Bloke I know posted this on one of the “Fans Memories” Facebook groups. Can’t find anything anywhere to corroborate it. Views? I’m not aware of Joe ever having had a heart attack.
“Been threatening to tell this for some time, but have been trying to discover whether it’s true or not. The guy I THOUGHT told me it says he didn’t - so I’ll chuck it out there and maybe someone else can confirm it - otherwise it might just have to remain an urban myth (started by me lol).
So Franny Lee, Mike Sumerbee and Colin Bell were a very tight-knit group of Senior Pros at Man City - and they loved Joe Mercer, but they also loved playing jokes on him apparently.
The story I heard was that the boys plus one other (who I can’t recall) were familiar with his route home from training, and they shot off quickly to get ahead of him. They parked their car part-way up a slope resting against a tree, then opened the doors, hung out of the car as if injured/dead, covered in tomato sauce. Joe drives by and has a heart attack as a large part of his senior squad lie injured, possibly dead in a car wreck .
If someone can confirm this story I’d be very grateful. If someone can debunk it because they know Franny or Mike - I’ll happily stop telling it. Wish I could remember who it was that told me it - it was someone with a City connection, but not the one I thought.”