Neale James Cooper (24 November 1963 – 28 May 2018) was a Scottish
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player and coach. He played as a
midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
during the 1980s and 1990s, most prominently for the
Aberdeen
Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
team managed by
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former professional football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as the greatest manager of all time and ...
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
Peterhead
Peterhead (; , ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is the council area's largest settlement, with a population of 19,060 at the 2022 Census for Scotland, 2022 Census. It is the largest fishing port in the United Kingdom for total landi ...
.
Playing career
Born in
Darjeeling
Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
Aberdeen
Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
and began his senior career with
Aberdeen
Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
, the team he had supported as a boy. A first-team regular from the beginning of the 1981–82 season, he starred in midfield for the Dons for five seasons in which he won two Premier Division championships, four
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former professional football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as the greatest manager of all time and ...
. Having initially moved into a flat in Aberdeen as a young player, Cooper was 'persuaded' by Ferguson to return to his mother's home to help ensure that Cooper was shielded from the obvious temptations arising from youthful independence.
In the summer of 1986, he signed for Aston Villa. Cooper made only twenty league appearances in the next two years, partly because of injuries. In the 1988–89 season, he transferred to Rangers but injuries restricted him to only seventeen league appearances and he failed to make a single first team appearance in the 1990–91 season – instead, he was restricted to sixteen appearances in the reserves, the final one coming against Motherwell on 30 March 1991
In 1991, Cooper signed for
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
, where he linked up with his former Aberdeen teammate
Mark McGhee
Mark Edward McGhee (born 25 May 1957) is a Scottish former professional football player and coach. A former forward, McGhee started his career at Greenock Morton in 1975 and had spells at clubs including Newcastle United, Aberdeen, Hamburg, ...
. Cooper made seven league appearances in a brief stint with Reading, before he moved to Dunfermline Athletic. At Dunfermline he was able to play regularly, helping them win promotion to the Premier Division in 1995–96 (having lost to his former club Aberdeen in the play-off a year earlier).
Despite his success at club level and a prominent role in the national age-group teams including at the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship, he never gained a full
cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...
for
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, a fact which surprised many.
Managerial career
Ross County
In 1996, Cooper moved into management with Ross County. He guided the ''Staggies'' through two successful promotion campaigns climbing from the fourth to the second tier, before stepping down after a run of only one win in eleven games.
Hartlepool United
After a break from the game, Cooper was appointed manager of Hartlepool United. Pools had been promoted from the bottom tier of English football to Division Two for the third time in their history, but manager Mike Newell had been sacked. He was a surprise choice of chairman Ken Hodcroft, but Cooper's strong
Aberdeen
Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
links, with Pools owners IOR Ltd based in the Scottish city, helped his cause. Hodcroft was impressed by Cooper from their first encounter. Upon appointment, Cooper joked "I've come from Ross County, which is somewhere up near Iceland".
His first game in charge of Hartlepool was a memorable 4–3 opening day of the season win at Peterborough United – with four new signings all getting on the scoresheet, creating history in the process. Cooper described it as "One of the most emotional games of football I've ever been involved in" after his new side came back from 3–1 down to win.
That momentum carried Hartlepool forward, coupled with Cooper's charisma and touchline passion. New signing
Marco Gabbiadini
Marco Gabbiadini (born 20 January 1968) is an English former professional association football, footballer whose career lasted 18 years from 1985 to 2003. He played for 12 different clubs, scoring a total of 226 league goals.
Playing career ...
made an impact before he was forced to retire. Another new striking recruit Paul Robinson scored a hat-trick in a Friday night 8–1 thumping of
Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Nicknamed "the Mariners", the club was f ...
at Victoria Park. Cooper then drove back home to Aberdeen to be with his family after the game.
Cooper's touchline manner meant he was an instant hit with the Hartlepool crowd and that season he led the team to their highest-ever league finish – sixth in Division Two. They also took over 10,000 fans to the Stadium of Light – the biggest away attendance at Sunderland's ground – for an FA Cup third round tie.
Hartlepool secured a play-off spot after a 1–1 draw at
Swindon Town
Swindon Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Founded as Swindon A ...
on the final day. Both teams only needed a point to make the play-offs and Hartlepool took on Bristol City. Hartlepool drew 1–1 at home, before losing 2–1 in the second-leg, conceding two late goals after Antony Sweeney had headed Hartlepool in front.
The next season, Hartlepool again finished sixth. Cooper's side embarked on a 12-game unbeaten run at the turn of the year with
Adam Boyd
Adam Mark Boyd (born 25 May 1982) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker.
During his studies at Hartlepool Manor School of Technology, he played for Hartlepool ...
and Joel Porter irresistible up front. But Pools won only 3 of 12 games, including a 4–6 home loss to Wrexham. And after a home defeat by Walsall, Cooper was controversially removed from his post, with just one league game to go. Hodcroft later said that the manager was struggling on a number of personal fronts with his family and children back in Aberdeen.
Cooper's assistant Martin Scott took temporary command and Cooper's players made the play-off final, losing 4–2 to Sheffield Wednesday after extra time.
Gillingham
Three weeks after leaving Hartlepool, he took over the reins at Gillingham. Cooper resigned in November of that year after poor performances in the league and an
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
defeat to
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English Association football, football league that was founded in 1968. Together with the Isthmian League and the Southern Football League, Southern League it forms levels seven and eight of the English footba ...
side
Burscough
Burscough () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the district of West Lancashire, Lancashire, England. The town is located approximately north-northeast of Liverpool and southwest of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. Its north ...
.
Peterhead
In October 2006, Cooper returned to Scottish football with Second Division
Peterhead
Peterhead (; , ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is the council area's largest settlement, with a population of 19,060 at the 2022 Census for Scotland, 2022 Census. It is the largest fishing port in the United Kingdom for total landi ...
, as he took on the role of first team coach under the management of Steve Paterson. When Paterson left Peterhead in early 2008, Cooper took over as manager. Peterhead narrowly missed out on the end of season playoffs for a place in the Scottish First Division in 2008 finishing 5th, however he guided the Blue Toon to fourth place the following season and a playoff against
Airdrie United
Airdrieonians Football Club is a Scottish professional football team in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, who are members of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and play in the . They were formed in 2002 as Airdrie United Football Clu ...
. Peterhead struggled in the following season, however, and Cooper left the club in March 2011 with them sitting bottom of the Second Division table.
Hartlepool United
On 28 December 2011, Cooper was reappointed as manager of League One club Hartlepool United. In Neale's third game as manager, Pools managed to end their poor run of home form with a 2–0 win against
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...
. Cooper brought numerous talented young players into the Hartlepool first team with seven teenagers from the club's academy making their debuts. – including Luke James.
After a 3–2 defeat on the final day to league champions Charlton Athletic, he guided them to a 13th-place finish in the 2011–12 season, their highest league finish since he was last in charge at The Vic. After a poor run of form at the start of the 2012–13 season and unable to halt the slide, Cooper resigned as Hartlepool boss in late October after a defeat at relegation rivals Bury.
Ross County
On 23 November 2012, Cooper was appointed assistant manager of Ross County, by now a
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...
side, alongside Derek Adams. Cooper left Ross County at the end of the 2013–14 season.
Personal life
In November 2017, Cooper was one of four inductees into the Aberdeen ''Hall of Fame''.
His son
Alex
Alex is a given name. Similar names are Alexander, Alexandra, Alexey or Alexis.
People
Multiple
* Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people
* Alex Cook (disambiguation), multiple people
* Alex Forsyth (disambiguation), multiple people
* Al ...
played in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
youth
academy
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
, after a £100,000 move from Ross County in December 2007. Alex spent the summer of 2006 at a training camp in Switzerland with Chelsea, and Jose Mourinho had reportedly tracked his development. He was released by Liverpool in 2011 and has since played first team football for several clubs, mainly in Scotland.
Death
On 28 May 2018 it was reported that Cooper was in a critical condition after being found collapsed in a stairwell of flats in
Aberdeen
Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
. He died later that day, aged 54.
A public memorial event and celebration of Cooper's life was held at Aberdeen's ground
Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium, commonly referred to as Pittodrie, from which the surrounding residential area has taken its name, is an all-seater stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland. Used primarily for Association football, football, it has been the home ground o ...
on 8 June 2018. The evening was attended by his family, former teammates and fans and saw over 4,000 people attend.
In June, his former club Hartlepool United announced that they would be renaming a stand in his honour. The Neale Cooper Stand, formerly the Mill House Stand, was officially unveiled in a pre-season game against
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
in July.
Career statistics
Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Sources:
Managerial statistics
Honours
Player
Aberdeen
*
Scottish Premier Division
The Scottish Football League Premier Division was, from 1975 until 1998, the top division of the Scottish Football League and the entire Scottish football league system. It lay above the Scottish Football League First, Second and (from 1994) ...
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League cup in ...
1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
Rangers
*Scottish League Cup: 1988–89
Dunfermline Athletic
*
Scottish Football League First Division
The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. It was replaced by the Scottish Championship.
History
The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 in Scottish footb ...
:
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
Scottish Football League Second Division
The Scottish Football League Second Division was the third tier of the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013.
History
The Second Division was created in 1975, as part of a wider reconstruction of the Scottish Football League (SFL ...
Football League One
The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship reasons, or simply League One, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League One is the second-highest division of the English Football League an ...