Colm Cooper facts for kids
Script error: The function "getImageLegend" does not exist.
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Gaelic Football | ||
| Position | Right corner-forward | ||
| Born | 3 June 1983 Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland |
||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Nickname | The Gooch | ||
| Occupation | Bank official (AIB) | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
|
2000–present
|
Dr Crokes | ||
| Club titles | |||
| Kerry titles | 8 | ||
| Munster titles | 6 | ||
| All-Ireland Titles | 1 | ||
| Inter-county(ies)* | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
|
2002–2017
|
Kerry | 85 (23–283) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 9 | ||
| All-Irelands | 5 | ||
| NFL | 4 | ||
| All Stars | 8 | ||
| *Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 16:45, 4 April 2017. | |||
Colm "the Gooch" Cooper (born June 3, 1983) is a famous Irish Gaelic footballer. He played for the Kerry county team for fifteen years, from 2002 to 2017. Many people consider him one of the greatest players of all time.
Colm was born in Killarney, County Kerry, into a family that loved Gaelic football. His father, Mike Cooper, was very involved with the Dr Crokes club. Colm's nephew, Mark, even won an All-Ireland Minor title in 2018, a championship Colm himself never won.
Colm played Gaelic football while studying at St Brendan's College. He started playing for the Dr. Crokes club when he was young. He made his senior team debut in 2000. With Dr. Crokes, he won an All-Ireland club medal in 2017. He also won five Munster club medals and six county senior championship medals.
Colm first played for Kerry at age seventeen with the minor team in 2000. He won a Munster minor medal in 2001. He then joined the Kerry under-21 team, winning a Munster medal in 2002. That same year, he joined the Kerry senior team.
Over fifteen years, Colm won five All-Ireland medals with Kerry. These wins were in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2014. He also won nine Munster medals and three National Football League medals. In 2004, he was named Texaco Footballer of the Year. He retired from inter-county football on April 4, 2017.
Colm was chosen for the Munster inter-provincial team in 2002 and 2004. He also played for the Ireland international rules football team in 2005. However, he decided not to play in later years.
Many people saw Colm as one of the greatest players ever, even while he was still playing. He won eight All-Star awards during his career. In October 2017, he released his autobiography called Gooch The Autobiography. He was also the first GAA player to have a special testimonial dinner.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Club Success with Dr. Crokes
Colm Cooper helped his club, Dr Crokes, win the Kerry Senior Football Championship in 2000 when he was just 17. They beat An Ghaeltacht in the final.
Dr. Crokes reached the Kerry Senior county final again in 2005 and 2006. They lost both times to South Kingdom. However, because South Kingdom was a combined team and not a single club, Dr. Crokes still got to represent Kerry in the Munster Senior Club Football Championship.
In 2006, Dr. Crokes won the Munster Club Championship. They beat The Nire from Waterford in the final. This win took them to the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. They beat Moorefield from Kildare in the semi-final after a replay.
In the 2007 All-Ireland Club final, they faced Crossmaglen from Armagh. The first game was a draw, but Crossmaglen won the replay.
In 2010, Dr. Crokes won the county title again, beating Austin Stacks. Colm Cooper and his team then won back-to-back county titles in 2011, 2012, and 2013. This made it five wins in a row for the club.
In February 2014, Colm suffered a serious knee injury during an All-Ireland Club Championship semi-final. This injury kept him out of action for most of that year.
On November 27, 2016, Colm won his fifth Munster club title. Dr. Crokes beat The Nire by 3-15 to 0-6, with Colm scoring two points. Dr. Crokes then reached the 2017 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Final on March 17, 2017. They won the game against Slaughtneil by 1-9 to 1-7 at Croke Park. Colm scored 1-2 in the final, finally winning his first All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship title.
Inter-County Journey with Kerry
Colm Cooper joined the Kerry senior team in 2002. He made his National Football League debut against Laois. He also played his first Championship game against Limerick on May 12, 2002. Kerry reached the 2002 All-Ireland final but lost to Armagh. Colm scored a point in that final and earned his first All Star award in 2002.
In 2003, Kerry won a Munster Senior Football Championship. However, they were knocked out of the All-Ireland Championship by Tyrone in the semi-final.
2004 was a great year for Colm. Kerry won the National League and defended their Munster title. They then won the All-Ireland Championship, beating Mayo in the final. Colm scored 1-05 in the final, including a brilliant goal. He received his second All Star and was named the Texaco Footballer of the Year.
Kerry won their third straight Munster Championship in 2005, beating Cork. They reached another All-Ireland final, this time against Tyrone. Colm got injured during the game, and Tyrone won. He still earned a third All Star award in 2005.
In 2006, Cork defeated Kerry in the Munster final. Kerry still made it to the All-Ireland final, where they met Mayo again. Kerry won by 13 points, and Colm scored 1-02. He was one of Kerry's captains that year and lifted the Sam Maguire Cup with Declan O'Sullivan.
In 2007, Colm helped Kerry win back their Munster Championship title against Cork. He scored 1-02 in a crucial five-minute period. Kerry then beat Dublin in the semi-final. They faced Cork again in the All-Ireland final, which was the first all-Munster final. Kerry won comfortably, and Colm scored 1-05. He received his fourth All Star award.
Kerry reached the 2008 National League final but lost to Derry. Cork beat Kerry in the 2008 Munster final. Kerry still made it to the All-Ireland final for the third time against Tyrone, but Tyrone won again. Colm scored six points and won his fifth All Star award.
In 2009, Colm was not in the starting team for a game against Antrim. But he came on and made a big impact. In the quarter-final against Dublin, he scored 1-08, showing he was back in top form. Kerry then beat Meath in the semi-final and Cork in the final. Kerry won the final, and Colm scored six points, earning his fourth All-Ireland medal.
In April 2010, Colm had a serious eye injury during a league game. However, he returned for the Championship. Kerry won the Munster Championship but lost to Down in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
The 2011 Championship ended in disappointment. Kerry were leading in the final against Dublin but lost in the last few minutes.
In 2012, Kerry lost to Cork in the Munster semi-final. They then lost to Donegal in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
Kerry won the Munster Championship in 2013, with Colm scoring 1-3 in the final. They beat Cavan in the quarter-finals but lost to Dublin in the semi-final.
After his knee injury in February 2014, Colm was a substitute for Kerry in the 2014 All-Ireland Final against Donegal. Kerry won the game, giving Colm his fifth All-Ireland medal.
Colm won his eighth Munster Championship medal on July 18, 2015, when Kerry defeated Cork. They beat Kildare in the quarter-finals, with Colm scoring 2-3. They then beat Tyrone in the semi-final. In the final against Dublin, Kerry lost in very wet conditions.
In 2016, Kerry reached the Munster Final again and beat Tipperary. Colm got injured in that game. He missed the quarter-final but returned for the semi-final against Dublin. Dublin won a close game, and Colm scored five points. This turned out to be his last game for Kerry.
On April 4, 2017, Colm Cooper announced his retirement from inter-county football at age 33. In 85 Championship games for Kerry, he scored 23 goals and 283 points. In 60 league games, he scored 12 goals and 165 points.
International Rules Series
Colm Cooper played for Ireland in the International Rules Series in 2005. However, he chose not to play in later series.
Playing for Munster Province
Colm played for Munster in the Railway Cup in 2002 and 2004.
Honours and Achievements
Colm Cooper won many awards and championships during his career:
- Dr Crokes
- All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship (1): 2016-17
- Munster Senior Club Football Championship (5): 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
- Kerry Senior Football Championship (8): 2000, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018
- Kerry
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (5): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2014
- Munster Senior Football Championship (9): 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011 (c), 2013 (c), 2015, 2016
- National Football League Division 1 (3): 2004, 2006, 2009
- National Football League Division 2 (1): 2002
- Munster Under-21 Football Championship (1): 2002
- Munster Minor Football Championship (1): 2001
- AIB Kerry (Interfirm)
- All Ireland Interfirm Senior Football Championship (1): 2007
- Munster Interfirm Senior Football Championship (3): 2004, 2005, 2007
- Kerry Interfirm Senior Football Championship (4) 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008
- Individual Awards
- All Stars Awards (8): 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013
- Texaco Footballer of the Year (1): 2004
- The Munster Football team of the last 25 years
