Editing Joe Mercer

{{Short description|English footballer and manager (1914–1990)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Joe Mercer<br /><small>[[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]</small>
| fullname = Joseph Mercer
| birth_date = 9 August 1914
| birth_place = [[Ellesmere Port]], [[Cheshire]], England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1990|8|9|1914|8|9|df=y}}
| death_place = England
| position = [[Midfielder#Wing-half|Left half]]
| height = 5 ft 9 in<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-dispatch-football-preview-page-iv/134275291/ |title=Everton. Not stampeded |newspaper=Sunday Dispatch Football Guide |location=London |date=23 August 1936 |page=iv |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = [[Ellesmere Port Town F.C.|Ellesmere Port Town]]
| years1 = 1932–1946
| years2 = 1946–1955
| clubs1 = [[Everton F.C.|Everton]]
| clubs2 = [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
| caps1 = 186
| goals1 = 2
| caps2 = 247
| goals2 = 2
| totalcaps = 433
| totalgoals = 4
| nationalyears1 = 1938–1939
| nationalteam1 = [[England national football team|England]]
| nationalcaps1 = 5
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| manageryears1 = 1955–1958
| manageryears2 = 1958–1964
| manageryears3 = 1965–1971
| manageryears4 = 1972–1974
| manageryears5 = 1974
| managerclubs1 = [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]]
| managerclubs2 = [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]
| managerclubs3 = [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]
| managerclubs4 = [[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]]
| managerclubs5 = [[England national football team|England]] (caretaker)
| image = Joe Mercer Memorial outside Manchester City Football Club Stadium, Manchester - geograph.org.uk - 2353113 (cropped2).jpg
| caption = Joe Mercer Memorial outside the [[City of Manchester Stadium]]
}}

'''Joseph Mercer''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|OBE}} (9 August 1914 – 9 August 1990) was an English [[association football|footballer]] and manager. Mercer, who played as a [[Defender (association football)|defender]] for [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] and [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] in his footballing career, also went on to manage [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] and [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]], and was the caretaker manager of the [[England national football team]].<ref name=Everton /><ref name=Arsenal /><ref name=City /><ref name=Lions />

==Playing career==
Mercer was born in [[Ellesmere Port]], [[Cheshire]], the son of a former [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] and [[Tranmere Rovers F.C.|Tranmere Rovers]] footballer, also named [[Joe Mercer (footballer, born 1889)|Joe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roydenhistory.co.uk/eportwarmemorial/pows/mercer_joe/joemercer.pdf|title=Joe Mercer and the Football Battalion|author=Mike Royden|website=Roydenhistory.co.uk|access-date=1 July 2022}}</ref> His father died following health problems resulting from a gas attack during the [[World War I|Great War]], when Mercer was only 12.<ref>{{cite book | author=Gary James | title=Football with a Smile: The Authorised Biography of Joe Mercer, OBE | year=1993| pages= 16 | publisher=ACL & Polar |isbn=0-9514862-9-2}}</ref>

Mercer, a left-half, first played for [[Ellesmere Port Town F.C.|Ellesmere Port Town]]. He was a powerful tackler and good at anticipating an opponent's moves. He joined [[Everton F.C.|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 [[Football League First Division|League championship]] medal in the 1938–39 season. While playing for Everton, he gained five [[England national football team|England]] caps between 1938 and 1939.<ref name=Everton>{{cite web|url=http://www.evertonfc.com/players/j/jm/joe-mercer|title=Joe Mercer Profile|website=Everton FC.com}}</ref>

Like many players of his generation, Mercer lost out on seven seasons of football due to the [[World War II|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 national football team|Scotland]],{{when|date=March 2024}} 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 F.C.|Chester City]], making his debut in a 4–1 win over [[Halifax Town A.F.C.|Halifax Town]] in September 1942.<ref>{{cite book | author=Chas Sumner | title=On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City 1885–1997 | year=1997| pages= 59 |isbn=1-874427-52-6}}</ref>

Mercer moved in late 1946 for £9,000 (''2022: £471,362'') to [[Arsenal F.C.|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.<ref>Corbett, James (2003); p104 ''Everton:School of Science'' publ by MacMillan {{ISBN|0-330-42006-2}}</ref> He made his Arsenal debut against [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|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 in English football|1947–48 season]].<ref name=Arsenal>{{cite web|url=https://www.arsenal.com/historic/players/joe-mercer|title=Joe Mercer|website=Arsenal.com|date=6 April 2024 }}</ref>

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 the [[1952 FA Cup final|Cup final in 1952]], which they lost 1–0 to [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]. The following year, they bounced back to win his third League title with Arsenal winning the [[1952–53 in English football|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 in English football|1953–54 season]]. On 10 April 1954, he broke his leg in two places after a collision with teammate [[Joe Wade (footballer)|Joe Wade]] in a match against [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]], and finally called time on his footballing career the year after. Mercer played 275 times for Arsenal in all, scoring two goals.<ref name=Arsenal />

==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]].<ref>{{cite book | first=Gary |last=James | title=Football with a Smile: The Authorised Biography of Joe Mercer, OBE | year=1993| pages= 65 |publisher=ACL & Polar |isbn=0-9514862-9-2}}</ref>

On 18 August 1955, he returned to football, becoming manager of [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] two days before their first game of the season against [[Newcastle United F.C.|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|date=November 2014}}

The rest of his time as manager was spent in the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] and in December 1958, wanting to move to another club, he resigned and moved to [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] who were bottom of the [[Football League First Division|First Division]]. Although he led them to the FA Cup semi-finals, he was relegated to the 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 [[EFL Cup|League Cup]] in 1961, but suffered a [[stroke]] in 1964 and was then sacked by the Aston Villa board upon his recovery.<ref>{{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 |isbn=1-84018-687-9}}</ref>

Despite this, his health improved and he went on to enjoy great success as a manager with [[Manchester City F.C.|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 Football League First Division|1967–68 First Division championship]], and went on to win the [[1968–69 FA Cup|1969 FA Cup]], the [[1969–70 Football League Cup|1970 League Cup]], and the [[1969–70 European Cup Winners' Cup|1970 European Cup Winners' Cup]].<ref name=City>{{cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.com/club/manchester-city/382/blog/post/1966023/joe-mercers-manchester-city-legacy|title=Joe Mercer's Manchester City legacy| first= Simon |last = Curtis|website=ESPN FC.com|date=30 July 2014|access-date=2 March 2017}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite book | first=Gary |last=James | title=Football with a Smile: The Authorised Biography of Joe Mercer, OBE | year=1993| pages= 247–266 |publisher=ACL & Polar |isbn=0-9514862-9-2}}</ref>

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 [[Coventry City F.C.|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 [[Alf Ramsey|Sir Alf Ramsey]]'s resignation. During his time in charge, England shared the [[1974 British Home Championship]] title with [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]. In total, Mercer was in charge for seven games, winning three of them, drawing another three and losing one. The [[The Football Association|FA]] was so impressed by these performances that questions arose about the possibility of Mercer taking the job on a longer-term basis, with, as an assistant, his Coventry City protege [[Gordon Milne]]. Mercer, too, seemed open to persuasion but the FA was working on another plan, putting out feelers to the most successful English club manager available, [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]'s [[Don Revie]].<ref name=Lions>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/oct/11/forgotten-story-joe-mercer-england-manager |first=Rob|last=Bagchi | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=The forgotten story of … England under Joe Mercer| date=11 October 2012|access-date=2 March 2017}}</ref>

==Later life==
[[File:Joe Mercer*.jpg|thumb|left|A mosaic in memory of Joe Mercer]]
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 [[freemason]] attending Rivacre Lodge No. 5805 at [[Ellesmere Port]].<ref name="mason">{{cite news|url= http://woolton.westlancsfreemasons.org.uk/2215-anfield-lodge/|title= Anfield Lodge No. 2215|date= 15 October 2017|work= Woolton Group of Lodges and Chapters|access-date= 17 October 2017|archive-date= 17 October 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171017202938/http://woolton.westlancsfreemasons.org.uk/2215-anfield-lodge/|url-status= dead}}</ref> Mercer was a subject of the television programme ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' in March 1970, when he was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]]. He was made an Officer of the [[Order of the British Empire]] for services to football in 1976. He suffered with Alzheimer's disease in later life and died, sitting in his favourite armchair, on his [[Birthday effect|76th birthday in 1990]].<ref>{{cite book | author=Gary James | title=Football with a Smile: The Authorised Biography of Joe Mercer, OBE | year=1993| pages= 290 | publisher=ACL & Polar |isbn=0-9514862-9-2}}</ref> He was survived by his widow Norah, who remained a keen football follower, and attended Manchester City matches to support City for many years.<ref>{{Cite news |title=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 |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/manchester_city/s/1508613_widow-of-manchester-city-legend-joe-mercer-tells-the-men-of-her-delight-that-the-blues-have-finally-repeated-her-husbands-title-glory |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |date=17 May 2012 |access-date=2012-05-17 |archive-date=14 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120714064314/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/manchester_city/s/1508613_widow-of-manchester-city-legend-joe-mercer-tells-the-men-of-her-delight-that-the-blues-have-finally-repeated-her-husbands-title-glory |url-status=dead }}</ref> She died in March 2013 and her funeral was attended by 120-plus mourners, including City legends [[Mike Summerbee]], [[Tony Book]], [[Colin Bell (footballer, born 1946)|Colin Bell]] and [[Joe Corrigan]], as well as [[Sir Bobby Charlton|Bobby Charlton]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Legends pay respects to Joe's 'shining light'|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/legends-pay-respects-joes-shining-1972750|access-date=28 March 2014|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|date=26 March 2013}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite book | author=Gary James | title=Manchester – A Football History | year=2008| pages= 461–462 | publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-0-9558127-0-5}}</ref> 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 F.C.|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."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/oct/11/forgotten-story-joe-mercer-england-manager | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=The forgotten story of … England under Joe Mercer}}</ref>

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 Park|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.manchesterfootball.org/publications.php |title=JOE MERCER, OBE – FOOTBALL WITH A SMILE |publisher=James Ward |access-date=26 November 2009 |archive-date=14 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214114759/http://manchesterfootball.org/publications.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> Mercer is also featured upon the mural that surrounds the [[Emirates Stadium]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arsenal.com/arsenal-history/heroes-together|title = Heroes Together| date=6 April 2024 }}</ref> Mercer was inducted into the [[English Football Hall of Fame]] at the [[National Football Museum]] in [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]] on 4 July 2009. He was inducted for his managerial success.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/pages/fame/2009%20hall%20of%20fame.html |title=Latest news – Hall of Fame 2009 |publisher=National Football Museum |access-date=8 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090713093625/http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/pages/fame/2009%20hall%20of%20fame.html |archive-date=13 July 2009 }}</ref>

== Honours ==

=== As a player ===
'''Everton'''<ref name=Everton />
*[[Football League First Division]]: [[1938–39 Football League First Division|1938–39]]

'''Arsenal'''<ref name=Arsenal />
*Football League First Division: [[1947–48 Football League First Division|1947–48]], [[1952–53 Football League First Division|1952–53]]
*[[FA Cup]]: [[1949–50 FA Cup|1949–50]]; runner-up: [[1951–52 FA Cup|1951–52]]
*[[FA Charity Shield]]: [[1948 FA Charity Shield|1948]], [[1953 FA Charity Shield|1953]]

=== As a manager ===
'''Aston Villa'''
*[[Football League Second Division]]: [[1959–60 Football League Second Division|1959–60]]
*[[Football League Cup]]: [[1960–61 Football League Cup|1960–61]]

'''Manchester City'''<ref name=City />
*Football League First Division: [[1967–68 Football League First Division|1967–68]]
*Football League Second Division: [[1965–66 Football League Second Division|1965–66]]
*[[FA Cup]]: [[1968–69 FA Cup|1968–69]]
*Football League Cup: [[1969–70 Football League Cup|1969–70]]
*FA Charity Shield: [[1968 FA Charity Shield|1968]]
*[[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|European Cup Winners' Cup]]: [[1969–70 European Cup Winners' Cup|1969–70]]

'''England'''<ref name=Lions />
*[[British Home Championship]]: [[1973–74 British Home Championship|1973–74]] (shared)

===Individual===
*[[English Football Hall of Fame]]: 2009<ref name="auto"/>
*[[FWA Footballer of the Year]]: 1949–50<ref name=Feature>{{cite web|url=https://www.arsenal.com/history/post-war-arsenal/mercer-leads-arsenal-to-fa-cup-win|title=Mercer leads Arsenal to FA Cup win|website=Arsenal.com|date=6 April 2024 }}</ref>

==Managerial statistics==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left"
|-
!rowspan=2 width=140|Team
!rowspan=2 width=100|From
!rowspan=2 width=100|To
!colspan=5|Record
!rowspan=2|{{abbr|Refs|References}}
|-
!width=40|G
!width=40|W
!width=40|D
!width=40|L
!width=50|Win %
|-
|[[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]]
|August 1955
|December 1958
{{WDL|159|66|36|57|decimals=1}}
|style=text-align:center|<ref name="ENFA">{{cite web |url=https://www.enfa.co.uk/managersearch.php |title=Manager search: Mercer, J (Joe) |website=English National Football Archive (ENFA) |access-date=16 November 2024 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
|-
|[[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]
|December 1958
|July 1964
{{WDL|279|119|62|98|decimals=1}}
|style=text-align:center|<ref name="ENFA" />
|-
|[[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]
|July 1965
|October 1971
{{WDL|340|149|94|97|decimals=1}}
|style=text-align:center|<ref name="ENFA" />
|-
|[[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]]
|June 1972
|May 1974
{{WDL|106|36|25|45|decimals=1}}
|style=text-align:center|<ref name="ENFA" />
|-
|[[England national football team|England]] (caretaker)
|May 1974
|June 1974
{{WDL|7|3|3|1|decimals=1}}
|style=text-align:center|<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamMgr/Mgr_Mercer.html |title=Joe Mercer profile |website=England Football Online |publisher=Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood |date=5 June 2012 |access-date=16 November 2024}}</ref>
|-
!colspan="3"|Total
{{WDLtot|891|373|220|298|decimals=1}}
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of English football championship winning managers]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |last=Harris|first=Jeff|editor-last=Hogg|editor-first=Tony |title=Arsenal Who's Who |publisher=Independent UK Sports |year=1995 |isbn=1-899429-03-4 }}

==External links==
* {{Soccerbase}}
* {{Soccerbase manager}}

{{Navboxes
|title=Awards
|bg=gold
|fg=navy
|list1=
{{FWA Footballer of the Year}}
{{UEFA Cup Winners' Cup winning managers}}
{{English Football First Tier League Championship winning managers}}
{{FA Cup winning managers}}
{{EFL Cup winning managers}}
{{Manchester City F.C. Hall of Fame}}
{{Gwladys Street's Hall of Fame}}
{{Football League 100 Legends}}
{{English Football Hall of Fame}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Managerial positions
|list1=
{{Sheffield United F.C. managers}}
{{Aston Villa F.C. managers}}
{{Manchester City F.C. managers}}
{{Coventry City F.C. managers}}
{{England national football team managers}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercer, Joe}}
[[Category:1914 births]]
[[Category:1990 deaths]]
[[Category:Footballers from Ellesmere Port]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:England men's international footballers]]
[[Category:England men's wartime international footballers]]
[[Category:English Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Ellesmere Port Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:Everton F.C. players]]
[[Category:Arsenal F.C. players]]
[[Category:Chester City F.C. wartime guest players]]
[[Category:Reading F.C. wartime guest players]]
[[Category:Aldershot F.C. wartime guest players]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:England national football team managers]]
[[Category:Sheffield United F.C. managers]]
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[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Royal Army Physical Training Corps soldiers]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
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[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
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[[Category:Men's association football wing halves]]
[[Category:Freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England]]