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David Mercer (footballer, born 1893)

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David Mercer
Personal information
Full name David William Mercer[1]
Date of birth (1893-03-20)20 March 1893
Place of birth St Helens, England
Date of death 1 June 1950(1950-06-01) (aged 57)[2]
Place of death Newton Abbot, England
Height 5 ft 7+12 in (1.71 m)[2]
Position(s) Outside right
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–1911 Prescot Athletic
1911–1913 St Helens Town
1913–1914 Skelmersdale United
1914–1920 Hull City 91 (26)
1920–1928 Sheffield United 223 (22)
1928 Prescot Cables
1928–1929 Shirebrook
1929–1930 Torquay United 28 (0)
1930 Dartmouth United
Total 342 (48)
International career
1922–1923 England 2 (1)
1924 Football League XI 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

David William Mercer (20 March 1893 – 1 June 1950) was an English professional footballer who made over 220 appearances in the Football League for Sheffield United as an outside right. He also played league football for Hull City and Torquay United and won two caps for England.

Club career

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After beginning his career in non-League football with Prescot Athletic, St Helens Town and Skelmersdale United,[3][4] Mercer joined Second Division club Hull City for a £40 fee on 22 January 1914.[2] He made 91 league appearances and scored 26 goals for the club before moving to First Division Sheffield United on 13 December 1920, for a British record transfer fee of £4,500.[2] He made 241 appearances and scored 22 goals for the Bramall Lane club and won the 1924–25 FA Cup, before leaving in 1928.[4] Aside from a spell with Torquay United during the 1929–30 season, Mercer played the remainder of his career in non-League football.[1]

International and representative career

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Mercer represented the Football League XI and won two caps for England, scoring once, in a 6–1 victory over Belgium on 19 March 1923.[2][5]

Personal life

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Mercer was the older brother of fellow footballer Arthur Mercer and the pair briefly played together at Sheffield United, while his other brother Richard was an amateur footballer.[6] David's son, also named David, also became a professional footballer.[4] In 1911, Mercer was working in a coal mine and in 1939 he was working as a golf club groundsman.[2]

Career statistics

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Hull City 1913–14[4] Second Division 2 0 0 0 2 0
1914–15[7] Second Division 38 4 5 0 43 4
1919–20[4] Second Division 41 17 1 0 42 17
1920–21[4] Second Division 10 5 0 0 10 5
Total 91 26 6 0 97 26
Torquay United 1929–30[8] Third Division South 28 0 1 0 29 0
Career total 119 26 7 0 126 26

Honours

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Sheffield United

References

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  1. ^ a b Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 201. ISBN 978-1905891610.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "England Players – David Mercer". www.englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Mercer David Sheffield United 1923". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "92 Dave Mercer". On Cloud Seven. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  5. ^ "David Mercer". 11v11.com. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Players A to Z (L-M)". www.wiganborough.bernardramsdale.com. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Hull City AFC Squad 1914/15". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  8. ^ Edwards, Leigh (1997). The Definitive Torquay United F.C. Basildon: Association of Football Statisticians. ISBN 1-899468-09-9. OCLC 59599364.
  9. ^ "1925 FA Cup Final Result". sportingchronicle.com. Retrieved 10 February 2013.