Table of Contents

The chapters contained within "Joe Mercer, OBE: Football With A Smile" are: A Football Life; Born Into Football; Happy Days At Everton; Man Of The Match; For Honour's Sake Be Fit; Everton's Loss, Arsenal's Gain; Superstitious Gunners; Footballer Of The Year; Honour In Defeat; Time To Retire; End Of An Era; We're Going To Sheffield; The Move To Villa; The Push For Promotion; League Cup Villans; Joe Without Football?; Restoring Faith; Mancunian Style; The Blue Ballet; Mars Next Stop; The Glory Continues; Franny's Grand Slam; If He Goes, I Go; End Of The Road; The Fun Returns; Retirement; The Mercer Legacy.

About the Author

Gary James has been researching and writing about football since the mid-1980s. He has written several landmark publications and articles on the sport's history, clubs, players and personalities. In recent years these articles have appeared in publications as diverse as The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, The Times, When Saturday Comes, and the match programmes of both Manchester clubs. He has also lectured on the game. Gary cares deeply about football and wants to see the history and development of the game accurately recorded. Joe Mercer was City's manager when Gary was born and, inevitably, Gary's interest in Joe's life and career developed as a result. In the 1980s he met Joe for the first time and became determined to write a biography worthy of the great man. Research for this book has seen Gary interview players, fans, broadcasters, journalists, critics, friends and other figures from every aspect of Joe's life in his quest to accurately portray a footballing legend. For more information on Gary's work visit: www.manchesterfootball.org Facebook: James Ward PublishingA" BY THE SAME AUTHOR HISTORICAL/FACTUAL From Maine Men To Banana Citizens (1989), Temple Press The Pride of Manchester (with Steve Cawley, 1991), ACL & Polar Manchester: The Greatest City (1997 & 2002), Polar Publishing Farewell To Maine Road (2003), Polar Publishing Manchester City Hall Of Fame (2005), Hamlyn Manchester City The Complete Record (2006), Breedon Books Manchester City: 125 Years Of Football (2006 & 2007), At Heart Publications Manchester: A Football History (2008), James Ward The Big Book Of City (2009), James Ward FICTION Atkinson For England (with Mark Brown, 2001) BIOGRAPHY Football With A Smile: The Authorised Biography of Joe Mercer, OBE (1993 & 1994), ACL & Polar TELEVISION The History Of Football (2007), Channel M

Reviews

This is a well told story of a special football man. It is not a football story of any man. Read it.A" Graham Taylor, Former Aston Villa & England Manager, The Daily Telegraph. A welcome indulgence and entertainingly informative.A" David Miller, The Times. Mercer was one of the last great gentlemen in a sport that has sometimes become too professional and sinister for its own liking. James' book is a fine tribute, lovingly told and lavishly illustrated.A" Stephen Kelly, Four Four Two magazine Ask any Arsenal fan who is the greatest player ever to grace the Marble Halls... one name will be repeated an amazing number of times, Joe Mercer. This book demonstrates what an extraordinary character and asset to English football he was.A" Arsenal Matchday Magazine A superbly researched book tracing the remarkable career of a remarkable man. This is one biography not to be missed.A" Paul Hince, Manchester Evening News Impressive text - hundreds of fantastic old photographs - this one is without doubt a must.A" Winners Worldwide Soccer Book Review