Joe Mercer

Infobox Football biography
playername = Joe Mercer
fullname = Joseph Mercer
dateofbirth = 9 August 1914
cityofbirth = Ellesmere Port, Cheshire
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1990|8|9|1914|8|9|df=y
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath = England
position = Left half
youthyears =
youthclubs = Ellesmere Port
years = 1932-1946 1946-1955
clubs = Everton Arsenal
caps(goals) = 170 (1) 247 (2)
nationalyears = 1938-1939
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 5 (0)
manageryears = 1955-1958 1958-1964 1965-1972 1972-1974 1974
managerclubs = Sheffield United Aston Villa Manchester City Coventry City England (caretaker)

Joseph 'Joe' Mercer, OBE (9 August 1914 - 9 August 1990) was an English football player and manager.

Playing career

Mercer was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the son of a former Nottingham Forest and Tranmere Rovers footballer, also named Joe. [cite book |last=Penney |first=Ian |title=The Maine Road Encyclopedia |publisher=Mainstream |location=Edinburgh |year=1995 |id= ISBN 1-85158-710-1 p135] The junior Mercer, a left-half, first played for Ellesmere Port. 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.

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, 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, making his debut in a 4–1 win over Halifax Town in September 1942 [cite book | author=Chas Sumner | title=On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City 1885-1997 | year=1997| pages= p.59 |id=ISBN 1-874427-52-6] .

Mercer moved in late 1946 for £9,000 to Arsenal, commuting from Liverpool; Theo 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 [Corbett, James (2003); p104 "Everton:School of Science" publ by MacMillan ISBN 0330420062] . 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 1947-48.

Mercer went on to win an FA Cup winner's medal in 1950 and was voted FWA Footballer of the Year the same year. He led Arsenal to Cup final in 1952, which they lost 1-0 to Newcastle United, but the following year bounced back to win his third League title with Arsenal winning the 1952-53 League Championship on goal average. Mercer initially decided to retire in May 1953, but soon recanted and returned to Arsenal for the 1953-54 season. However, he broke his leg in two places after a collision with team-mate Joe Wade in a match against Liverpool on 10 April 1954, and finally called time on his footballing career the year after. Mercer played 275 times for Arsenal in all, scoring two goals.

Managerial career

After his playing career ended Mercer spent a little over a year working as a grocer. [Penney, p137] 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; despite Mercer buying Derek Pace, who would go on to become a hero at Sheffield United, from Aston Villa for £12,000 on 26 December 1957.

The rest of his time as manager was spent in the Second Division and in December 1958, wanting to move to a bigger 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 Division Two for a second time. 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. [cite book |last=Clayton |first=David |title=Everything under the blue moon: the complete book of Manchester City FC - and more! |publisher=Mainstream publishing |location=Edinburgh |year=2002 |id=ISBN 1-84018-687-9]

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 1968 First Division championship, and went on to win the FA Cup (1969), League Cup (1970), and European Cup Winners' Cup (1970).

In 1971 Mercer had a dispute with his assistant Malcolm Allison, who wished to have more influence. This led to Mercer's departure to become manager of Coventry City, whom he managed from 1972 to 1974. During the same time Mercer was also caretaker manager of the England national football team for a brief period in 1974 after Sir Alf Ramsey's resignation. He was in charge for seven matches, during which time England won the 1974 British Home Championship title (shared with Scotland); in total Mercer was in charge for seven games — winning three, drawing three and losing one.

After quitting as Coventry City boss, he served as a director of the club from 1975 to his retirement in 1981. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to football in 1976. He died on his 76th birthday in 1990 after suffering a stroke.

Honours

As a player

Everton
*FA Charity Shield winner: 1932
*FA Cup winner: 1933
*FA Charity Shield runner-up: 1933

Arsenal
*First Division Title winner: 1947–48, 1952–53
*FA Charity Shield winner: 1948
*FA Cup winner: 1950
*FA Cup runner-up: 1952
*FA Charity Shield winner: 1953

As a manager

Aston Villa
*Second Division Title winner: 1959–60
*Football League Cup winner: 1960–61

Manchester City
*Second Division Title winner: 1965–66
*First Division Title winner: 1967–68
*FA Charity Shield winner: 1968
*FA Cup winner: 1969
*FA Charity Shield runner-up: 1969
*Football League Cup winner: 1969–70
*European Cup Winners' Cup winner: 1970

England
*British Home Championship Title winner: 1974* (*Shared)

Managerial statistics

References

*cite book
author=Harris, Jeff & Hogg, Tony (ed.)
title=Arsenal Who's Who
publisher=Independent UK Sports
year=1995
id=ISBN 1-899429-03-4

External links

*soccerbase|id=5383|name=Joe Mercer
*soccerbase (manager)|id=768|name=Joe Mercer

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