Joe Mercer
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Joseph Mercer | ||
Date of birth | 9 August 1914 | ||
Place of birth | Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England | ||
Date of death | 9 August 1990 | (aged 76)||
Place of death | England | ||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Left half | ||
Youth career | |||
Ellesmere Port Town | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1932–1946 | Everton | 186 | (2) |
1946–1955 | Arsenal | 247 | (2) |
Total | 433 | (4) | |
International career | |||
1938–1939 | England | 5 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
1955–1958 | Sheffield United | ||
1958–1964 | Aston Villa | ||
1965–1971 | Manchester City | ||
1972–1974 | Coventry City | ||
1974 | England (caretaker) | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Joseph Mercer
Playing career
Mercer was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the son of a former Nottingham Forest and Tranmere Rovers footballer, also named Joe.[6] His father died following health problems resulting from a gas attack during the Great War, when Mercer was only 12.[7]
Mercer, a left-half, first played for Ellesmere Port Town. He was a powerful tackler and good at anticipating an opponent's moves. He joined Everton in September 1932 at the age of 18 and claimed a regular first team place in the 1935–36 season. Mercer made 186 appearances for Everton, scoring two goals and a winning a League championship medal in the 1938–39 season. While playing for Everton, he gained five England caps between 1938 and 1939.[2]
Like many players of his generation, Mercer lost out on seven seasons of football due to the Second World War. He became a sergeant-major and played in 26 wartime internationals, many of them as captain. The Everton manager Theo Kelly accused Mercer of not trying in an international against Scotland,[when?] but in reality, Mercer had sustained a severe cartilage injury. Even after consulting an orthopaedic specialist, the Everton management refused to believe him and Mercer had to pay for the surgery himself. During the war, Mercer guested for Chester City, making his debut in a 4–1 win over Halifax Town in September 1942.[8]
Mercer moved in late 1946 for £9,000 (2022: £471,362) to Arsenal, commuting from Liverpool; Kelly brought Mercer's boots to the transfer negotiations to prevent Mercer having a reason to go back to say goodbye to the other players at Everton.[9] He made his Arsenal debut against Bolton Wanderers on 30 November 1946 and soon after joining Arsenal, Mercer became club captain. As captain, he led Arsenal through their period of success in the late 1940s and early 1950s, helping to haul his side from the lower end of the table to win a League championship title in the 1947–48 season.[3]
Mercer went on to win an
Managerial career
After his playing career ended, Mercer spent a little over a year working as a journalist and a grocer. His wife's family had encouraged him to become involved in grocery during his time at Everton and, while still Arsenal's captain, he ran his grocery business from 105 to 107 Brighton Street, Wallasey.[10]
On 18 August 1955, he returned to football, becoming manager of Sheffield United two days before their first game of the season against Newcastle United. Mercer was appointed to replace manager Reg Freeman who had died during the close season. As a manager, he began inauspiciously and his first season ended in relegation.[citation needed]
The rest of his time as manager was spent in the Second Division and in December 1958, wanting to move to another club, he resigned and moved to Aston Villa who were bottom of the First Division. Although he led them to the FA Cup semi-finals, he was relegated to Second Division once again. He moulded a talented young side at Villa and his team became known as the "Mercer Minors". He led Villa to victory in the inaugural League Cup in 1961, but suffered a stroke in 1964 and was then sacked by the Aston Villa board upon his recovery.[11]
Despite this, his health improved and he went on to enjoy great success as a manager with Manchester City between 1965 and 1971. In his first season at Maine Road, the club won the 1966 Second Division title to regain top-flight status. Two seasons later, Mercer led Manchester City to the 1967–68 First Division championship, and went on to win the 1969 FA Cup, the 1970 League Cup, and the 1970 European Cup Winners' Cup.[4]
In the 1970–71 season, Mercer had a dispute with his assistant Malcolm Allison, after the two men became embroiled in Manchester City's takeover battle. Mercer supported the existing board, led by the respected Albert Alexander Sr., while Allison supported the rival group led by Peter Swales after being promised that he would be manager in his own right.[12]
The takeover succeeded, and Mercer was shocked to discover that his car parking space and office were removed. This led to Mercer moving upstairs to become general manager at Manchester City in October 1971, with Allison taking over as team manager. Mercer left Manchester City at the end of the season and became manager of
Later life
After quitting as Coventry City boss, he served as a director of the club from 1975 to his retirement in 1981. He was also an active
He is commemorated by his old club Manchester City with the road Joe Mercer Way at the City of Manchester Stadium being named after him. On the road, there are two mosaics by renowned Manchester artist Mark Kennedy of Mercer; one shows his smiling face lifting the League Championship trophy; the other is a version of a famous photograph showing the back of him as he looks out over the Maine Road pitch towards the Kippax Stand.[17] His contribution to City was commemorated in the Kippax tribute still sung at the City of Manchester Stadium to the tune of Auld Lang Syne: "The Stretford End cried out aloud: 'It's the end of you Sky Blues.' Joe Mercer came. We played the game. We went to Rotherham United, we won 1–0 and we were back into Division One. We've won the League, we've won the Cup, we've been to Europe too. And when we win the League again we'll sing this song to you: City, City, City."[18]
At Maine Road, a corporate suite, the Joe Mercer Suite, was officially opened by his widow Norah in 1993. A similar facility named after him exists at Goodison. In 1993, Mercer's official biography, Football with a Smile, was written by Gary James. This book sold out within six months and was revised and re-published early in 2010.[19] Mercer is also featured upon the mural that surrounds the Emirates Stadium.[20] Mercer was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame at the National Football Museum in Preston on 4 July 2009. He was inducted for his managerial success.[21]
Honours
As a player
- Everton[2]
- Arsenal[3]
As a manager
- Aston Villa
- Manchester City[4]
- First Division: 1967–68
- Second Division: 1965–66
- FA Cup: 1968–69
- Football League Cup: 1969–70
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1969–70
- FA Charity Shield: 1968; runner-up: 1969
- England[5]
- British Home Championship: 1973–74 (shared)
Individual
- English Football Hall of Fame: 2009[21]
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 1949–50[22]
Managerial statistics
Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
Sheffield United | August 1955 | December 1958 | 156 | 64 | 35 | 57 | 41.0 | |
Aston Villa | December 1958 | July 1964 | 282 | 120 | 63 | 99 | 42.6 | |
Manchester City | July 1965 | October 1971 | 292 | 124 | 82 | 86 | 42.5 | |
Coventry City | June 1972 | May 1974 | 90 | 29 | 22 | 39 | 32.2 | |
England (caretaker) | May 1974 | June 1974 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 42.9 |
See also
- List of English football championship winning managers
References
- ^ "Everton. Not stampeded". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. iv – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Joe Mercer Profile". Everton FC.com.
- ^ a b c d "Joe Mercer". Arsenal.com. 6 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Curtis, Simon (30 July 2014). "Joe Mercer's Manchester City legacy". ESPN FC.com. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- ^ a b c Bagchi, Rob (11 October 2012). "The forgotten story of … England under Joe Mercer". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- ^ Mike Royden. "Joe Mercer and the Football Battalion" (PDF). Roydenhistory.co.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
- ISBN 0-9514862-9-2.
- ISBN 1-874427-52-6.
- ISBN 0-330-42006-2
- ISBN 0-9514862-9-2.
- ISBN 1-84018-687-9.
- ISBN 0-9514862-9-2.
- ^ "Anfield Lodge No. 2215". Woolton Group of Lodges and Chapters. 15 October 2017. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
- ISBN 0-9514862-9-2.
- ^ "Widow of Manchester City legend Joe Mercer tells the M.E.N. of her delight that the Blues have finally repeated her husband's title glory". Manchester Evening News. 17 May 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- ^ "Legends pay respects to Joe's 'shining light'". Manchester Evening News. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-9558127-0-5.
- ^ "The forgotten story of … England under Joe Mercer". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "JOE MERCER, OBE – FOOTBALL WITH A SMILE". James Ward. Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
- ^ "Heroes Together". 6 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Latest news – Hall of Fame 2009". National Football Museum. Archived from the original on 13 July 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
- ^ "Mercer leads Arsenal to FA Cup win". Arsenal.com. 6 April 2024.
Bibliography
- Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.). Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. ISBN 1-899429-03-4.
External links
- Joe Mercer at Soccerbase
- Joe Mercer management career statistics at Soccerbase