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Joe
Mercer |
Everton FC
5 appearances, 0 goals
P 5 W 3 D 1 L 1 F
14:
A 5
70% successful
1938-39
captain: none
minutes played: 450 |
|
 |
|
Profile |
|
Full name |
Joseph Mercer OBE |
|
Born |
9 August 1914 in Ellesmere
Port, Cheshire [registered in
Wirral, September 1914]. To Joseph Powell Mercer & Ethel Daisy (née
Breeze), the oldest of four children. |
|
census notes |
Cannot be found on the 1939
register. |
|
Married |
to Norah
F. Dyson
[registered in West Cheshire, September 1941]. |
|
Died |
9 August 1990
at his Wirral home, aged
76 years 0 days
[registered in Birkenhead, Cheshire, August 1990] following a
battle with Alzheimer's Disease.
Funeral at Hoylake Parish Church, 14
August |
|
Height/Weight |
5'
9", 10st 7lbs [1922], 11st.
0lbs [1939]. |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & FindMyPast.com |
|
Biographies |
Football With a
Smile - Gary James (James Ward, Halifax 1993,
revised 2010)
The Worst of Friends: The Betrayal of Joe Mercer -
Colin Shindler (Mainstream Publishing,
Edinburgh 2009) |
| |
x.
- A Football Compendium, Peter J. Seddon (1999). |
|
Club Career |
|
Club(s) |
Schoolboy football filled Joe Mercer's early days around Ellesmore Port
and Cheshire Schools. He would be found at Elton Green FC, Shell-Mex FC
and Ellesmere Port Town FC, even Runcorn FC. He even apparently had trials
with Chester FC and Blackburn Rovers FC, but it was as an amateur with
Everton FC in 1931 that got his signature,
turning professional on 15 September
1932, forcing himself into the first team and the half-back line.
The war came and went and Sergeant Major Mercer even turned out for
Aldershot FC and Chester FC during the war before he returned to Goodison
Park, and unfortunately, he found his services surplus to requirements.
His depression was noted by Arsenal FC and after 170 league
appearances, with a solitary league goal, on 29 November 1946, they
signed Mercer for £7,000, and became club captain within the next season,
despite him still living in Liverpool and training at Anfield.
Mercer's career was ended after another 247 league appearances, and
two goals, by broken
leg suffered on 10 April 1954, he was afterall, forty years of age!
Nevertheless, he did not formally retire for another year. He had
announced his retirement on 2 May 1953, but re-signed for
Arsenal on 24 July. |
|
Club honours |
FA Charity Shield
winner 1932, 1948, 1953, runners-up 1933;
FA Cup winners 1932-33, 1949-50, runners-up
1951-52; Football League
Champions 1938-39, 1947-48, 1952-53; |
|
Individual honours |
Football
League (one appearance);
Football Writers'
Association Footballer of the Year winner
1949-50; |
|
Distinctions |
None |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
|
Management Career |
|
Club(s) |
Mercer stepped into management with Sheffield United FC on 18
August 1955, until Aston Villa FC called him who became the their manager,
coach, scout and money-raiser in December 1958, despite relative success
and failing health (he suffered a stroke), he was sacked upon recovery in
July 1964; Mercer fell into retirement. until Manchester
City FC sought his services on 13 July 1965, becoming their general
manager in October 1971. After a sordid takeover battle a City, Mercer
left who became the general manager at Coventry City FC from June 1972,
serving as director from April 1975 until his resignation in July 1981.
Even having a go as
England's
caretaker manager in the summer of 1974 following the sacking of Alf
Ramsey. |
|
Club honours |
Football
League Division Two winners 1959-60, 1965-66, Football
League Cup winners 1960-61; Football League Champions
1967-68; FA Charity Shield winners 1968, runners-up 1969;
FA Cup winners 1968-69; Football League Cup
winners 1969-70; European Cup Winners Cup winners
1969-70; |
|
England Career |
|
Player number |
One of two
who became the 651st
players (652) to appear for England. |
|
Position(s) |
Left-half |
|
First match |
No. 222, 16 November 1938, England 7
Northern Ireland 0, a British Championship match at Old Trafford, Stretford, Manchester, aged 24 years
99 days. |
|
Last match |
No.
226, 24 May 1939,
Romania
0 England 2,
an end-of-season tour match at Stadionul Agenţia Naţională de Educaţie Fizică, Bucureşti, aged 24 years 288 days. |
|
Major tournaments |
British
Championship 1938-39; |
|
Team honours |
British Championship winners
1938-39; |
|
Individual honours |
England
war-time/victory (27 appearances, one goal). |
|
Distinctions |
OBE 1976; Professional Footballers'
Association Merit Award 1982; Football Association Hall of Fame
2002. |
|
Beyond England |
|
Ran a grocery business whilst he
played at Everton, based at 105-107 Brighton Street in Wallesey. A trade
he fell back on before he ventured into club management. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.172./Various Media |
|
Joe Mercer - Career Statistics |
| Squads |
Apps |
comp. apps |
Mins. |
Goals |
goals ave.min |
comp. goals |
Capt. |
Disc. |
|
6 |
5 |
2 |
450 |
0 |
0
min |
0 |
none |
none |
|
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors. |
|
Joe Mercer
- Match Record - All Matches |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
Home |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
+7 |
0 |
1 |
7.00 |
0.00 |
100.0 |
+1 |
|
Away |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
5 |
+2 |
0 |
1 |
1.75 |
1.25 |
62.5 |
+1 |
| All |
5 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
14 |
5 |
+9 |
0 |
2 |
2.80 |
1.00 |
70.0 |
+2 |
|
Joe Mercer
- Match Record - By Type of Match |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
British Championship |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
1 |
+8 |
0 |
1 |
4.50 |
0.50 |
100.0 |
+2 |
| Friendly |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
+1 |
0 |
1 |
1.667 |
1.333 |
50.0 |
=0 |
| All |
5 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
14 |
5 |
+9 |
0 |
2 |
2.80 |
1.00 |
70.0 |
+2 |
|
Joe Mercer
- Match Record - Tournament Matches |
|
British Championship Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC 1938-39 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
1 |
+8 |
0 |
1 |
4.50 |
0.50 |
100.0 |
+2 |
|
BC
All |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
1 |
+8 |
0 |
1 |
4.50 |
0.50 |
100.0 |
+2 |
|
All Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
1 |
+8 |
0 |
1 |
4.50 |
0.50 |
100.0 |
+2 |
|
All |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
1 |
+8 |
0 |
1 |
4.50 |
0.50 |
100.0 |
+2 |
|
Joe Mercer
- Match History |
|
Club: Everton F.C. -
5 full appearances |
F.A. International Select Committee - 5
full capsx
|
|
|
Age 24 |
|
- |
221 |
9 November 1938 - England 4 Norway 0, St. James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne |
Fr |
HW |
reserve |
|
1 |
222 |
16 November 1938 - England 7 Ireland 0,
Old Trafford, Manchester |
BC |
HW |
Start |
6 |
|
2 |
223 |
15 April 1939 - Scotland 1 England 2,
Hampden Park, Glasgow |
AW |
Start |
6 |
|
3 |
224 |
13 May 1939 - Italy 2 England 2,
Stadio Civico San Siro, Milano |
tour |
AD |
Start |
6 |
|
4 |
225 |
18 May 1939 - Yugoslavia 2 England 1,
Stadion Beogradski
SK, Beograd |
AL |
Start |
6 |
|
5 |
226 |
24 May 1939 - Romania 0 England 2,
Stadionul
ANEF, Bucureşti |
AW |
Start |
6 |
Notes
____________________
CG
|
|
England
Football Online