Davie Cooper and the art of dribbling

Micah Bell

Well-Known Member
He certainly had it down to a fine art. Not much to say other than I used to find this clip mesmerising as a wean, and having stumbled upon it again recently I still find the close control and ease of which he could beat players a bit special.

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He certainly had it down to a fine art. Not much to say other than I used to find this clip mesmerising as a wean, and having stumbled upon it again recently I still find the close control and ease of which he could beat players a bit special.

cb581b89-48c7-462f-b81b-ebdace9936e8.gif
Natural talents with the genius of Cooper always seem to make it look like the ball is doing extra work on its own. The way he spins there and uses his body movement, close control with both feet and takes a half step forcing the last defender to dive in, and all this in just 3-4 seconds.
 
Natural talents with the genius of Cooper always seem to make it look like the ball is doing extra work on its own. The way he spins there and uses his body movement, close control with both feet and takes a half step forcing the last defender to dive in, and all this in just 3-4 seconds.
Totally agree. Thing that strikes me about the naturals look Coop is they make football look really easy.
 
Someone called me:)), seriously
he beats people with skill rather than pace which is rare nowadays, oh and his dead balls were great too
Wonder if he’d fit in modern day football, as he didn’t like training that much
 
My hero as a kid. He had plenty of off days, but a wee bit of Coops magic and the game was won. His close control and touch was a gift from God himself/herself/theirselves.
When he was having an off day, people in the crowd would shout “C’mon Cooper, get yer finger oot.” And when he was on the bench, we would shout “get Cooper on ffs.” If we weren’t winning.
He was that important to the fans and team, that everyone looked to him for inspiration. Thankfully Davie played in a successful era under Souness.
God rest his soul, he played for the team I love.
 
People from the sixties always talk about Willie Henderson and wee stinky.

I absolutely get that. Truly special talents.

Davie Cooper was at least the equal of those two when it came to skill. I will always believe that.

Possibly, he didn't have that out and out 'gallusness' the other two had, and for much of his career, he didn't play in as good teams. But that talent was always there and when Souness came along and added quality to the mix, the Coop reacted accordingly.

From 1960, in Scottish terms there is Baxter and Cooper. Then there is the rest.
 
Envy all you lucky bassas who got to see the great man play.

My dads hero.
He was a special, special talent.

I won't sugar coat it because for a lot of the Greig years he was in the doldrums the same as the rest of us, but then he'd come up with that special performance.

The 1981, SC final replay for instance.

I can't remember the exact timeline, but when Jock Wallace came back in Nov 83, he took one look at Coop and said I'm giving you a month to shed a stone in weight.

Coop got rid of the weight in half the time. He took to running round Strathclyde Park, wearing black bin bags under his training gear.

Sometimes, certain people can get more out of you than others.

Then there were the goals.

The 'thwack' when the ball hit the net from his free kick v Dolly in the 87 LC final, will stay with me forever.
 
He was a special, special talent.

I won't sugar coat it because for a lot of the Greig years he was in the doldrums the same as the rest of us, but then he'd come up with that special performance.

The 1981, SC final replay for instance.

I can't remember the exact timeline, but when Jock Wallace came back in Nov 83, he took one look at Coop and said I'm giving you a month to shed a stone in weight.

Coop got rid of the weight in half the time. He took to running round Strathclyde Park, wearing black bin bags under his training gear.

Sometimes, certain people can get more out of you than others.

Then there were the goals.

The 'thwack' when the ball hit the net from his free kick v Dolly in the 87 LC final, will stay with me forever.
Funnily enough, my first memory of seeing Cooper was my dad showing me a recorded video he had of the final, telling me to listen to the net.

Albertz against the scum possibly only comes close to a thunderbastard strike like Coopers.
 
Funnily enough, my first memory of seeing Cooper was my dad showing me a recorded video he had of the final, telling me to listen to the net.

Albertz against the scum possibly only comes close to a thunderbastard strike like Coopers.
I think only people who were there can really explain it. Or try to.

It was like suspended animation.

There is a full nano second between the ball hitting the net and the support realising it was a goal.

It was different from your normal goals and reaction.

It might seem like I'm over reacting or trying to make the goal seem like more than it was. That's not what I want to convey.
 
My first Rangers idol, it was slim pickings for a youngster during the Greig years but Coop made up for that, i think he was also Ruud Gullit's first as well.
 
Absolutely genius of a player.
I was 17 when he died & took the day off work to go to his funeral.
My wee brothers a Motherwell fan & he dogged school that day to go.
Heartbreaking day seeing the Rangers & Cel*ic players turn up at Bent Cemetery.
A day I'll never forget.
In the summer we always go down to the Davie Cooper statue in Strathclyde Park & have a kick about & a few beers.
Have pictures of the statue on my Insta but as you probate know some idiots have defaced it by scratching it all & ****
He also stayed 10 minutes away from me & used to use the Bookies in North Motherwell a LOT :shh:
My uncle was a pal of his & he says Cooper wouldn't have left Rangers if we didn't sign Mo Johnston.
 
He was fantastic as soon as he saw his opponent shift his balance he was gone the other way.
Saw him many times one of my favorites was a league cup tie at Killie where he scored 4( I think) one of which he seemed to beat the whole killie team.
 
Funnily enough, my first memory of seeing Cooper was my dad showing me a recorded video he had of the final, telling me to listen to the net.

Albertz against the scum possibly only comes close to a thunderbastard strike like Coopers.
I'll always remember that scud noise when he skilled.it. never heard that before or after.
 
Yes that’s what I think, Tampere. I witnessed that particular piece of genius in the flesh too.
Yes I was in the Copland that night. Amazing dribble and run.
He definitely got a new lease of life when Souness arrived.
I think he admitted it too that he wasn’t enjoying it under Mr Rangers as manager before that.

I think we played Bayern in a pre season game in Souness first or 2nd season and he was absolutely sensational that night. Anyone remember and agree?
 
Yes I was in the Copland that night. Amazing dribble and run.
He definitely got a new lease of life when Souness arrived.
I think he admitted it too that he wasn’t enjoying it under Mr Rangers as manager before that.

I think we played Bayern in a pre season game in Souness first or 2nd season and he was absolutely sensational that night. Anyone remember and agree?
We played Bayern in the close season of 86/87.

I don't remember Coop being out of the ordinary that game.

But then again, I was at the friendly v Feyenoord a couple of years previously, the one that Ruud Guulit took notice of Coop, and thought that was a humdrum performance too.

It's okay, I realise I'm a yip of a fan and so easy to please.
 
When the likes of Rudd Gullit named Davie Cooper in his world XI team, then you know we were privileged to witness a truly world class player in the great Davie Cooper.
 
John Greig and the rest!
Davie Cooper for me in my 63 years of being alive is my football God.
I swear from the skelfs in my arse in that Centenary Stand when he got the ball I was on my feet.
You either get it or you dont.
 
Davie Cooper playing today probably wouldn't be playing as a winger. His value was that unlike so many wingers his productivity was out of the top drawer in terms of picking the right cross or pass, the 2 yard reverse to set up Durrant vs the T##rs being the perfect example. In short I think Michael Beale would play him as the central player in that 3 behind the striker.
 
The iconic photo of Davie Cooper is after his winning goal in League Cup final in 86 , he blows a kiss to The Bears. We were his people.
An absolute genius and A Ranger.
 
I think only people who were there can really explain it. Or try to.

It was like suspended animation.

There is a full nano second between the ball hitting the net and the support realising it was a goal.

It was different from your normal goals and reaction.
It was as if a giant exclamation mark just appeared and floated above Hampden for a split second. A collective wtf from 50,000 bears.
 
Apparently very quiet in the dressing room for the most part, but a different person when we played the unwashed.

Going round geeing people up reminding them what it meant.
 
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