World Soccer - UK (2021-10)

“ChelseaFootballClubisshockedandsaddenedtolearnofthedeath

ofEmilioBallackattheterriblyyoungageof18.Allourthoughts

arewithhisfatherMichaelandhisfamilyatthissadtime”

Chelseapay theirrespectstoEmilioBallack,thesonofformerBluesandGermanymidfielderMichaelBallack

Terry COOPER
(1 94 4-20 21 )
TerryCooperdazzledatthe 1970 World
Cupas an innovativerampagingleft-back,
andwas an integralcoginthe mighty
LeedsUnitedteamofthatera.Hewas
foreveran unassuminghero untilhis
death thissummeratthe ageof 77.
Whenhereflected,last year, on the
famousEnglandv Brazilshowdownin
that 1970 tournament,Cooper’sindelible
memorywasofthemomentsbefore kick-
off.Herecalled:“Thebell wenttowalkout
fromthedressingroomsandI marched
intothecorridor, nevertoofussedwhere
I stood.Asithappened,I wasopposite
Pele.Heturnedandsaidtomein
brokenEnglish,‘Allthe best Cooper.’
“IthoughtI hada decent buildbut
I lookedathimandhewas twicethe
sizeofme!Theywereproperathletes
andtoughboys.Thenit dawnedon me
thatPeleknewwhoI was,andI thought
I must have donesomethinginfootball
ifherecognisedme.I neverforgotthat.”
Peleknew,andBrazilknew,thatCooper
wasthebest left-backintheworldatthat
time,a defenderwhocouldtacklefiercely,
butwas alsoequippedwiththespeed,
skillandpanachetoattacklikea winger.
Cooper’s fast-raidingstyleishow allthe
bestfull-backsplay today,fromTrent
Alexander-ArnoldtoLeonardoSpinazzola.
Itwas rare backin 19 70;Cooperwas in

OBITUARIES

thevanguardof a football revolution.

Histalentwasperfectlysuitedtothe

dominantLeedssideofthelate 1 960s

andearly 1970 s,andbroughtCooper

a cascadeof medalsamida tightly-knit

teamcreatedbymanagerDonRevie.

Thefirstwasa LeagueCup triumphin

1968 whenCooperscoredthewinning

goalatWembleywithaleft-footvolley.

Theywonthe EuropeanFairsCup the

sameseason anda yearlatertheleague

title.In 1971 there wasanothervictory

inthe FairsCupfinal,thistimeagainst a

JuventusteamfeaturingFabioCapello,

HelmutHallerandRobertoBettega.

CooperwasManoftheMatchinthe

initialawayleg,a2-2drawin Turin,

whenhisattackingforayscreatedgoals

andtormentedJuventusintocaution.

Itwas thepinnacleofhiscareer.

Hewas just 26,inhisprime,onlyto

suffer a brokenlegina leaguematch

against StokeCityin 1972. Theinjury

effectivelyendedhiselitestatus,and

meanthewonjust 2 0 capsforEngland.

Hisdefiantcharactermeanthenever gave

uphope of playingagain,though,and

heenjoyedthreeyearsatMiddlesbrough

followedbylower-leagueseasonswith

Bristol City, BristolRoversand Doncaster.

Cooper’sbest workasa managerwas

atBristol City, wherehewasintegralin

revivingtheclubafterthreesuccessive

relegations,winningpromotionand taking

themtovictoryinthe FreightRoverTrophy

final.Fightingbacktears as he clutched

the trophy,hesaid:“Iplayed forEngland

butthisisthebestdayofmylife.” The

Robinsrecentlymoved into a new training

ground,andfanshavecalledforit to be

named in hishonour.

Hisfinalroleinfootballwas12 years

workingasSouthampton’s European

scout.Hiseye fora goodprospectwas

razor-sharp,andCooperrecalledadvising

theclubtherewasa youngstriker at

FrenchclubGuingampwhocouldbe

boughtfor a nominalfee.Southampton

demurred,andratherregrettedneglecting

thechancetosignDidierDrogba.

Heretired to Tenerife,buthisheart

never left Leedsand themightyteamof

whichhewasoneofthelegends.Somany

havepassedawayinrecentmonths–

NormanHunter, JackieCharlton,Trevor

Cherry, PeterLorimerandMickBates.

Andnow,also,the modest maestrowho

wasoncethebest left-backinthe world.

JimHolden

GerdMER

(1 94 5-20 21 )

BayernMunichandGermany legend.

(Appreciation,page 58 )

Tommy EM

(1 93 7-2 021 )

Wing-halfanda keyplayerforthe

Liverpoolteamthatgotpromotedto

thetopflightunderBillShanklyin 1962.

taloVO

(1 94 0-20 21 )

Match-winnerinthe 1962 AFCONfinal,

scoringinextra-time forEthiopiav Egypt.

llyDwO

(1 958 -2021)

Defenderwhospent 12 yearsat

Rangersandwon five Scotlandcaps.

MilanZVDOVC

(1 94 4-20 21 )

Serbian whosecoaching CV included

Yugoslavia,Iraq,GhanaandMyanmar.

Robbie COOE

(1 95 7-2 021 )

ForwardandEnglandC international

whoseclubsincludedPeterborough

United,Brentford andCambridgeUnited.

PorfiriormandoBETCORT

(1 95 7-2 021 )

Strikerwho scoredfivegoalsinnine

internationalmatchesfor Honduras.

ntonioDETORRE

(1 95 1-2 021 )

PartofMexico’s1 978 WorldCup squad

andwon 44 capsindefenceforElTri.

MikeMT

(1 93 7-2 021 )

Thefirstnon-Welshmantomanage

Wales,and also coachedHullCitybefore

guidingEgypttoAFCON glory in1986.

GBAFBAEGECE

eedslegend...

Cooperplayed 351

gamesin 12 years

atEllandRoad

wales manager...Mikemith in December 1994