ANN JONES sometimes lies awake at night wondering what she or her husband can have done in a previous life to warrant the run of bad luck they have endured this year.

Over the past six months they have borne more cruel blows than many families suffer in a lifetime.

First, Ann's nephew died of a brain tumour at just 21. Next, her brother-in-law Peter was killed by a train in a freak accident.

And then Dave was interviewed by police over child abuse allegations.

His father saw it on Sky News while on holiday - and died of a stress-related illness within weeks. Dave Jones has since been charged with nine counts of abuse against teenagers.

Even through the tears Ann still manages to raise a smile adding: "How Saints stayed up last season with Dave's luck this year, I shall never know! "It has been an horrendous six months for all of us. I'm not a spiritual person but there must be a reason for it. Dave says it will make him stronger but it's hard to see how because he has already taken more knocks than most people could withstand.

"It is unlucky to lose someone to a brain tumour and the rail accident was really bizarre, the sort of thing that happens once in a blue moon. The funeral was delayed until we got back from holiday and as we were driving up to it we got a call from Merseyside Police asking if Dave could see them. "I know Dave blames that for the death of his father Bill who was on a family holiday and went into shock at the news.

"He came home five days later and within two days he was in hospital. He died a week later. A bowel burst and septicaemia set in. The doctor said it would have happened at some stage anyway but the shock brought it on more rapidly.

"As well as handling the police allegations Dave suddenly had to deal with his mum Pat who was devastated."

Fans have asked how Dave Jones has found the strength to cope - and steer a Premiership club to safety against all the odds.

The answer, according to his wife Ann, lies in the enormous strength of character gained from going through a more stressful crisis.

"He says his football is his sanity - and it comes to something when watching that lot keeps you sane! But I come home to an empty house and do the cleaning and the housework and there is no one to talk to so I can't get away from it."

Yet the problems the family face now were eclipsed by the fear the Joneses felt when they thought they might lose two of their children. Chloe was five when she had a miracle escape from a freak fairground accident which left her in hospital for three months and in pain for years afterwards.

Five years later baby Georgia was feared to be at death's door from a virus and by a bizarre quirk of fate ended up in the same bed of the same ward in the same Merseyside hospital where Chloe had fought for life!

Ann said: "It was August 2, 1990 and I took Chloe, Danielle and my niece Rebecca to a funfair at Southport. I hate fairgrounds but I looked at the Cyclone Twist and thought it seemed quite tame but the attendants did not close the bar properly.

"It whirled round and seemed to be totally out of control and suddenly Chloe literally flew past me. Luckily there was an ambulance on site and they put her in traction and rushed her to hospital. Dave was away at a youth tournament and knew nothing about it until he got home.

"Chloe was in horrendous pain for five years and even after that she would have to go into hospital as soon as the weather turned cold.

"Five years after it happened we were back with Georgia and again Dave was away, this time with Stockport.

"She was a baby and was lifeless in her cot. She could not stand up or anything so I rushed her to hospital. It took weeks of tests and painkillers before it was finally diagnosed as osteomylitis, a virus which gets into your joints. She is fine now, but it was a horrible scare with both of them."

Ann adds: "We've all been through a lot together and we'll be strong for the future too."

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