Neale Cooper facts for kids

Neale James Cooper (born 24 November 1963 – died 28 May 2018) was a famous Scottish football player and coach. He played as a midfielder during the 1980s and 1990s. Neale was best known for playing with the Aberdeen team. This team was managed by the legendary Alex Ferguson. He also played for other clubs like Aston Villa and Rangers. After his playing days, Cooper became a football manager. He led teams such as Hartlepool United and Ross County.

Neale Cooper's Playing Career

Neale Cooper was born in Darjeeling, India. He grew up in Aberdeen, Scotland, and went to Airyhall Primary School and Hazlehead Academy. As a boy, he supported Aberdeen. It was a dream come true when he started his professional career with them.

Playing for Aberdeen F.C.

Neale became a regular player for Aberdeen in the 1981–82 season. He played as a midfielder for five amazing seasons. During this time, Aberdeen won many important trophies. They won the Premier Division championship twice. They also won the Scottish Cup four times and the League Cup once.

One of their biggest achievements was winning the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup. They also won the European Super Cup that same year. All these wins happened under the famous manager Alex Ferguson. Ferguson even "persuaded" young Neale to live at home. This helped him focus on football and avoid distractions.

Moving to Other Clubs

In 1986, Neale joined Aston Villa. He played 20 league games over two years. Injuries sometimes kept him from playing more. In 1988, he moved to Rangers. Again, injuries limited him to 17 league games. He didn't play any first-team games in the 1990–91 season.

In 1991, Cooper signed with Reading. Here, he played with his old Aberdeen teammate Mark McGhee. Neale played seven league games for Reading. After that, he moved to Dunfermline Athletic. At Dunfermline, he played much more often. He helped them get promoted to the Premier Division in 1995–96.

Even though he was very successful with his clubs, Neale never played for the main Scotland team. This surprised many people. He did play a big role in Scotland's youth teams, including the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Neale Cooper's Managerial Career

After his playing career, Neale Cooper became a football manager.

Managing Ross County

In 1996, Cooper started his management career with Ross County. He helped the team get promoted twice. They moved from the fourth tier to the second tier of Scottish football. He left the club after a difficult period where they won only one game out of eleven.

Leading Hartlepool United

After a short break, Cooper became the manager of Hartlepool United. This was a bit of a surprise choice. But the club's owners had strong links to Aberdeen, where Cooper was from.

His first game with Hartlepool was a thrilling 4–3 win against Peterborough United. His new team came back from being 3–1 down to win. Cooper called it "One of the most emotional games of football I've ever been involved in."

Neale's energy and passion made him very popular with the Hartlepool fans. That season, he led the team to their highest-ever league finish. They finished sixth in Division Two. Over 10,000 fans also traveled to the Stadium of Light for an FA Cup game. This was the biggest away crowd ever at that stadium.

Hartlepool made it to the play-offs that season. They played against Bristol City. Hartlepool drew 1–1 at home. But they lost the second game 2–1 after giving up two late goals.

The next season, Hartlepool finished sixth again. Cooper's team played exciting football. They had a 12-game unbeaten run. But then they won only 3 of their next 12 games. After a home loss, Cooper was removed from his job. The club chairman later said Neale was dealing with personal family issues.

Many fans remember Cooper's time at Hartlepool (2003 to 2005) as one of the club's most exciting periods.

Time at Gillingham and Peterhead

Three weeks after leaving Hartlepool, Neale took over as manager at Gillingham. He resigned in November of that year. This was after some poor results, including an FA Cup loss to a lower league team.

In 2006, Cooper returned to Scottish football. He became a coach for Peterhead. In 2008, he became their manager. Peterhead almost made the play-offs in 2008 and did reach them in 2009. However, the team struggled later, and Cooper left the club in March 2011.

Returning to Hartlepool United

On 28 December 2011, Cooper was reappointed manager of Hartlepool United. In his third game back, Hartlepool won 2–0 at home. Cooper also brought many talented young players from the club's academy into the first team. Seven teenagers made their debuts, including Luke James.

He guided them to a 13th-place finish in the 2011–12 season. This was their highest league finish since his first time in charge. But after a difficult start to the 2012–13 season, Cooper resigned in October. Hartlepool fans still hold him in very high regard.

Assistant Manager at Ross County

On 23 November 2012, Cooper became the assistant manager of Ross County. By this time, Ross County was a Scottish Premier League team. He worked alongside Derek Adams. Cooper left Ross County at the end of the 2013–14 season.

Personal Life

In November 2017, Neale Cooper was honored by his former club, Aberdeen. He was one of four people added to the Aberdeen Hall of Fame.

His son, Alex, also played football. Alex was part of the Liverpool youth academy. He later played for several clubs, mostly in Scotland.

Death

On 28 May 2018, Neale Cooper passed away at the age of 54. A public memorial was held at Aberdeen's home ground, Pittodrie Stadium. Over 4,000 people attended to celebrate his life. His family, former teammates, and fans were all there.

In June, his former club Hartlepool United announced they would rename a stand in his honor. The Neale Cooper Stand, which used to be the Mill House Stand, was officially opened in July.

Honours

Player

Aberdeen

• Scottish league champion: 1983–84, 1984–85
• Scottish Cup: 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86
• Scottish League Cup: 1985–86
• European Cup Winners Cup: 1983
• European Super Cup: 1983

Rangers

• Scottish League Cup: 1988–89

Dunfermline Athletic

• Scottish First Division: 1996

Manager

Ross County

• Scottish Third Division: 1998–99
• Scottish Second Division promotion: 1999–2000

Individual

• Football League One Manager of the Month (at Hartlepool): January 2005