North Bank and South Bank at Upton Park.

And although Jones scored four goals in 16 appearances during his initial stint in east London - with his first strike coming in his First Division debut against Barnsley - there is one goal in particular that he is asked about on a daily basis.

Jones confirms: “I scored the opening goal when we won 4-1 at Tottenham Hotspur.

“I didn’t have to buy a single drink that night and I still get asked about that goal by West Ham fans every day.

“It was great seeing the Tottenham fans leaving because we were winning so comfortably.

“The stadium was almost empty by the end, while there were West Ham fans doing the conga at the other end!”

The Hammers won promotion to the Premier League at the end of Jones’ first season at the club.

But the striker made just three top flight starts before being sold to Bournemouth in October 1994.

Jones admits: “The move from West Ham to Bournemouth was probably the best of my career.

“They love me down there now because of what I did there during those two years and the loan spell that followed later in my career.”

Jones netted 25 goals in 74 league appearances for the Cherries, before the frontman moved back to Upton Park in January 1996.

The ex-Billericay man struggled for goals during his second spell with the club he loves and was sold just a year later to Charlton Athletic for £400,000.

Jones made a major impact at the Valley, helping the Addicks to win what is regarded as one of the greatest finals in play-off history.

Charlton won promotion to the Premier League thanks to overcoming Sunderland 7-6 on penalties after the match had finished 4-4 at Wembley, in 1998.

And Jones admits that, having started the final on the bench and Charlton gone 1-0 up, he was desperate for Sunderland to score.

Jones confesses: “I started the game on the bench because I think Alan Curbishley - who was the manager at the time - decided to go with Mark Bright due to his experience.

“We went 1-0 up and I knew that if it stayed like that, as an attacking player, it was unlikely that I would come on.

“But Sunderland scored two quick goals and I was brought on after about 50 minutes.

“I played well and played a big part in one of the goals.

“I’d say that is the best game of football ever seen at Wembley, but I guess you can’t beat the World Cup final in 1966!”

It was at Charlton that Jones struck up a real friendship with Clive Mendonca, who was the hat-trick hero at Wembley on that day.

“I still speak to Clive and I get on really well with him,” states Jones.

“But I also speak to quite a few others I played with.

“I still speak to Julian Dicks - who was in the West Ham team for that Billericay game - Kenny Brown, Frank Lampard Senior and Ian Bishop.

“I played with Slaven Bilic as well and I have spoken to him since he became West Ham manager.”

From Charlton, Jones went back on loan to Bournemouth before a permanent switch to Bristol City.

Loan spells at Brentford, Southend United and Wycombe Wanderers followed, before ending his career in non-league football with Hornchurch.

But Jones’ successful career may not have been possible without that high-scoring pre-season friendly.

‘Town fans are pinching themselves’

Former Billericay Town striker Steve Jones is full of admiration for the job being done by club owner Glenn Tamplin.

The multi-millionaire steel magnate took over the club in December last year, and installed himself as manager towards the end of last term.

Billericay go into the new Isthmian Premier League season, which gets underway on Saturday, as clear favourites for the title.

And Jones is confident that Tamplin will follow through on his promise of finishing top of the league this term.

Jones said: “Glenn has done a fantastic job at Billericay since coming in, and I really like him.

“He is so determined and passionate and it really does seem as though he will not let anyone stop him achieving his goals.

“He wears his heart on his sleeve as well, and I really like that.

“Glenn has got Billericay in the media as well and a lot of people are talking about the club.

“Billericay was known before but the club is really on the map now.”

Jermaine Pennant became the latest ex-Premier League star to make the move to the AGP Arena when he penned a deal last week.

The former Champions League finalist will now team up with Paul Konchesky and Jamie O’Hara, who also enjoyed extensive stints in English football’s top flight during their respective careers.

And Konchesky is someone who Jones knows from their time together at Charlton Athletic.

Jones, who is planning to release an autobiography next year, added: “I was at Charlton when Paul was very young and coming through the system at the club.

“He is a good player for the level Billericay are in and hopefully he helps them to win promotion.

“Billericay have a good team and the stadium looks great.

“The Billericay fans must be pinching themselves at the moment.”

Key player - Billericay Town left-back Paul Konchesky was coming through the ranks at Charlton Athletic while Steve Jones was at the Valley Picture: NICKY HAYES

Hammers’ latest signings excite former frontman

STEVE Jones believes that former team-mate Slaven Bilic has made some inspired signings during the summer transfer window.

Jones and Bilic joined West Ham United in January 1996 and the Croatian has since returned to east London as the Hammers’ manager.

Last season proved to be difficult for West Ham, but Jones believes that the club will do well in the Premier League this term after making some good signings.

Jones said: “I know Slaven well because we were team-mates at West Ham.

“When he came back as manager, he asked me to meet him for a cup of tea!

Former team-mates - Slaven Bilic and Steve Jones

“Unfortunately the signings were not great last season, but West Ham have brought in some really good players this time.

“Joe Hart is England’s number one and I’m hoping that Pablo Zabaleta can help Sam Byram because of all of his experience.

“I really like Marko Arnautovic, and I think he is probably the best of the four signings.

“He has passion and he is an exciting player.”

Javier Hernandez has also joined the Hammers in a £16million deal from Bayer Leverkusen.

Jones added: “I think Hernandez is a good signing.

“But he will need the service in order to score goals. If he gets chances, he will score.”

Ex-striker has Boleyn memories

FORMER West Ham United striker Steve Jones believes that the club should never have left their Boleyn Ground home.

The Hammers left Upton Park after calling it their home for 112 years following the 2015/16 season.

Slaven Bilic’s side struggled last season, in what was their first campaign at the London Stadium.

The Hammers suffered heavy home defeats to Watford, Southampton, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool last term.

And although Jones believes West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold could have looked at making changes to the Boleyn Ground before leaving their home behind, the ex-frontman thinks supporters need to look forward rather than dwelling on the past.

Jones, 47, said: “I never wanted to leave Upton Park.

“I felt that the owners could have done something, like make the pitch go lower, to make the stadium bigger and so there would have been no need for the move.

Old home - Steve Jones has good memories of the Boleyn Ground

“But there is no point dwelling on that now because the move has been made and although some people don’t like the new stadium, I think there is an atmosphere there.

“I was covering the Tottenham game towards the end of the season and the atmosphere was amazing.

“I was commentating on the game but I was cheering as well - I couldn’t help but get involved!

“The win over Chelsea in the League Cup was also a great atmosphere, apart from the unsavoury scenes towards the end.

“I think that the club needs to look at bringing the stands closer to the pitch though.”

As a lifelong Hammers fan, pulling on the claret and blue shirt and playing at the Boleyn Ground was a lifelong dream for Jones.

And Jones says becoming the first player to score in front of the Bobby Moore Stand will stay with him forever.

Jones added: “I scored the first goal in front of the Bobby Moore Stand at Upton Park.

“That might not be seen as a big thing by some people but it was to me because I was a West Ham fan growing up and it was a special moment for me.

“It was also an honour to play in the Bobby Moore memorial game after his death.

“But I am not mentioned in the game’s records at all for some reason, which is really disappointing.

“There are even pictures from the game with me in it!”

The Echo's role

STEVE Jones believes that the Echo played a major part in shaping his career on the pitch.

Jones enjoyed stints with Basildon United and Billericay Town as a youngster.

And the former striker, who went on to play in the top flight of English football, believes that coverage he got in the Echo played a big part in getting his name ‘out there’.

Jones said: “I think the Echo played a massive part in getting my name out there.

“Dick Marshall was a sports journalist at the Echo when I was at Billericay and he gave me a lot of coverage.

“He wrote about me scoring three hat-tricks in a row in the FA Cup, and I was on the front page as well as the back page.

“I think the Echo played a big part in my career.”