Davie Cooper

At 39 years old, Davie Cooper has this physical status:

David Cooper (25 February 1956 – 23 March 1995) was a Scottish professional football player who played for Clydebank (twice), Rangers, and Motherwell.

He has also played for the Scotland national team.

Cooper is often regarded as one of the most gifted footballers of his time. After collapsing during the filming of a teaching video, he died of a brain haemorrhage on March 23, 1995.

Early life

Cooper was born in Hamilton, Scotland, on February 25, 1956 to John Cooper (1918–1998) and Jean Cooper (1926–2012). His father worked as a steel worker at Lanarkshire Steel Works, while his mother worked as a barmaid at the Lariat Hostelry in Hamilton. Cooper, alongside his elder brother John, was a Rangers supporter in his youth and regularly attended games at Ibrox with his dad, later traveling by himself to Glasgow.

He began attending Beckford Street Primary in Hamilton before heading to Udston Primary. Cooper was soon appointed captain of the Udston primary team and spent as an insider (roughly equivalent to a modern-day deep-lying striker). Cooper and his team won the Shinwell Cup youth tournament, defeating Low Waters Primary 4–2 in the final at Douglas Park, the former home of Hamilton Academical.

Cooper attended St. John's Grammar School (now Hamilton Grammar School) after his primary education. Cooper was dissatisfied with his new environment, particularly because of St John's inability to organise a school football team until his third year. Bill and Rose MacKenzie, allies of Cooper's parents, decided to form Udston United, a new youth football team. Cooper was one of the club's first players, and he helped promote the club in the local community whether training or playing matches.

John, Davie's older brother, who was sixteen at the time, went to England for a trial period with Hull City. While John's time in Europe, he found his spell particularly difficult, and he had trouble with homesickness and the hard-tackling defenders who were prevalent at the time. After two years as a member of Larkhall Thistle, John returned to Scotland.

Cooper himself joined Hamilton Avondale, a local youth team formed by brothers Alan and Stuart Noble, the Avondale Works' founders. He began with the under-16 team before moving to the under-18 team. His first International recognition came when he was chosen to represent Scotland's Amateur League team and competed against England, Northern Ireland, and Wales' youth squads. He was also working as an apprentice printer at Noble's Office in Hamilton Avondale during this period. Rangers, Motherwell, Clyde, and Clydebank, as well as English players Coventry City and Crystal Palace, expressed an interest in signing Cooper.

Personal life

After meeting at an ice cream rink in summer 1975, Cooper began dating Christine McMeekin. They married at Coatdyke Congregational Church in the town of Airdrie in spring 1980, and they had one child, Nicola. The couple had been separated for many years at the time of Cooper's death.

Cooper was reluctant to comment in newspapers and rarely appeared in interviews. Despite many of his coworkers and relatives complimenting his personality, he was dubbed "The Moody Blue" for his reserved appearance. Hugh Keevins, a writer and friend, wrote an article about Cooper: "He could be grumpy like every other human being in a demanding profession, but I remember the cheerful smile and the winning personality."

Ally McCoist, a close friend, who wrote in a newspaper tribute to Cooper, said, "I still consider myself as being blessed to have the opportunity to live and work and share football memories with Davie, whether in Ibrox or when we were in Scotland squads, or simply chewing the details of the game we adored."

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Club career

As he approached 18, Cooper's apprenticeship as a printer with the Noble family at their Almada Street Almada Street offices came to an end. Cooper had almost no involvement in football outside of work. Stuart Noble, one of Hamilton Avondale's owners, called Clydebank director Jack Steedman, who parked his car outside the Avondale offices in the hopes of persuading Cooper to join the club. On May 16, 1974, a Steedman (who was well aware of Cooper's abilities) signed the youngster. "I raided the Bankers' club safe and took the silver from the gaming machines in the social club's auction and converted it into pound notes." I carried £300 worth of beer-stained notes, pushed to the printing works in Hamilton, where he worked and begged him to join the club. It was the best thing I ever did in forty years of football.

Clydebank, under Bill Munro's leadership, were an exciting outfit with players including Jimmy Lumsden, Gregor Abel, Jim Fallon, and Peter Kane in their ranks, despite limited training facilities and an ash training pitch. "It definitely threw him up, because these were the days when defenders were allowed to fight really hard and you had to be a tenacious person to keep charging down the wing under these circumstances," Fallon said of Cooper's first spell with Clydebank.

In the Scottish League Cup, Cooper made his Clydebank debut against Airdrieonians. Nine groups of four teams, Clydebank, and Stirling Albion were all placed in group seven during this period, including Airdrieonians, St Mirren, and Stirling Albion. Airdrie won 4–0, the first game being played on August 10, 1974. In the second meeting of the two teams in the alliance, his full debut was against Airdrie, but Airdrie came first, this time by 2–1. This was his first game at New Kilbowie Park. With two victories and four losses, Clydebank finished last in group seven, with two victories and four losses.

In the last season before League re-construction, Cooper's Scottish debut came in the Second Division, where Clydebank was defeated 3–0 against Queen of the South on Saturday 31 August 31, 1974. He first appeared on the winning team for the Banks on November 30, when they defeated Cowdenbeath 2–1. In the 4–1 victory over Alloa Athletic, his first goal for the team came two games later when he scored his third goal at Kilbowie. Cooper made it to a good start, 2 as a replacement, and 5 goals.

Cooper was one of four 'presents' in the 1975-76 season. He was ranked 13th in the Clydebank goalscoring list, three of which were penalties. At Alloa Athletic, where Clydebank defeated 3-1 for his first hat-trick in senior football. Clydebank won by 2–0 over Forfar Athletic in their final match, in which Cooper scored the opening goal from a penalty. Cooper appeared in all of Clydebank's 49 games this season, scoring 22 goals. Cooper's services were worth more than double what he was earning as a Bankie, according to Clydebank's transfer bid of £65,000, with Villa under Ron Saunders' leadership. Despite this, Cooper and Clydebank turned down the bid, with the hopes of continuing to prosper in the new division.

Clydebank was a dominant force in the Scottish First Division from 1976 to 1977. They fought for supremacy with a slew of talent with a young Alex Ferguson, who was then under the care of a young Alex Ferguson. The team won 6–0 away victory over East Fife on December 4, 1976, and an historic 8–1 home win over Arbroath on January 3, 1977, during which Cooper scored another hat-trick for the team. The club won a series of seventeen matches between December 1975 and 1976, with the help of Cooper's talent.

When Clydebank was drawn against his boyhood team Rangers in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals in September 1976, he had a major opportunity. Rangers had won the Scottish treble last season under Jock Wallace's leadership, and were looking for young, innovative talent to add to their ranks. On the 22nd of September 1976, the first leg took place at Ibrox. Clydebank and Cooper proved to be tumultuous opponents throughout the game. "I'll break your leg," defender John Greig said around two minutes in. With Rangers, the Clydebank team held their own and ended 3–3 draw, with Cooper scoring the team's vital equalizer in the 78th minute. On October 6, 1976, a return leg match was held at Kilbowie Park. Greig opened the scoring for the away team in the 43rd minute this time. In the 60th minute, Cooper levelled the scoring, and the game ended 1–1. On October 18, 1976, there was a third meeting to determine the winner that resulted in a 0–0 draw. Rangers defeated the Clydebank team on October 19, 1976 at Firhill Stadium, the fourth meeting between the two teams. In the 6th minute, Derek Parlane started scoring, but Cooper equalized for Clydebank a minute later. Bobby McKean scored the deciding goal in the tie in the 61st minute, ensuring that Rangers advanced to the semi-finals.

Rangers were evidently able to guarantee Cooper a deal for his performance. The Govan team first offered Clydebank £50,000, but the sum has since increased several times, finally settling on £100,000 to keep Cooper as a Rangers player. He traveled with his father and elder brother to a meeting with Rangers executives, including Wallace, Willie Waddell, and Willie Thornton. Cooper was paid £3,500 after tax for the service and a £10,000 salary.

Cooper's last goal for the Banks was against Raith Rovers in a 2–0 victory at New Kilbowie on April 23, 1977. Cooper was expected to be a Rangers player. In a 4–2 victory over Falkirk in his last game for the club, he was defeated in 4–2 defeat a week later.

Cooper, along with new signings Bobby Russell and Gordon Smith, joined Jock Wallace's side in the summer of 1977. In the first weeks of the club, the three children formed a close team. Rangers' defensively, they had depth and experience with players such as John Greig, Tom Forsyth, Colin Jackson, and Sandy Jardine. Cooper, Russell, and Smith were brought in to play more cutting-edge attacking play as the game went forward.

Despite losing the first two league games of the 1977-78 season, the new attacking trio quickly returned to form. Cooper was involved in his first Old Firm match against Celtic on September 10, 1977, defeating Celtic 4–0. Cooper described the match's intensity: "Even if we were drained by the time we were over, we had to keep going for the fans." In the resulting match, a 3-3 draw against St Mirren on September 17, Cooper scored his first league goal for Rangers in the following match. Cooper scored twice in the game, one directly from a corner kick. The club began a streak of ten games undefeated, culminating in a 4–0 loss to Aberdeen two months later on December 24th. Rangers' first trophy came on March 18, 1978, after losing Celtic 2–1 in the 1978 Scottish League Cup Final at Hampden Park, with Cooper and Smith on the scoresheet. Rangers barely regained the title by two points against Aberdeen following a 2–0 home win over Motherwell on April 29, 1978, with goals from Smith and Jackson. In the 1978 Scottish Cup Final, Aberdeen will meet them again. Alex MacDonald and Derek Johnstone scored a 2–1 victory at Hampden and Rangers' domestic treble. Cooper played in fifty-two of Rangers' fifty-three games, scoring eight goals in his first year with the club.

Jock Wallace, the boss of Rangers, left Rangers on May 23, 1978, and John Greig replaced him. The club got off to a rocky start in the 1978–79 season, losing their first six league games. Despite this, they won over Juventus and PSV Eindhoven in the European Cup, with Cooper failing to be selected for Greig's ties. They had just about lost the title in a 4–2 away loss to Celtic on May 21, 1979, and they had a mixed season domestically following the defeat. Cooper, who lost the championship, said, "You just want to emigrate as soon as you've been changed and stepped out of the ground." It's like a spectre that haunts you for weeks." Despite this, Rangers won the 1979 Scottish Cup Final by a 2–1 victory over Aberdeen and were victorious in the 1979 Scottish Cup Final, winning 3–2 over Hibernian. Tensions between Cooper and Greig were starting to rise, mainly due to the fact that the new manager's less frequent selection of Coopers was delayed. Cooper would often return home to Hamilton, arguing that the team he adored was "kicking him in the teeth." Cooper made 49 appearances and scored ten goals during the 1998-season. Cooper scored a memorable solo goal against Celtic in the 1979 Drybrough Cup Final in Hampden on August 4th. Alex MacDonald's crossed ball hit Cooper at the end of the box, where he continued to "keep" the ball over Roddie MacDonald, Murdo MacLeod, Tom McAdam, and Alan Sneddon before putting the ball past rushing Celtic goalkeeper Peter Latchford. After Diego Maradona's Goal of the Century, Rangers fans and journalists honored the goal as the second highest ever solo goal by Rangers fans and ranked by The Guardian's Rob Smyth as the second highest ever solo goal. Sandy Jardine, who had scored a stunning second goal for Rangers during the match, confessed that his goal had been overshadowed by Cooper's. "I scored one of my best goals that day," Jardine said, "and it hardly got a mention."

Cooper's services were revived by the summer of 1979, sparking new enthusiasm among Newcastle United, Coventry City, and West Bromwich Albion, who were once more turned down by Cooper in favour of staying close to home. The 1979–80 season was the first of only three seasons at Ibrox during his time as coach of the club. Alan Mullery of Brighton reportedly placed an offer for both Cooper and Rangers teammate Gordon Smith in 1980; Smith later died, but Cooper continued. Cooper stayed.

Cooper appeared in fewer than half of the regular league games during the 1980–81 season. He was, however, in the starting lineup for the Scottish Cup final replay against Dundee United, which Rangers defeated. This was his last Scottish Cup champion medal for the Ibrox team.

Cooper made his 21st appearance in a League Cup tie for Rangers, winning through to the Final in 1981–82. In the final, his only goal in the Ibrox team's 11 ties was defeated. As Rangers claimed third place, Cooper appeared in just six league games.

Cooper scored his first hat-trick for Rangers (in a sectional League Cup match against Kilmarnock) and his first and only European goal against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Cup, he scored in the 1982-1983 season. It was his most prolific goalscoring season for the club, with 12 goals in all competitions.

In the 1986–87 season, Cooper scored eight Scottish Premier Division goals, when Rangers won their first league title in nine years.

Cooper captured League Cup medals in 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, and 1988–88. In 1986–87 against Celtic, he scored the winning goal from the penalty spot. In a 3–3 draw against Aberdeen, he scored a free-kick, Rangers' first goal. Rangers won 5–3 on penalties, with Cooper winning his seventh champion's medal.

Rangers defeated Girondins de Bordeaux 3–2, with Terry Butcher, Kevin Drinkell, and Ally McCoist netting for Rangers. Cooper played 75 goals in 540 appearances during his Rangers career. When asked to describe his time at Rangers, he simply replied, "I played for the team I adored."

Cooper's presence in the Rangers first team began to decrease after the Souness Revolution in Ibrox and an influx of high-profile signings. "He (Souness) was bringing guys like Mark Walters, an exciting talent from down south," Broadcaster Tam Cowan said. But Davie, who adored the game so much, wanted to go somewhere where he could play first team football." Souness later admitted that allowing Cooper to leave for Motherwell was wrong, adding: "I regret that I didn't say no to him at the time." He continued to play at the highest level for another three years.

Cooper spent 12 years at Ibrox, then became a manager for Motherwell, who then saw Tommy McLean in August 1989 for £50,000. In a midweek Scottish League Cup tie against Kilmarnock on August 15, 1989, Joe Ferguson made his debut for the club. Motherwell defeated the match 4–1, with Cooper assisting in three of the four goals scored. In a 3–0 victory over Dundee at Fir Park on September 30, 1989, he scored his first goal for the North Lanarkshire team the following month.

Cooper spent almost five years with Motherwell before going on to play more than 150 times for the Steelmen. During his Motherwell tenure, he was perhaps responsible for the club winning its first major trophy in 39 years: the 1990-1991 Scottish Cup against Dundee United, which Motherwell defeated 4–3 after extra time in the final. The following day, Cooper and his colleagues paraded the streets of Motherwell on an open top bus, with thousands of spectators gathered to celebrate the team's success.

Cooper had been working in a coaching role with the reserve and youth departments when she was with Motherwell. He returned to Clydebank as a player but also as a mentor. He appeared in 20 games between 1993 and 1994, including sixteen starts and four as a substitute. He was almost unstoptable in the team from 1994 to February, when he played his last team match against Hearts in a Scottish Cup third round replay at Tynecastle on February 7th.

Cooper had scored his last goal against Airdrie earlier this season, and his last appearance in a Clydebank jersey was against Hamilton Academical on February 21, 1995.

International career

In a 0–0 draw versus the Czech Republic in Plze, Cooper made his international debut for Scotland under 21s in the 1976-1977 season. He earned three caps against Wales, Switzerland, and England during the season.

In a 1–1 draw with Peru at Hampden Park on September 12, 1979, his debut for the full Scotland national team came. Cooper returned to Austria for a 1–1 draw in the Euro 1980 qualifiers, but after that he wasn't capped for more than four years. Cooper returned to the national team in February 1984, scoring against Wales in a 2–1 British Home Championship victory, and he was on the scoresheet for Scotland later this year in a 6–1 friendly victory over Yugoslavia.

Cooper played in 11 games in a row before being a regular in the Scotland team and prior to the 1986 World Cup. In September 1985, Scotland's last qualification group match against Wales, in which Scotland needed at least a draw to hold their qualification hopes alive, was a pivotal match. Cooper started the game on the bench and Scotland faltered early in the game, as Mark Hughes scored for Wales in the 13th minute and goalkeeper Jim Leighton struggled with vision after losing a contact lens. In the 61st minute, Scotland boss Jock Stein replaced Gordon Strachan with Cooper. Scotland were awarded a penalty kick from Cooper that had nine minutes remaining. The Scotland team and around 12,000 travelling supporters celebrated their participation in the game, despite losing 1–1 draw. The achievement was completely overshadowed by Jock Stein's demise and death, who collapsed and died before he died 30 minutes later.

Cooper was also involved in a 2–0 victory over Australia in the qualification play-off, and he has appeared in two previous appearances in Mexico. In a 3–0 home victory over Luxembourg in a Euro 88 qualifier, Cooper scored his final two goals (from six in total). He was capped twice for Scotland as a Motherwell player and the last of his 22 caps was earned on May 16 in a friendly against Egypt at Pittodrie. He was refused to be selected for the Scotland squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup finals due to an injury.

In 2014, Cooper's last Scotland cap was auctioned by his friend John Semple. It was on view at the Ideal Home Show in Glasgow, Scotland, before an auction at McTear's Auctioneers estimated worth of about £8,000.

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