Willie Cooper

Willie Cooper
Personal information
Full name	William Cooper
Date of birth	24 October 1909
Place of birth	Aberdeen, Scotland
Date of death	18 May 1994 (aged 84)
Place of death	Aberdeen, Scotland
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Full back
Senior career*
Years	Team
–	Mugiemoss
1927–1948	Aberdeen
International career
1934–1935	Scottish League XI
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Cooper (24 October 1909 – 18 May 1994) was a professional footballer who played as a full back for Aberdeen, his only club at the professional level.

Cooper played junior football with Mugiemoss before starting his professional career with Aberdeen in 1927. He played almost 400 official games for the club in a 20-year career which was temporarily halted by the Second World War in 1939 (he also made over 180 appearances in the unofficial regional competitions held during the conflict, several of which were won by the Dons, culminating in the nationwide 1946 Southern League Cup Final which his team won before a crowd of 135,000 at Hampden Park). After regular competitions resumed, Cooper played a large part in Aberdeen's 1946–47 Scottish Cup run but missed the final through injury; the Scottish Football Association gave Aberdeen permission to award him a winners' medal, despite him not playing on the day.^[2] He had also collected runners-up medals from the Scottish Cup in 1937, and the Scottish League Cup in 1947.

He represented the Scottish League XI twice, before the war.^[3]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition^[4]

Club	Season	League			Scottish Cup		League Cup		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Aberdeen	1927-28	Scottish Division One	2	0	0	0	-	-	2	0
	1928-29		3	0	0	0	-	-	3	0
	1929-30		14	0	0	0	-	-	14	0
	1930-31		20	0	2	0	-	-	22	0
	1931-32		37	0	1	0	-	-	38	0
	1932-33		34	0	3	0	-	-	37	0
	1933-34		38	2	4	0	-	-	42	2
	1934-35		38	0	7	0	-	-	45	0
	1935-36		38	0	5	0	-	-	43	0
	1936-37		37	0	5	0	-	-	42	0
	1937-38		32	0	4	0	-	-	36	0
	1938-39		14	0	0	0	-	-	14	0
	1939-40		3*	0	0	0	-	-	3*	0
	1940-41	Competitive Football Cancelled Due to WW2
	1941-42
	1942-43
	1943-44
	1944-45
	1945-46
	1946-47	Scottish Division One	14	0	6	1	9	0	29	1
	1947-48	Scottish Division One	7	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
	Total		331	2	37	1	9	0	377	3
Career total			331	2	37	1	9	0	377	3

*Games played before league season was suspended

Honours

Aberdeen

Scottish Cup: 1947
- Runner-up: 1937

References

^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ ^a ^b "Willie Cooper". AFC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
^ "[SFL player] Willie Cooper". Londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
^ "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 11 March 2023.

External links

Aberdeen players, Neil Brown

[litsterprewar-1] John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[afcht-2] "Willie Cooper". AFC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 4 June 2011.

[3] "[SFL player] Willie Cooper". Londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 5 December 2011.

[4] "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 11 March 2023.

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