broomhillblade
On the move
Two days before the start of the 1955 season Joe Mercer was in his white coat and apron in the back of his shop in West Kirby, Liverpool, boning bacon, when Senior Aitken, the Chairman of Sheffield United, phoned. He asked if Mercer would be interested in managing the club following the death of Reg Freeman.
Mercer drove over to Sheffield the same day, had an interview with the whole Board of Directors, and was offered the job.
He wrote in his book: “I was amused by the way I was engaged. When I had been called back into the boardroom after the directors had conferred, Aitken held out his hand. ‘Mercer,’ he said. ‘you’ve got the job. You’re a manager – and I hope you are going to manage, because I know damn all about this game, and’ – he indicated to the rest of the board – ‘they know a damn sight less!’”
The rest, of course is history. Mercer quickly had to sell players to pay off a £15,000 debt to the bank, and the club was relegated. The following season he sold Colin Grainger and Jim Iley in order to raise funds to restructure the club and buy young players. In all he sold £85,000-worth of players. One of his best buys was, of course, Derek Pace.
After three and a half years when things were beginning to look up, Mercer jumped ship to manage first division Aston Villa, and immediately took them down into the second division. He received an anonymous telegram from Sheffield. It said “Congratulations, Joe: You’ve done it again!”.
Them were't days?
Mercer drove over to Sheffield the same day, had an interview with the whole Board of Directors, and was offered the job.
He wrote in his book: “I was amused by the way I was engaged. When I had been called back into the boardroom after the directors had conferred, Aitken held out his hand. ‘Mercer,’ he said. ‘you’ve got the job. You’re a manager – and I hope you are going to manage, because I know damn all about this game, and’ – he indicated to the rest of the board – ‘they know a damn sight less!’”
The rest, of course is history. Mercer quickly had to sell players to pay off a £15,000 debt to the bank, and the club was relegated. The following season he sold Colin Grainger and Jim Iley in order to raise funds to restructure the club and buy young players. In all he sold £85,000-worth of players. One of his best buys was, of course, Derek Pace.
After three and a half years when things were beginning to look up, Mercer jumped ship to manage first division Aston Villa, and immediately took them down into the second division. He received an anonymous telegram from Sheffield. It said “Congratulations, Joe: You’ve done it again!”.
Them were't days?
