Neale Cooper

[scotfree]

Loved watching him play. Always gave 100%

Fucking gutted. 

[BobbyBiscuit]

Sad, sad news.  Met him just the once but even from that one brief meeting you could tell he was a good guy who loved the Dons.

 

Never knew until yesterday that he was playing for the reserves aged 14, 1st team debut at 16, that's something else that and a sign of how good he was and how highly regarded he was by his coaches.

 

RIP Tattie

[Stupie82]

I had a tear in my eye when I read he was gone. a real shame, but what a life he packed into his years.

 

Hopefully the club can arrange something good as a tribute to him.

 

RIP Neale.

 

Hopefully they do something in his memory. Im too young to remember his playing days, but I have watched many a video and he was a great player. That goal he scored against Rangers in the cup is one of the greatest moments for our club, it was every school boys dream and you could see what it meant to him.

 

RIP Neale. 

[DollyLongstaffe]

Sad, sad news.  Met him just the once but even from that one brief meeting you could tell he was a good guy who loved the Dons.

 

Never knew until yesterday that he was playing for the reserves aged 14, 1st team debut at 16, that's something else that and a sign of how good he was and how highly regarded he was by his coaches.

 

RIP Tattie

 

Wonderful player though he became, as a teenager he was expected to be even better.  Even the Weegia had him marked down as a future long-term Scotland captain by the time he was 16, when he was considered one of the few best in the world for his age.  He was expected to develop into a 100 caps player.

 

Of course plenty of youngsters don't quite fulfil that early promise but Cooper himself thought he was played too often when he was too young, and Fergie later admitted that he regretted pushing some of the Aberdeen kids too hard.  You could argue that the likes of Black and Hewitt also failed to achieve the glittering careers their talent as youngsters promised.

 

Maybe he was always destined to develop a percentage point or two less well than his peer group.  It's fine margins at that level.  But maybe being pushed physically before his body was ready deprived him of an entirely different level of success.  Maybe Beckenbauer wasn't speaking shite. We'll always wonder.

[donsdaft]

Aye, but of course he couldn't get a game in his proper position, could he?

 

A lot is made of the " too much too young" theory

 

No doubt there is a lot of truth in it.

 

Personally I reckon you have to grab your chance when it comes along, let the future take care of itself.

 

At the age of 23, his medal collection included

 

2 league titles

4 Scottish cups

1 league cup

1 European cup winners cup

1 Super cup

 

 

Would he really have been better served by playing reserve football?

[CvB]

It will be considered crass in some quarters to evoke truth or at least not ignore truth during a period of grieving - and I'm hurting big time tonight - but here's something younger people won't know;

 

Durrant was one of the most promising footballers Scotland had ever produced. His career was ended by that Neil Simpson assault. But it was Neale Cooper who inspired the assault through his sheer determination to win.

 

It was a determination that was pre-existing in his psyche but a will to win that his manager, SAF, didn't just recognise, but used to great effect.

 

Cooper was real. He gave his all on the pitch. He was programmed to fight and win and was so physically committed, he won more than he lost. They don't make them like that any more. RIP Nealie. Just a fantastic footballer and a perfect attitude in combat. We lost one of our best ever tonight. Love and respect.

 

Agree completely there. I've always said that he was the catalyst for that incident. Went steamin' in and started the chain of events that led to THAT tackle.

 

I was reading one of the many interviews with him that were recirculating last night. In one of them he spoke about THAT game, well, it was mentioned but he said that he wouldn't talk about it.

He felt some blame for the events of that day because he felt that the hatred from the terraces was ramped up by his presence.

Also said it was a difficult time because he considered both durrant and Simpson as good friends.

 

There's not many folk that have the personality and genuine likableness that could make me forget they'd turned out for them, he was.

 

When a genuine legend like this passes, something special needs to be done to permanently mark their passing. I hope the club does him proud.

 

[RicoS321]

Aye, but of course he couldn't get a game in his proper position, could he?

 

A lot is made of the " too much too young" theory

 

No doubt there is a lot of truth in it.

 

Personally I reckon you have to grab your chance when it comes along, let the future take care of itself.

 

At the age of 23, his medal collection included

 

2 league titles

4 Scottish cups

1 league cup

1 European cup winners cup

1 Super cup

 

 

Would he really have been better served by playing reserve football?

 

I think Cooper fell into the "if you're good enough you're old enough" category though. I think that the question is "would he have been better served by playing less games in his early career". He could easily have had all those medals whilst only playing 20-30 games per season. I suspect it's entirely different for every person though, and probably only easier to evaluate in hindsight. There's no doubting he had a great career.

[rocket_scientist]

There's no doubting he had a great career.

 

Absolutely, although sadly his best days were behind him before he reached the age when most are coming into their prime. There will be a number of reasons for this which will include the physical and the mental.

 

He endured numerous injections that Ferguson got him to take to push his body beyond the pain threshold and beyond its limits, which would have taken its toll. But mentally, he never grew up. He was comfortable in the joker role but couldn't hold down lasting relationships, neither personally nor professionally. It is ironic yet fitting that his last act may have involved chasing skirt although tragic that he never found lasting love.

[Garlogie_Granite]

So very sad, I watched "the goal" last night, beer in hand, and quietly shed a tear outside in semi-darkness on my bench.

[donsdaft]

I sat with a beer outside last night as well , watching “the goal” and I admit to a certain dampness around the eyes.

 

Greetin for my own lost youth?

Probably

 

Neale Cooper was part of it all though.

It’s so bloody sad

[tlg1903]

Before my time, which goal?

 

Very sad to hear of coops passing,  my pal Terry knew him as he used to stay in his hotel in Inverness.  Total gent apparently. 

 

RIP Tattie, wish I had seen you in your prime.

[RicoS321]

Before my time, which goal?

 

Against the hun in the cup. You'll have undoubtedly seen it afore

 

https://twitter.com/BBCNorthEast/status/1001150870929727489

[donsdaft]

Is it possible to wear things out when you watch them online?

[donsdaft]

Oh to have scored that goal

 

“ Get it right fuckin up ye”

 

 

 

There is no doubt, that’s the goal I would have most liked to score myself.

[Elgindon]

 

Aye min,my favourite cup final.There was always a doubt at 3 - 1 there might be a couple of suspicious dodgy pens late on,....til Tattie smashed that 4th one in  .  That GIRUY just sealed a beautiful day

 

[Obanred]

I mind replicating that goal many a time as a kid. Hammering it in far a whole 2yds.

 

[donsdaft]

Aye min,my favourite cup final.There was always a doubt at 3 - 1 there might be a couple of suspicious dodgy pens late on,....til Tattie smashed that 4th one in  .  That GIRUY just sealed a beautiful day

 

 

 

Ach, I'm nae writing it a oot again

[Elgindon]

Ach well,thanks for letting me know I think

 

 

 

 

[February1971]

RIP loon

[manc_don]

The goal any fan would love to score.  No skill really required, but sheer determination.  Obviously not reflective of his true abilities but great nonetheless.  Wish I could have seen him play in the flesh.

 

Interesting read CvB and Rocket. good posts 

[A llad insane]

Absolutely, although sadly his best days were behind him before he reached the age when most are coming into their prime. There will be a number of reasons for this which will include the physical and the mental.

 

He endured numerous injections that Ferguson got him to take to push his body beyond the pain threshold and beyond its limits, which would have taken its toll. But mentally, he never grew up. He was comfortable in the joker role but couldn't hold down lasting relationships, neither personally nor professionally. It is ironic yet fitting that his last act may have involved chasing skirt although tragic that he never found lasting love.

 

 

So very true, he was a real player on & off the park

[Elgindon]

 

Great tributes from the Hartlepool fans http://www.pooliebunker.co.uk/newbunker/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=63460

[dons8321]

Great tributes from the Hartlepool fans http://www.pooliebunker.co.uk/newbunker/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=63460

 

Be great if we could organize a pre-season friendly with 'Pool.

 

[CvB]

Real Madrid...very nice touch

 

https://www.afc.co.uk/2018/05/30/letter-from-real-madrid/

 

 

[tlg1903]

Just about to post that, fair play to them for even noticing let alone sending a letter.