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Testimonial Fixtures

David (Davie) Cooper (February 25, 1956 - March 23, 1995) was a professional football player. He was a Scotland international and played as a left winger. more...

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He started his career at Clydebank F.C. where he was an instant success, helping the club to the second division championship in 1975-1976. Some of the major clubs began to take notice of his ability and in 1977 he was signed by Rangers manager Jock Wallace for £100,000. With Rangers, Cooper won three League Championships and three Scottish Cups. By season 1988-1989 he was no longer a first team regular and moved to Motherwell for £50,000. He went on to win the Scottish Cup with Motherwell in 1991 before returning to his former club Clydebank in 1994.

He tragically died of a brain haemorrhage on March 23, 1995 at just 39 and whilst still playing professional football with his first club, Clydebank. The tragedy stunned all of Scottish football and fans united in paying their respects to not only a player amongst football's most talented Left Footed Footballers, but also arguably one of Scottish football's most talented ever players.

The early years

Davie Cooper was born in Hamilton, Scotland on Saturday February 25, 1956. He attended Beckford Street Primary in Hamilton before moving on to Udston Primary, and it was to be at the latter that Davie's talent started to flourish as captain of the school team. He played then at left-half (the equivalent of left midfield in contemporary footballing terms) and at inside left (roughly equivalent to a modern-day deep-lying striker).

Cooper moved up to St. John's Grammar School (Now Hamilton Grammar School), which had no team playing before third year. He soon went on to secure a regular starting place with local juvenile team Udston United.

As a boy he was a Rangers supporter and when he was not playing it was to Ibrox that he went with his father and brother. His brother, John, had a two year spell with Hull City when he was 16, but he failed to secure a career as a professional footballer.

Cooper himself later moved on to Hamilton Avondale from where he would subsequently sign for Clydebank. He played with the Under-16 team before moving up to Under-18. At the time he was working as an apprentice printer with the brothers who ran Avondale.

He had gained a cap for the Scottish Amateur League, but his first International recognition came when he represented his country at Under-18 level against the Home Nations.

Rangers, Motherwell, Clyde and Clydebank, together with English sides Coventry City and Crystal Palace, all expressed an interest in signing the young Cooper. After his brother's less than pleasant experience on Humberside, however, Davie was hesitant about the step up to professional football. But when Cooper became too old to play for Avondale in the younger age groups, and after having served his apprenticeship as a printer, a career in professional football began to become a more realistic prospect. Cooper's bosses asked Jack Steedman, owner of Clydebank, to help persuade the youngster to turn professional. Steedman is said, perhaps apocryphally, to have turned up with the takings from the 'puggy' - the fruit machine - in the 'Bankies' social club as the lure. The sum involved varies, but the story has it that the objective was to \"persuade\" Cooper to sign. The result was that in the summer of 1974, Davie Cooper became a Clydebank player.