Britannia Loyal Rangers Supporters Club

DAVIE COOPER

 

25 Feb 1956 - 23 Mar 1995

 

 

A man blessed with sublime skill, a ferocious shot and the kind of confident aura that surrounds all special players, Davie Cooper was unique.

 

He amazed his fans with his fantastic ability and some outstanding skills during his 12 years at Ibrox.

 

Dave collapsed, as a result of a massive brain haemorrhage, aged only 39, during the making of a soccer skills series, for TV at Broadwood Stadium. Twenty-four hours, later surgeons had no option but to turn off his life support machine.

 

It is still difficult to comprehend even after all this time.

 

Coop was a big time player, he was like Jim Baxter. He had that swagger about him and he wasn’t bothered about reputations.

 

Jock Wallace, signed Davie for £100,000, in the summer of 1977, shortly after he was outstanding for Clydebank, in a League Cup quarterfinal tie, against Rangers.

 

Few fans will forget Coop’s first season at Ibrox, along with two other summer signings, Bobby Russell and Gordon Smith.  The three young men made a huge impact on an already excellent team. Rangers swept the boards for the second time in three years winning the treble. Davie scored eight goals that season including a goal in Rangers League Cup win over Celtic.

 

Cooper’s form fluctuated under the managership of John Greig, but when he turned it on there was no stopping him.  He and John MacDonald where left out of the Scottish Cup Final in 1981, a game that finished goal-less, both started in the replay and Rangers romped it 4-1. Davie ran the show that night and it was obvious that he had a point to prove after being left out of the first game.

 

The arrival of Graeme Souness  brought about a renaissance in Davie who won two Championships and two League Cups under the managership of his former international team mate.

 

Coop left Rangers for Motherwell in 1989, to join his old team mate Tommy McLean, and helped them to sensationally win the Scottish Cup in 1991.

 

Cooper also pick up 24 international caps playing for Scotland, including playing in the World Cup Finals in Mexico 1986.

 

After his death, flowers, shirts and scarves from all over Scotland and the footballing, world adorned the gates at the Copland Rd end of Ibrox in his memory.

 

Former Scottish manager Andy Roxburgh once said of Davie “Football is not about robots or boring tactics. Its about excitement, emotion, individual flair and imagination as shown by Davie Cooper”

 

This is an appropriate epitaph for a man who brought a touch of magic to the beautiful game.     

Super Coopers Rangers Stats:

 

Games:540

Goals:75

League Titles:3

Scottish Cups:3

League Cups:7                         

 

 If you would like to hear an audio tribute to Super Cooper click here:

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