“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing”— Pelé

In the football world, dedication and passion can take you to unimaginable heights. Just ask coach Ray Jones, the mastermind behind the resurgence of Devonshire Colts, who are set to take on North Village in Sunday’s showpiece FA Cup final.

Jones guided Colts from the dregs of the First Division to their current position and now stands on the precipice of a first major title in nearly two decades. His journey is a testament to the power of perseverance in the midst of adversity.

Such resilience, combined with a love for the beautiful game, led to his success. His unyielding loyalty to the forebears who laid the path allowed him to follow and eventually flourish.

Growing up in Smith’s Parish, Jones’ love affair with football began on the bumpy, well-worn pitches at Frog Lane Field, well before the land was annexed to be converted to what is now the National Sports Centre’s lush North Field.

He joined Colts’ youth programme as an ambitious, attack-minded youngster, with dreams of emulating heroic figures like Lorenzo Symonds, James [Jimmy] Tweed, Roydon Holdipp and Jeff Richardson, who had stamped the club as a league powerhouse.

Jones, along with talented teenage peers Shannon Burgess, Jay Bean and a younger Vic Ball Jr, propelled through the ranks, earning coveted spots among the senior squad.

Burgess, Bean, and Ball each went on to star at senior level, with Burgess eventually captaining Bermuda.

Just as Burgess had in attending Howard University, Jones took the college route. He starred at Longwood University and was a two-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division II All-American. He earned first-team honours as a freshman in 1987 and again as a sophomore in 1988.

As a striker, Jones broke, and still owns, nearly every school scoring record. This success earned him a place in the Virginia institution’s Hall of Fame.

Injuries interrupted his college career, but upon returning home, hope for continued excellence remained. That hope turned to despair during an evening training session, when a collision between Jones and Tweed left Jones in a crumpled heap, his left leg broken.

Even as his vision, leadership, and cunning on the pitch remained, Jones was never again the same player, his body unable to carry out the mind’s intent.

“I had some knee injuries in college, and when I graduated and came back to play for the Colts, I broke my left leg,” Jones said. “To overcome those injuries made me a stronger person and showed me I can overcome anything and achieve anything.”

Jones originally dabbled in coaching while rehabbing from injury in college. After the training incident, it was natural he’d do so again.

“I started coaching when I got injured in college,” he said. “While I was injured, I helped coach the team in the off-season and it appeared I had a knack for it.

“I like to teach young people about football. I enjoy seeing the game plan being executed after working on it all week.”

Said former team-mate Ball of Jones, the coach: “Not everyone has the skill set he has. Ray is a coach with the rare ability to get deep inside one’s head.

“Not many coaches can coach your mentality, san dig deep inside and pull out the best in a player. He has that gift.”

Not only Ball, but Colts also recognised his value and incorporated his talents among the organisation’s coaching ranks.

Jones' infectious energy and deep understanding of the game helped propel him up the coaching ladder. He guided Colts’ youth teams to multiple tournament successes. This eventually earned him a call-up to the senior club’s coaching staff.

Unfortunately, Colts’ senior side was in decline. The club, which had been a glamour side throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, lost its position and by the mid-2000s was relegated to what is now the First Division.

When Jones was installed as head coach amid this crisis, he stepped into a situation in disarray and had to take on numerous roles.

Nevertheless, the 2006-07 season saw Colts pull off the unthinkable, claiming a rare treble as Jones guided his charges to league, Shield, and FA Cup glory while being promoted.

“When I first started, I was coach, equipment manager, medic, and team administrator. I had to do it all,” he said. “Now I have a team with two assistant coaches, a goalkeeper coach, an equipment and technology manager, a team administrator, a fitness coach, and a sports science team.

“This allows me to really focus on team tactics and player management. We also use technology today, which makes the players more receptive to the information they receive.”

Reflecting on those years, Jones said, “What we did in 2006-07 was one of three achievements that have not been achieved before or since. The others are being part of Kyle Lightbourne's coaching staff that qualified Bermuda for its first and only Gold Cup, and the perfect season of 2023-24. I’m proud of all three accomplishments.”

Added Ball: “Ray has done a lot for football. He has done a lot for the Colts and for Bermuda football, both internationally and overall. He’s never wavered in his commitment and has given his all to helping to better the game of football, whether it be at senior or youth level.”

Inexplicably, Jones was not named First Division Coach of the Year following Colts’ distinguished unbeaten run in 2023-24, with Tori Davis being awarded the honour.

Asked whether the snub fuelled his mission since, Jones said it did not change his approach or goals and emphasised that team success outweighs personal ambition.

Sunday is a chance to reach an unexpected summit and bring glory to a long-disregarded fanbase. But for the coach, simply making the final is not enough; only victory satisfies the woebegotten.

“I never started coaching for personal accolades, so I don’t lose sleep over it,” he said of the award slight. “We have been working on a plan for the past four years to put us in this position.

“We were not building a team for promotion but a team for success in the top flight.

“It would be great to win the club's first major trophy in 19 years. It would be huge for the Colts' fanbase, which has stuck with the club during its darkest years.

“Silverware is how we are grading ourselves, so no silverware, then not a successful season.”