David (Davie) Cooper (February 25, 1956 - March 23, 1995) Davie
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.
His funeral took place at Hillhouse Parish Church, Hamilton
on Monday March 27, 1995.
Davie Cooper is remembered as one of the most significant players
in the histories of Clydebank, Rangers and Motherwell football
clubs. In his eulogy to Cooper, the then Rangers manager, Walter
Smith, said that "God gave Davie Cooper a talent. He would
not be disappointed with how it was used.”
Christine Cooper’s article in the Rangers Monthly:
“My Love for Davie”
Christine Cooper shed a river of tears when she was told her beloved
Davie had died. Although the couple had become estranged in later
years, Christine never lost any love for her soul-mate Coop.
The couple married in the spring 1980 at Coatdyke Congregational
Church in Airdrie and, although they separated 10 years later,
Christine insists they were the happiest times of her life.
“I miss him very much” reflects Christine. “Although
we had separated, Davie was always phoning or popping in to see
me. We were still very close. Davie was very family-orientated
and outside of that he loved his horse racing, squash and laterally
tennis. He loved our dog, which was called Blue funnily enough,
but sadly it too has passed on.
Christine met Coop through Davie’s brother, John, who
had been dating one of her workmates. She admits that, it her
case, it was love at first sight.
“Straight away I began to follow Davie’s career,”
she said. “I used to go to Clydebank and watch him. I was
active in sports but I was never really hooked on football until
I met him. I never appreciated how good he was until I watched
videos and heard people talking, it was as though the ball was
glued to his feet.”
“Like most players he was disappointed if his team had
lost but Davie would always try to give 100 per cent and sometimes
his head would be down if his team had won but he hadn’t
performed well. That was Davie though, a perfectionist.”
Christine is set to visit friends in Singapore next month, where
she is to gain instant honorary membership to the Davie Cooper
Memorial Rangers Supporter Club, based in The Sportsman’s
Bar on Orchard Road.
She said: “I have friends in Singapore and they told me
the locals there are over the moon because the Sportsman’s
Bar is apparently a shrine to Davie. That says it all about the
man. It’s good to hear that even in far-off countries Davie
is still remembered and loved. He was an exceptionally kind man
and I do miss him”.
Christine also backed the Davie Cooper Memorial Fund and asked
fans to continue to help the cause.
“I know that when the Daily Record stopped the initial
appeal for cash, people were asking where their money was going.
The funds have well spent in research but we can’t allow
it to dwindle. For Davie’s sake we must keep it going.”
Christine indeed visited us at The Sportsman and presented Davie’s
windbreaker to the Davie Cooper Memorial Rangers Supporters Club
which now hangs proudly in The Sportsman beside his number “11”
shirt.
Please support the Davie Cooper Memorial Fund, Hamilton, Scotland
(Tel 1675 464492).
