Games - 540
Goals - 70
League Championships - 77-78/86-87/88-89
Scottish Cup - 77-78/78-79/80-81/90-91
League Cup - 77-78/78-79/81-82/83-84/84-85/86-87/87-88
Today is 23 March 1995 and the lights have gone out for a generation of
Rangers supporters. The death of Davie Cooper is a tragedy not only for his
family and friends (to whom I extend my deepest sympathy), but also for
those of us who stood awe-struck on the terraces almost unable to believe
the sheer genius of the man.
The fans of Motherwell and Clydebank will also feel sad this day but it is
the Rangers Fans, His Fans, the ones he thrilled for so long that feel the
biggest loss. ³Super Cooper² was one of us, he will always be a Ranger in my
heart and the hearts of all my generation for whom he was the blinding light
during our formative years.
I was 16 when the Coop signed for Rangers and for me became the legend in my lifetime in the mould of Baxter a generation before. Davie Cooper was and
still is the best player I¹ve seen in a Rangers jersey. We all used to
marvel at his ability to beat men on the run, deliver the defence splitting
pass and take free kicks only Brazilians were supposed to be capable of and
all the time standing on his right foot.
People occasionally complained that he was inconsistent and that is probably
true but in true mercurial fashion it was often when he was having an ³off
day² that he would produce one piece of magic that literally took your
breath away. Only this season with the arrival of Brian Laudrup has the same
buzz of anticipation swept a football ground as when the ball landed at the
Coops feet. And when he did play well whether as a flash or through a whole
game it was evident why football is called ³the beautiful game².
We will all have our own special or favourite memories of him, be it the
wonder goals he scores, both solo efforts a la Glasgow Cup Final or away to
Hearts in Souness¹s first season, and spectacular free kicks a la League Cup
against St Mirren at Ibrox, the equaliser in the League Cup Final against
Dundee Utd or the absolute belter against Aberdeen again in the League Cup
Final. Be it the superb passes or all round quality he displayed in numerous
games.
Who can ever forget THE pass and THE final. Said of any other player there
could be options, what pass, what final. With Davie we are talking of
moments of such high skill that everyone remembers the reverse pass that
released Durrant in the live game vs the Beggars in 86 and the most complete
performance seen in my lifetime at the Scottish Cup Final replay in 81.
If Davie had been a young man today his value would have been mind-boggling, he was a steal at £100,000 then, it would take 100 times that to get one half as good today. He was all the more remarkable in that for almost half
the time he was at Ibrox he was the only good player there and was often
carrying the whole team.
He showed how good he really was when he had some support and even though he had lost a little pace he blossomed under Souness turning in a string of
supreme performances in that League Cup and title winning year. Even after
he left Ibrox he continued to do the business for Motherwell and was the
driving force behind them winning the Cup in 91. In short he was a
footballing genius and there¹s not many that can be said about.
Rest in Peace Coop and torment the life out of the defenders in the football
pitch in the sky. I doubt I shall see another like you in my lifetime.
BIG MAC