Category Archives: Joe Mercer

This is Your Life Joe Mercer

Broadcast live on 25 March in 1970 was the This is Your Life TV episode with Manchester City boss Joe Mercer as the subject. Here are the details plus a special recording which supporters of all the clubs Joe was involved with could be interested in.

This Is Your Life was viewed at the time as significant recognition for a lifetime’s achievement. Only major stars and personalities were featured in those days, and the main idea would be that the subject of the programme would be surprised by the sudden appearance of presenter Eamonn Andrews and his ‘Big Red Book’. The subject would then be whisked away to a studio or other location where a variety of figures from the person’s life would be brought out to tell anecdotes and the like. The main part of the show would be broadcast live.

This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970

Back in 1970 young Manchester City supporter John Stapleton was working on the series and he suggested they feature Joe Mercer as the topic of one show. John, who went on to be a prominent broadcaster with a well-regarded TV career, was interviewed by me a few years back and we discussed the programme and John’s part in the idea of featuring Joe: ‘I did it purely for the benefit of me and my dad.  Eamon Andrews, the presenter, had of course a great interest in sport and I put the idea to him and the rest of the production team.  Together with Norah, Joe’s wife who in recent years I often sat with at games sharing her boiled sweets, we concocted a situation where Joe and Malcolm were in a London hotel before a trip to watch a European game in 1970. Malcolm disappeared – deliberately as part of the show though Joe didn’t know this – and Joe was called to reception urgently.  Eamon leaped out to do the big “This Is Your Life” reveal and Joe had no idea whatsoever. It was a great day for us all and Joe was thoroughly deserving of it as well.’

Joe was staying at a Hilton Hotel in London. As John described, He had been due to fly with Malcolm Allison to the continent to watch ECWC semi-final opponents Schalke but he had received a message to say the game was off. It was all a ruse of course. That night television viewers watched as Eamonn Andrews surprised Joe at the hotel reception desk: ‘Joe Mercer, former England playing star, now manager of Cup winning Manchester City, tonight. This Is Your Life!’

Eamon Andrews This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970

At the start of the show the City team appeared. This had been an extremely busy time for the Blues. Over a 18 day period City had played two League games, the League Cup final, the second leg of the ECWC quarter-final with Coimbra and found time to work with television to honour their manager. This live show occurred on Wednesday 25 March and City were to face Derby in the League on 27th and Manchester United on 28th, plus they had to play the first leg of the ECWC semi-final with Schalke on 1st. It was incredible that a team would be involved in this at such a busy time but that’s the way it was.

This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970 MCFC squad

As Joe explains in the show Malcolm Allison was nowhere to be seen. He had been staying with Joe at the hotel and the City manager commented: ‘I’m a great sleeper you see, and subconsciously I heard Malcolm getting up and I thought, oh, he’s going to the bathroom. I thought, well, he hasn’t come back, so he must be having a bath, and then I went back to sleep. I woke about ten and Malcolm had gone, but occasionally this happens – Malcolm disappears!’

Andrews explained that Allison had left early to watch the match which was still on. Joe was flabbergasted: ‘He’s left all his clothes! I’ve had to pack his bag as well!’

During the course of the show, Andrews informed Joe that Alf Ramsey had named the squad he was to take to the 1970 World Cup: ‘I know you haven’t had a chance to hear the news, but I’m going to tell it to you now, that two of your boys have been named by Alf for the World Cup – Francis Lee and Colin Bell. And two more in the twelve reserves – Mike Summerbee and Alan Oakes. Congratulations lads, and to the whole of the Manchester City.’

Joe was overjoyed.

Subscribers to this website are now in for a special treat as an audio of the entire episode has been preserved and can now be listened to here:

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Joe appeared on several other This Is Your Life shows including in November 1988 when Tom Finney was the subject and in 1980 when Emlyn Hughes was. He also appeared on two for Matt Busby, one in 1958 and one in 1971 (which opened at Maine Road).

The Programme details for the Joe Mercer episode are:

  • Edition No: 274
  • Subject No: 276
  • Broadcast live: Wed 25 Mar 1970
  • Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
  • Venue: Euston Road Studios
  • Series: 10
  • Edition: 18
  • Director: Margery Baker
  • Producer: Robert Tyrrell
  • City supporter and broadcaster John Stapleton worked on the show

The guests were:

  • Norah – wife
  • members of Manchester City FC team 
  • Francis Lee
  • Colin Bell
  • Mike Summerbee
  • Alan Oakes
  • Alan Percival
  • David – son
David & Joan Mercer, This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970
  • Joan – daughter-in-law
  • Arthur – brother
  • Stan Cullis
Stan Cullis, This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970
  • Billy Dixie Dean
Billy ‘Dixie’ Dean, This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970
  • Jim Morris
  • Charles Palmer
  • Matt Busby
  • Frank Soo
  • Walley Barnes
  • Maurice Edelston
  • Bernard Joy
  • Roy White
  • George Hardwick
  • Raich Carter
  • Neil Franklin
  • Stanley Matthews
Stanley Matthews, This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970

Filmed tributes:

  • Malcolm Allison
  • Susan – granddaughter
  • Albert Dyson – father-in-law

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Frank Soo Blue Plaque

I was delighted to be one of the guests today when a Historic England blue plaque was unveiled for groundbreaking footballer Frank Soo. Soo was the first player of Chinese heritage to play for England and he was born in Buxton. HIs dad was from China, his mum was from Manchester. The unveiling today took place in the town and members of the Soo family were present today. HIstorian Martin Polley, representing Historic England, made a great speech about the player and other speeches were made by family members, local historians and blue plaque campaigners. Guests included Max Portman, representing the British Society of Sports History. Stoke City sent a message too. Here are a few images from the day.

You can find out more about Frank Soo (who was a teammate of Joe Mercer’s for England) and the campaign to erect a blue plaque to him here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74yg20g378o

You can find out about other footballing blue plaques mentioned on my site by searching on ‘plaque’ below. Here you can read about the blue plaque campaign on the Manchester Corinthian Ladies FC:

Photos from the Corinthians Plaque Unveiling

Frank Soo and Joe Mercer remained friends throughout their lives. Frank, for example, attended Joe’s This Is Your Life.

This is Your Life Joe Mercer

1969 Manchester City’s Fourth FA Cup

On this day (26 April) in 1969 Manchester City defeated Leicester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final. City’s scorer was Neil Young. If you’d like to know more about that success or the 1968-69 season then have a read of this subscriber article on Manchester City during the 1968-69 season.
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60 Years Ago Today: Manchester City in Unusual Kit at Home

On this day (15 January) in 1966 Manchester City drew 0-0 with Preston at Maine Road but look at the kit City are wearing. This photo shows George Heslop (5) and Alan Oakes (6) in unusual colours for Maine Road. Subscribers can find out more about this kit and day below, plus read several contemporary match reports:

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60 Years Ago Today: Portsmouth’s Free Seats for Women

On this day (8 January) 1966 Portsmouth welcomed Manchester City to Fratton Park. Subscribers can read a contemporary match report below of that important game in City’s quest to earn promotion from the second tier (Joe Mercer was not happy!). What also made the day special was that Portsmouth chose that day to introduce a policy of free tickets for women (to accompany their men according to this cutting in my collection!). I’m not certain how long their policy lasted but it’s worth noting that many clubs had previously had a policy of half price tickets for women (City had been doing that from the 1890s).

Here for subscribers is a contemporary match report of Portsmouth v City (you can find out why Joe Mercer was angry too!):

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Frank Swift XI For Mercer’s Sheffield United

Here’s an interesting piece of floodlit football history from 70 years ago. On 24 October 1955 Joe Mercer’s Sheffield United played a team of former internationals selected by Frank Swift, the ex-Manchester City ‘keeper. Mercer was selected by Swift to play for the old internationals against the team he was manager of.

The game ended in a 4-1 victory to Sheffield United, though the Swift XI goal owed much to Mercer and was scored by ex-Manchester City star Peter Doherty.

Here’s a report of the game:

“Stanley’s Match” – England 8 Scotland 0 16th October 1943

“When I heard the team I said two prayers.  One of thanks to the Scots for leaving me out, and one on behalf of Adam Little who had taken my place.  I knew then we’d do well to get away with less than five goals against.”  So said Bill Shankly referring to the selection of the England team to face Scotland at Maine Road in October 1943. You can read the story of this incredible game here:

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Albert Alexander (Junior): MCFC Chairman

Back in the late 1960s there was a popular Manchester City chairman whose family had been involved with the club since the very beginning of the club. That was Albert Alexander. Here’s a profile I wrote in 2012 on him. It’s about 900 words long and is free to read. Enjoy!

Albert Alexander was the second generation of the Alexander family to play a prominent role in the development and history of Manchester City.  His father, also Albert, had been involved with the Club from the 1890s and had held various positions including vice-chairman, and even manager for a spell in 1925-26.

Like his father, the younger Albert dedicated his life to the Blues.  Inevitably, he spent most of his boyhood watching the Club develop and, as he grew, he became more involved with behind the scenes work at the Club’s first home Hyde Road.  He was a member of the Ground Committee which performed crucial activities such as stewarding and ground maintenance.

Alexander also managed the Club’s A team and provided support in whatever way necessary to ensure the Blues succeeded.  He was more than happy to work through the ranks and take on any duty necessary.  His son Eric, who was Chairman in the early 1970s, remembers that his father had suffered during the First World War but that didn’t stop him from putting his energies into the Blues:  “He was a very good footballer and cricketer but he was gassed in the Great War and had to give it up.  It affected him throughout his life, although it’s fair to say he recovered enough to fulfil a happy normal life apart from playing of course. 

“He took up golf, but his love for football was such that he started the ‘A’ team at City.  He started it in 1921 and ran it through until 1963.  He enjoyed working with the youngsters and developing them.  He gained an awful lot of satisfaction from that, particularly when players like Matt Busby developed their skills and style as part of the ‘A’ team.”

Ultimately, after many years of loyal service Alexander became a City director.  This came after the Blues became aware that Manchester United were hoping he would join their board.  It is highly likely Alexander would have turned the Reds down, and it was appropriate that he became a director at Maine Road.  It was an honour he deserved for years of dedication to the City cause.

While director he felt the passion all fans feel for the Blues and he also felt the pain and worries during the Club’s struggles in the early Sixties.  He wanted better and, in 1965 as fans demonstrated following City’s lowest attended League game, he came out to face them and talk with them about his hopes and ambitions for the Club.  He apologised for City’s appalling decline.  It says much about his courage and the respect fans had for him that they dispersed.  It is doubtful whether any other director would have been respected in this manner at such a low point.

Understandably, Alexander who was City’s Chairman by this point wanted to see his side successful and later that summer he appointed Joe Mercer as manager.  It was a brave decision as Mercer had been out of work for a year and had suffered a stroke at Aston Villa.  Other names, such as former City hero Peter Doherty and Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, had been expected to be appointed by the media, so this move could easily have been seen negatively.

Alexander guided City through the successful years of the Mercer-Allison period and was probably the first Chairman to be hugely popular with fans.  Everyone seemed to love ‘Little Albert’ as Mercer dubbed him.

Many of City’s achievements during these years were dedicated to Alexander by Mercer, while journalist Bill Fryer commented in 1970:  “He is highly revered in the game and by the public, and I have no doubt good deals have been done for City out of Albert’s friendships because in reality the whole of football is a ‘club’.”

Sadly, despite the Chairman’s popularity, his final years saw him suffer at the hands of the 1970 takeover battle.  Alexander found out about the takeover when he received a knock on his door at breakfast one day.  It was a complete shock to him.

The takeover destroyed much that was good about City at this point, including the Mercer-Allison partnership.  However, it is rarely mentioned how the takeover affected Alexander, the man who had guided City with distinction through some dark days when no one else wanted to know.  He had taken the Club from the lowest point it had experienced since joining the League, to a position of strength with trophies galore.  Those bidding for control wanted the glory, Alexander’s motives were somewhat different – like all true fans he wanted City no matter what. 

Alexander stood down as Chairman and was made Life President – an honour first given to Lawrence Furniss seven decades earlier, proving the significance of this recognition.  Unfortunately, Alexander’s health was deteriorating by this point and he passed away soon after.

Manchester City owes a great deal to the dedication of Albert Alexander and the other members of his family.  The Alexanders helped guide the Blues from the 1890s through to the reign of Peter Swales, and in some ways on via the continuing involvement of Eric Alexander (still a regular attendee until his death in 2019).  Their contribution should never be forgotten.

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The 1960s: 1967-1968 Leeds v Manchester City

On this day (23 March) in 1968 came a game between two title challenging teams – Leeds Utd and Manchester City. The view was that this game could knock City out of the title race if it went Leeds’ way. So what happened? Here’s film of the game:

You can find out more aboutthe potential impact of this game by reading this subscriber article on Manchester City during the 1967-68 season. If you’d like to read this 7,600 word article (yes, 7,600 words on one season!), plus all other articles on the site, then please subscribe (see below). As with most of the other features in this series it includes words from interviews I have performed with those who were there.

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