Tranmere Rovers
Totally Tranmere meets Eric Nixon
By Matthew Jones
March 30 2012
Ahead of Tranmere's game against Exeter City last weekend, Totally Tranmere podcast co-host Matthew Jones caught up with Eric Nixon to talk about his autobiograpy
Popular former Tranmere Rovers 'keeper, captain and coach Eric Nixon recently released his autobiography, "Big Hands, Big Heart".
The book spans Nixon's long and illustrious playing career which saw him play for Manchester City, the club he supported as a boy, captain a winning Tranmere Rovers side at Wembley and in Europe and win many team and personal awards and accolades.
After the release of his book, Totally Tranmere podcast co-host Matthew Jones caught up with the larger than life 'keeper to talk about the book and his Rovers career.
Matthew Jones: “Is writing a book something you’ve always wanted to do?”
Eric Nixon: “If I’m honest with you, not really, no. We just got talking; the writer himself Dave Mitchell and myself when I was at Fleetwood Town and he said to me “do you fancy writing a book?” and I said “well, I might have one or two things people want to learn about, so yeah”. It’s taken us two years, really enjoyable; I think people will enjoy the read. It’s about me from a personal point of view, the tragedies and the heroics and the fantastic times I’ve had at Tranmere Rovers and Man City along the way – 23 years a professional footballer.”
MJ: “As a Tranmere fan, it’s great to get books like this, because there’s not many books – Pat Nevin and John Aldridge are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head. What can us Tranmere fans expect from the book about your career here?”
EN: “Well, I think, taking nothing away from the current squad, and team and management, I think we’ve got a lot to offer as regards to what we did in our time, as I’m sure you’ll understand. A lot of people maybe can relate to that because their mums and dads tell them about it, because I’m at one or two functions when everybody talks about what we did and when we did it. It’s a case of not a lot of people remember but we’re bringing it to the forefront. And the people that we’re talking about are your John Aldridge’s, Ian Muir’s, Steve Vickers…Higgins, Morrissey, Hughes, Martindale, Mungall…all these household names if you like.
“We feel as if we put Tranmere Rovers on the map and long may it continue, it’s a fantastic club and fantastic fanbase, and we just want to let them know what happened, when it happened – six times at Wembley, Football Centenary, going to the Anglo-Italian cup and playing in Italy and Cessena and Regiana, and one or two of these players went on to play in the World Cup…so we’ve been around the block a few times and I just felt it was about time that one or two people, fans, loyal fans understood and were able to read about this.”
MJ: “Obviously had many great times at Tranmere and it’s great for us to be able to read about them because fans like myself are too young to remember your playing days, but I was here when you were here as a coach.”
EN: “Yeah, as you say a lot of people were young and they don’t realise what we achieved as a squad and a team when Johnny King was manager – and what a fantastic manager he was – and his staff; Ronnie Moore who’s obviously manager now and Kenny Jones who was his sort of his right-hand man if you like, he was with him from Caernarfon Town all the way through to Northwich Victoria and then back at Tranmere Rovers and yeah, we had some fantastic times and I’m just relaying those fantastic times in print if you like so people can actually read about them as well as watch the videos from the club shop.”
MJ: “Obviously you were a massive Manchester City fan growing up, you lived just down the road from Maine Road, you walked into the ground and asked for a trial yourself. How much did Manchester City mean to you in your life as well, compared to Tranmere Rovers?”
EN: “Well, I do the after dinner speaking now and I was at Leasowe Castle last night where somebody asked the same question and I related to the fact that I’m 50 years old this year – I came here when I was 25 so I’ve actually been here for 25 years and in Manchester for 25 years, so there’s not a lot between it to be honest with you. I had fantastic times here and I had fantastic times at Man City. My children were born on the Wirral, it’s a fantastic place to live, I’ve got no intentions of leaving soon that’s for sure, but yeah Man City what a great achievement; to walk in and ask for a trial when I did – I was in the right place at the right time and I must have had ability because they took me on board, and years later I can write about it and what it’s all about.”
MJ: “And you played with some fantastic players at Manchester City; Dennis Law, Mick McCarthy and so on, how did they compare to playing with the likes of Pat Nevin, Johnny Morrissey, Aldo here?”
EN: “Well what you’ve got to realise is that when I played for Manchester City we were in the first division then – it was [division] One, Two, Three, Four – and obviously they earned their corn playing in the First Division. With all due respect to Pat Nevin, Johnny Morrissey and John Aldridge, they were doing the same thing at the same time; but when we came to Tranmere Rovers, and again with all due respect, we were in the Fourth Division at the time and needed to go somewhere. It was a platform for us to go on to bigger and better things. I certainly think that [Ian] Muiry and Morrissey, the team that we had, we plied our trade for ten years in the First Division, we just missed out on promotion, so that tells you the stature of the players we had around us and also the fans we’ve got behind us – and the fans really enjoyed the times – so there’s not an awful lot of difference to be honest with you”.
MJ: “You’ve had quite a few careers other than football – you’ve done your fitness training, you’ve got your Glassroom company now and you’ve done your Elvis impersonating as well too”.
EN: “Well I feel that when you finish football, nobody prepares you for that. Luckily, as it happens, I had worked prior to being a professional footballer, but I have been and got all my qualifications – I’m an A licence goalkeeping coach, an A licence football coach, a personal training instructor qualified, I’ve done my petals and kettles in the teaching industry and I’m now a rugby coach to be fair, at Old Parkonians – my 9 year old son plays for them, my 21 year old son plays for them, so I go and watch him on a Sunday morning and felt as though I’d go and do my coaching badges for that and I’ve done them, so I quite enjoy my rugby as well. So I haven’t stood still and just let the grass grow. Nobody gives you a living, you’ve got to go and earn it”.
MJ: “And you were at Fleetwood until not that long a go with Mickey Mellon, is coaching still something you’d still look to be involved in, in football terms?”
EN: “I’d love to coach, yeah, I’d love to be involved with a team at some stage, it’s just a matter of getting in there now. As I say, I’ve not been and got my qualifications for nothing, I feel I’ve got a lot to offer the game and I feel as though sitting stagnant as I am doing, it does get to you, it does grate you, but you’ve got to get on with life, you’ve got to earn the money. If it’s not in coaching, it’s got to be in something else, so I’m quite pleased to be doing something else. As you say, Glassroom Extensions, it’s been a big thing for me to go and get involved in. It’s a big company, it’s with friends of mine, Keith Nethercott and Scott Elliot, so I’m please to be doing what I’m doing. I think people will tell you a long the way, I never stand still, I’m a bit of a character, I’ve sort of reinvented myself with the book. I get out there, I do the after dinner speaking and I still do a little bit of Elvis, so I’m quite pleased doing that.”
MJ: “And back to the book, are there many great tales of Tranmere that we can enjoy reading?”
EN: “Yeah, there’s tales about Johnny King, tales about Ian Muir, Johnny Morrissey – Johnny Morrissey for me is the funniest man I’ve ever seen in my life, he doesn’t know it but he’s funny – him and the way we used to travel to away games, and home games, travelling on the coach and have a few beers; as it says on there, we play together and we fight together, that’s the camaraderie and the spirit we had and that’s the spirit that Ronnie Moore is trying to get back to these lads here and that’s something I’m sure he’s going to achieve”.
MJ: “Certainly, and you showed an interest when Les Parry was sacked [in the managers job], you said you’d love to come back, would that be something you’d be interested in doing in the future?”
EN: “Of course, I’d love to come back to the club in any capacity. I’d be the tea boy if they wanted, it’s not a problem. This club’s in my blood, I think people know that, as is Man City. I’ve got one foot in each as Johnny King used to say to us!”
MJ: “And as we saw at the Leyton Orient game when you came back, you hit the crossbar at half-time, you’ve still got great affection for coming back and meeting all the lads. You played in the Masters last year, do you still love just meeting up?”
EN: “Well, you couldn’t have scripted that, could you? Me, coming on the pitch and hitting the crossbar first time! I think a lot of people would say “that just sums Eric Nixon up that doesn’t it” and I had my Pat Nevin Ali Baba slippers on as well! Yeah, my affection…I don’t need to tell you or the supporters what my affection at heart is…I’ve had a love, love, love relationship ever since I’ve been at the club! As you say, I’d love to be at the club in some capacity – it’s not to be at this moment in time but you never know in the future. Let’s just concentrate on keeping these guys in the division and keeping the fans happy because that’s where they need to be!”
MJ: “And the book’s available in all good book stores in Merseyside now?”
EN: “Well, it’s actually sold out twice in Waterstones, so you better get a push on! Yeah, Waterstones, Mersey Books and WH Smiths now apparently, Amazon as well. At all reputable bookstores it’s available, most of all the Tranmere club shop!”
Total Tranmere would like to thank Eric for taking the time to take part in this interview. The book is available now from several bookstores on Merseyside, priced £12.99.
If you wish to listen to this interview, it is on this week's Totally Tranmere Podcast, downloadable for free from iTunes (search Totally Tranmere) or http://totally-tranmere.podomatic.com/
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30/03/2012 20:10
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:04:04:17:53:31 by Deadly Submarine.
