Bertie Mee

Bertram Mee (25 December 1918 – 21 October 2001) was an English football player and manager. After his playing career was cut short by injury, he later became a manager and led Arsenal to their first Double win in 1971.

After his playing career was cut short by injury, Mee joined the Royal Army Medical Corps where he trained as a physiotherapist and spent six years, rising to the rank of sergeant. After leaving, he worked for various football clubs as a physiotherapist before joining Arsenal in 1960, succeeding Billy Milne.

Managerial career

Arsenal After the sacking of Billy Wright in 1966, the club asked Mee to become manager, a highly surprising move, perhaps even to the man himself; Mee asked for a get-out clause for him to return to physiotherapist after twelve months if his tenure was unsuccessful. Mee recruited Dave Sexton and Don Howe as his assistants, in order to make up for any tactical shortcomings of his own.

Arsenal had not won a trophy since 1953, but, under Mee, with a crop of players from Arsenal's youth system, such as Charlie George, John Radford, Pat Rice and Ray Kennedy, began to show promise. Arsenal reached two successive League Cup finals in 1968 and 1969 but lost them both, to Leeds United and Swindon Town respectively. However, the following season, the club won its first European trophy and its first trophy of any kind for seventeen years, beating Anderlecht to claim the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, 4–3 on aggregate. After being 3–0 down in the away leg, Arsenal grabbed a late consolation and then beat the Belgian side 3–0 at Highbury.

Personal life Mee was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1984 New Year Honours for services to football. Mee died on 21 October 2001, survived by his wife Doris and two daughters, Alison and Beverley.

Honours

Managerial Arsenal Football League First Division: 1970–71; runner up 1972–73 Order of the British Empire: 1984 English Football Hall of Fame: 2008