and later at a local cinema, eventually being promoted to manager. Ford was encouraged into football by his father who would buy him a new football and boots for each birthday. He grew up in the Townhill district of the city and attended Powys Avenue School as a child, captaining the school's football side as a centre-half. Ford's father would often make him practice his football for two hours each day, using a tennis ball on his stronger right foot to improve control. He would also soak a leather football in water and make him wear an ordinary plimsoll on his stronger foot to stop Ford kicking the heavy ball with it. After moving into secondary school, Ford met teacher David Benyon, who was a prominent figure in youth football in the area and included him in the Swansea boys team he managed. Ford was selected to represent Wales at under-14 level in a series of matches against the other home nations of Britain but suffered a broken ankle in a match for his school side just days before the first scheduled fixture against Scotland. Although distraught at missing out, he became determined to return to action as soon as possible and returned to playing football and cricket soon after. At the age of 14, Ford was chosen to represent Wales against a London Schools under-15 side as a bowler, playing alongside his future Wales and Cardiff City teammate Alf Sherwood in the side, himself a keen cricketer. Ford left school at the age of 15 and began working as a "bogie boy" at a local blast furnace, a job that involved transporting hot shells out of the furnace ready to be shaped into steel tubes, earning 35 shillings a week in wages. After paying his lodge at his parents' home, Ford would often use his remaining money to attend Swansea Town matches at Vetch Field. He later joined the army to complete his wartime service, serving as a physical training instructor in the Royal Artillery and, in the latter stages of the Second World War, was an anti-aircraft gunner. Club career Early career Ford's first step into organised team football came with local Swansea based side Tower United, joining the club at the age of 15 as a full-back. Despite his young age, he played for the senior men's side in local amateur leagues where he attracted scouts from