Jones, who’d been playing for Wakatipu, called a meeting in 1989 that revived the club which had been in recess since 1952.
He was then managing the New Orleans pub, which became the club’s first clubrooms and main sponsor.
However, he says the move divided his clientele because many, including the farming fraternity, were staunch Wakatipu supporters.
He admits the early years were "a real battle" just to field a team — they once picked up a hitchhiker on condition he played for them.
"A real discussion went on as to whether there was room for two clubs in the Basin — and of course there was."
And within about five years the club’s premiers side had taken the White Horse Cup off Wakatipu — "that was a massive occasion".
Jones played about 200 games for Arrowtown over 13 seasons and was an early president and on the committee till about 2005.
The club’s really grown over the years and matured, he notes.
Considering the players used to change in a garage at the old camping ground, sitting on 44 gallon drums, he says it was great to have new clubrooms open in 2019, at the time of its 30th jubilee.
Jones is the club’s fourth life member, after couple Lisa and Simon Spark and the late Ewen ‘Uge’ Edgerton.
