garyowensgolfclubs said:
Might be wrong but I think he is the only Manager to manage 2 different teams to win the League Cup Ironically Villa twice and us once. Will stand corrected.
It was actually once with Villa (1961) and he also reached the final in 1963 with them. People often incorrectly say Joe was a failed manager before he arrived at City, yet he'd guided Villa to the Second Division title, won the League Cup, developed a good quality young side with attacking flair, and would have achieved more had it not been for the winter of 63 and subsequent health issues. That's more than a lot of managers have achieved in their entire career.
The reason they think he was a failure before City is that he had achieved so much success as a player - 3 League titles, FA Cup, FA Cup finalists, England captain, player of the year etc. - that it wasn't until City that his managerial career matched the overall quality of his playing career.
There's a lot more to Joe than simple stats and, I know I've written it, but if you really want to understand about the man and why he developed such a great City side read my updated biog of Joe: "Joe Mercer, OBE: Football With A Smile" (details at: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.manchesterfootball.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.manchesterfootball.org</a> ).
Inevitably, there's a very strong City thread throughout the book, and lots of great photos.
Incidentally, naming the stadium after him is probably not something Joe would have wanted. He was the type of man who would want his own achievements to be eclipsed and so naming the stadium after him may actually have limited ambition. He would want a successful City side to be his legacy.
