FRIDAY'S FORMER STAGS: Arthur Mann

This week in our Friday's Former Stags series we focus on classy midfielder Arthur Mann.
1981 Stags player of the year presentation to Arthur Mann, centre by director John Almond, left and Chad Sports Editor Stan Searle1981 Stags player of the year presentation to Arthur Mann, centre by director John Almond, left and Chad Sports Editor Stan Searle
1981 Stags player of the year presentation to Arthur Mann, centre by director John Almond, left and Chad Sports Editor Stan Searle

The Scot was Stags’ Player of the Year in 1980/81 and played at Field Mill for three seasons.

The son of former Hull City star Neil Mann, Arthur Mann began his career at Hearts in 1965, and three years later he moved to Manchester City, signed by Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison for a then club record fee of £85,000.

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Unfortunately his fear of flying left him unable to take part in City’s European adventures.

Failing to break into the successful Cup-winning side, after a loan spell at Blackpool in November 1971, he ended up making a £15,000 move to Stags’ neighbours Notts County in July 1972.

Mann enjoyed the best years of his career at Meadow Lane, making over 240 appearances in seven years.

A brief spell at Shrewsbury followed before, aged 31, he arrived at Mansfield in October 1979.

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After 116 games for Stags, he finally moved on to Boston United a free transfer in the summer of 1982 and went to on to be assistant manager of Grimsby Town with Alan Buckley, the pair moving on to West Brom in 1994.

Aged just 51, Mann tragically died on February 4th 1999 in an industrial accident at a Birmingham factory.

Driving a fork lift truck outside the factory to load a container, a lorry had come down the road towards him, so he reversed across the road, away from the container, to let the lorry pass.

However, the trucks forks were still raised and, as he reached the other kerb, the fork lift truck overturned and he was crushed underneath it.

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An investigation found he had not been trained to drive fork lift trucks.

It was a tragic and premature end to a life that had given so much pleasure to so many people.

What memories do you have of Arthur Mann?

Let us know on our new Chad Mansfield Town Facebook page.

As the new football season approaches, we have just launched a brand new Chad Mansfield Town Facebook page.

Replacing the old one, the new page will offer you a new, improved service with a bigger and better stream of news, comment, video, and photographs old and new to keep you in touch with all things Stags.

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We’d also love to see your old pictures and hear your thoughts on all things Mansfield Town. So get involved and have your say today.

For all our current Chad Stags Facebook friends and all newcomers, simply click onto the link below and then click on the LIKE button on the page.

Click HERE for the new Chad Mansfield Town Facebook page.