Back in August 2014 I interviewed John Stapleton on his career and support of Manchester City. As part of my tribute to him, I’m posting it here as it was published eleven years ago. Hopefully it adds to the positive stories of him that have been appearing over the last few days. I always enjoyed meeting and chatting with John. Here’s the feature as published in August 2014:
John, you’re known today for ITV’s Good Morning Britain but your career started in local newspapers, with your early TV work coming on This Is Your Life. It was your idea to make Joe Mercer a subject for one show wasn’t it?
Yes it was. 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.
More on that special ‘This Is Your Life’ here: https://gjfootballarchive.com/2023/03/25/this-is-your-life-joe-mercer/
How did you first become interested in City?
My grandfather, who lived in Denton, was at the first game at Maine Road and attended matches at Hyde Road and now my son Nick is a regular, so we’ve had a good four generations of Blues so far. When I was about 7 I was taken to watch City play Blackpool, in the days when Stanley Matthews played for them of course, and I loved simply being at the ground. It felt like home and that was it really. I was hooked. We used to have to go on two buses and a tram to get there from where we lived in Saddleworth – it seemed such a long journey at the time, but it was always worth it. No matter what the result.
Can you remember who your first heroes were?
Well, my dad went to the 1955 FA Cup final and then the year after we watched the final against Birmingham on our television. So exciting, because televisions were new to most of us back then and to be able to live the drama of the game, and of course Bert Trautmann’s injury, live in your own home was amazing really. The world’s moved on so much, but the black & white set felt so modern at the time. It was then that my first real hero emerged – Dave Ewing. A wonderful, uncompromising defender and I remember him protecting Bert in those final minutes as best he could.
Did you ever meet Dave?
Sadly, no, but I did meet his son. I left Manchester when I was 21 to work in Fleet Street and so opportunities to bump into your heroes were few. I was also less able to get back to Manchester as often as I do now, and so I watched City in the south and travelled back as often as work and finance allowed. I have since met quite a few of my heroes from that period, people like Ken Barnes and of course his son Peter. Two great City legends. Ken was a wonderful rascal and very funny and Peter is a really nice guy. I’ve also got to know Mike Summerbee quite well – and bought several of his shirts over the years and they weren’t cheap! He came to our house a few years back and charmed my parents. For my father it was great to be in his company and I think we all cherished that day. Even my lawyer was talked in to buying some of Summerbee’s shirts.
How do you feel about attending games today?
It’s an absolute joy and the fan in me never goes away. For my son, living in London and under so much pressure from his peers to support Arsenal, the years before the takeover were difficult. Those that had experienced the glories of the fifties to seventies had good memories of success, but the younger generation who had never seen us lift a major trophy must have found it tough. But it was all character building and fortunately he can now experience the success that this club deserves. It means more if you’ve been through the thick and thin – and he certainly experienced the thin alongside me!
Alongside the Mercer-Allison era, today is the best we’ve ever known and, hopefully, will keep on getting better. We’ve waited a long time but it’s been worth it. I’ve no complaints about any aspect of City today and the club is as friendly as ever, if not more so in some respects. It gives me a real buzz every time I walk into the stadium, or meet a former player, or chat to a fellow Blue like you Gary. We all have a shared bond and recognise that what we’re experiencing now is truly exceptional – long may it last!
In the mid 1970s you came in to contact with City professionally via the Junior Blues rally. What do you remember of it?
It was held at Belle Vue and there were thousands of Junior Blues there. It was a great event and we had the full team on the stage, giving fans the chance to ask questions to the team and the management. Peter Swales had asked me to present it – for free I might add but it was a major honour to do it – and it was probably the first time any club had opened up in such a way. City were quite forward thinking in terms of the media and fan relations at the time. I was also involved with the BBC Nationwide series on City.
That was another landmark moment in football’s relationship with the media. What was your involvement?
I was a Nationwide presenter and we’d managed to get City to open their doors for the cameras. Reporter Kevin Cosgrove did most of the progress reports and I came in at the end of the series to do a big outside broadcast on the last day of the season. I did some pre-recorded interviews, including one with Franny Lee, and then I did all the links at the ground. It went out to the full BBC network and was very good for the club and, of course, the BBC.
There’s a chant “City Are Back!” we’ve been singing for years, but I now feel that the club I first supported is back. Is this true for you?
In many ways yes. I’ve been a good friend of present day FA boss Greg Dyke for years as we’ve worked together in TV. He was given a tour of the club and the new facilities by Brian Marwood and he told me that this really is a friendly and forward looking club. He was very impressed and it’s satisfying to know others are now recognising how special this club is.
Those facilities will help City develop talented young players in future years. It’s ironic really that people have been urging certain other clubs to spend, spend, spend recently, but we’ve been the ones tagged as the big spenders.
That’s going away now I believe. The evidence is clear and we had to spend to catch up, just like other teams have throughout history. We should never forget either that two of our greatest and most consistent players – Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta – arrived before the takeover. Kompany is a truly great leader and I’ve been fortunate to meet him and he is also a wonderful man. He is the perfect captain for this club, but we’re so fortunate to have so many brilliant players. Just think of David Silva… outstanding quality!
You’ve worked with Manchester United supporter Eamon Holmes in the past, did the two of you ever discuss football?
We’ve had some good banter over the years. Good craic! In fact I took him to two games. The first was when Beckham scored from a free kick at Maine Road. Eamon jumped up in the directors’ box and you can imagine how that went down. The second time he was booed into the ground by City fans!
Your own personal greatest game?
Obviously, the last game v QPR in 2011-12, but also the 6-1 against United at Old Trafford. I turned to Nick my son and said ‘savour this moment. No matter how long you live you’re unlikely to experience this feeling again.’ And of course, there’s the 1999 play-off final without which we may never have come back at all. What a transformation in 15 years – hopefully, there’s more to come.
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