Joe Mercer Biography By Gary James

[Didsbury Dave]

Didn't both Stephen Bowler and Greenalls back him unconditionally, and they were the majority?

Also, when he was finally ousted, one of his long term lapdogs finally turned on him and he lost a vote of confidence at his house 3-2. To his dismay he was finished at that moment and forward came Franny to "save" us.

Was that Chris Muir? Or Freddie Pye?

 

[Dyed Petya]

Didn't both Stephen Bowler and Greenalls back him unconditionally, and they were the majority?

Also, when he was finally ousted, one of his long term lapdogs finally turned on him and he lost a vote of confidence at his house 3-2. To his dismay he was finished at that moment and forward came Franny to "save" us.

Was that Chris Muir? Or Freddie Pye?

I may be wrong, but I thought the vote was the board approval of the sale of Swales's and Boler's shares to Mike McDonald. Again, subject to anyone knowing better, the story was that Swales had supposedly decided he had no alternative but to sell but the sentiment among the dissenting directors being that support for Franny among the fans was so great that the only option at that stage was a takeover from him.

The board at that point was composed pretty much entirely of Swales loyalists so the fact he lost the vote was a fatal blow to him, really. The cynic in me tends to think that the directors who voted for Lee were really angline to preserve their role at the club more than anything. I think that Ian Niven, from memory, survived on the board after Lee became chairman. IIRC, Lee's camp had four directors, while there were three non-Lee people: one was Ashley Lewis (Boler's man), one was Andrew Thomas of Greenalls and I think there was also Niven.

I used to know all this chapter and verse for professional reasons but those days are long gone, so my memory isn't what it used to be. It's also half eleven on Friday evening where I am and I'm pissed. But if the Central Library microfiche files are still there and anyone can be arsed, look at the MEN in the first week or two of December 1993 and you'll find out about the board vote and the first week or two of February 1994 will reveal the post-takeover board changes.

As for the other historical stuff, Boler bought into City when the club had a GBP 750K share issue sometime around 1985 to bring in money without which Swales would have to sell up. Swales subscribed for some of the shares, but Boler for most. I'm not sure if Boler was even interested in having board representation until Franny took over - he was effectively propping up Swales. Considering the financial climate in football in the early nineties and the fact that Swales was an utter dinosaur in relative terms (we got a GBP 60K flat fee for the outsourcing of our merchandising in the same year that Newcastle's operation turned over GBP 6 million) I've never understood why Boler supported Swales for so long.

Greenalls had around 20% of the club at one point. They also had the exclusive right to sell their piss poor beer in the stadium and social club. Their shareholding was aimed at preserving that commercial benefit and they didn't give a shit about any internal club affairs.

 

[Dyed Petya]

Anyway, to get the thread away from the mismanagement of City after Joe left and back to the man himself, here are three clips from youtube, which have all been on here before but are worth putting on again:

1. Mercer's dignified reaction to his departure from City -

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH7zFVCLCRM[/youtube]

2. Interview with Joe from the late 1980s (not long before he died) about his time at City -

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIZ167vc5Uo&feature=related[/youtube]

3. Malcolm Allison interview extract from circa 2000 talking about joining Mercer at City -

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlCHSak3DvA[/youtube]

 

[Gary James]

We should start a new thread at some point about the transformation of power between 1970 and 1994. In essence most of what Dyed Petya says is accurate. I have copies of the newspapers here at home and the match programmes and so on. Ian Niven did keep his place. Sidney Rose also remained, though as Life President.

Back on to Mercer...

Here are two of my favourite Mercer quotes. I used them in the original version of the biography. One was instead of a foreword (I felt Joe should introduce his own book) and the other was the final word. Both quotes remain in the new book but they are placed differently, nevertheless I think they are the best example of what Joe was about.

I have no complaints, no chip on my shoulder.
Football has been good to me. I have enjoyed some success, felt the warmth of the fans, known tremendous challenges. I never wanted to do anything but become a footballer and I have been able to spend all my life so far in the game. I could have asked no more. Football is my life.
Joe Mercer, circa 1964


Football is a great game. It is all about goals, goalmouth
incidents and end-to-end attacking football. There is nothing wrong with the game; plenty wrong with managers, players, directors, legislators and the media. Football has been very kind to me and I really mustn’t complain so can I leave you with this thought _ The object of playing any game is for enjoyment. If you have enjoyed it and done your best you have won no matter what the result!
JOE MERCER, circa 1980

 

[blue John]

My favourite picture of the big man

 

[Gary James]

My favourite picture of the big man

I agree. I think the word on the bus says it all.

 

[Gary James]

I've posted some links to City footage on other threads, so it only seems fair that I post this. It's not City but it's 2 speeches by Joe Mercer when Arsenal won the FA Cup in 1950. They beat Liverpool in the final and, typical of Joe, he talks about Liverpool at the banquet. Always had that approach of remembering the others. This footage helps to show why Joe was such a giant in the game even before he guided City to phenomenal success.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=336323" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=336323</a>

Incidentally, the subscriber offer for my book has now officially ended, but I'm sure the publishers can accept orders right up to the final design/proof reading is finished (end of next week).

Cheers,

Gary

 

[BufordUSABlue]

I've posted some links to City footage on other threads, so it only seems fair that I post this. It's not City but it's 2 speeches by Joe Mercer when Arsenal won the FA Cup in 1950. They beat Liverpool in the final and, typical of Joe, he talks about Liverpool at the banquet. Always had that approach of remembering the others. This footage helps to show why Joe was such a giant in the game even before he guided City to phenomenal success.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=336323" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=336323</a>

Incidentally, the subscriber offer for my book has now officially ended, but I'm sure the publishers can accept orders right up to the final design/proof reading is finished (end of next week).

Cheers,

Gary

Gary,

Can you send me a link for the subscriber offer and i will see if i can still sign up for this - cheers!

 

[andyox]

I've posted some links to City footage on other threads, so it only seems fair that I post this. It's not City but it's 2 speeches by Joe Mercer when Arsenal won the FA Cup in 1950. They beat Liverpool in the final and, typical of Joe, he talks about Liverpool at the banquet. Always had that approach of remembering the others. This footage helps to show why Joe was such a giant in the game even before he guided City to phenomenal success.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=336323" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=336323</a>

Incidentally, the subscriber offer for my book has now officially ended, but I'm sure the publishers can accept orders right up to the final design/proof reading is finished (end of next week).

Cheers,

Gary

Gary,

Can you send me a link for the subscriber offer and i will see if i can still sign up for this - cheers!

Gary, can you send the link my way too? Cheers!

 

[Gary James]

Details are at <a class="postlink" href="http://www.manchesterfootball.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.manchesterfootball.org</a> or <a class="postlink" href="http://www.manchesterfootball.org/publications.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.manchesterfootball.org/publications.php</a>

and the opening post in this thread explains the offer.

Cheers,

Gary