Players - Tom Cooper

Tom Cooper
Birthdate: 9 April 1905
Birthplace: Fenton, Stoke-On-Trent, England
Date of death: 25 June 1940
Other clubs: Longton, Trentham, Port Vale (1924-26), Derby County (1926-34); Wrexham (wartime guest)
Signed from: Derby County
Signed for LFC: £7,500, 04.12.1934
International debut: 22.10.1927 vs. Northern Ireland
International caps: 15/0 (caps at Derby County) - 29.09.1934
Liverpool debut: 08.12.1934
Last appearance: 06.05.1939
Win ratio: 35% W:56 D:45 L:59
Wartime games/goals: 9 / 0
League games / goals: 150 / 0
Total games / goals: 160 / 0

Player Profile

Tom Cooper is considered one of England's greatest full-backs. He was an excellent tackler and a quality passer of the ball. He joined Liverpool late in his blossoming career at 29 years old having played 15 internationals for England and captained his country twice from 1927-1934. The right-back surely would have more caps to his name but for injuries that caused cartilages from both knees being removed. The club programme certainly seemed very pleased he had joined the Liverpool ranks: "The event of the season. His fee is a record one for a full back. Cooper is a back who, although on the robust side, is one of the fairest men in the game. He is "fair" in a double-sense being silvery thatched - "Snowball" some of the fans call him. With Cooper and Blenkinsop in the side Liverpool will possess the most distinguished pair of backs in the land. Well done, Liverpool!"

The former captain of Derby from 1931-1934 shared the skipper's duties at Liverpool with Ernie Blenkinsop in the 1934/35 and 1936/37 seasons before assuming the captain's role on his own from 1937-1939. "Snowy" as he was more commonly called made his debut for the Reds when he replaced right-back William Steel at Chelsea on 8 December 1934 and only missed two more league matches for the rest of that 1934/35 season. He played in 127 of the 168 games that comprised the next four league seasons but the start of the war curtailed his Football League career, just as it did for so many of his colleagues. He made nine appearances for Liverpool in the wartime 1939/40 season, the last of which came on 6 April 1940 against Stoke City in the Western Division. Cooper was better than any footballer in the north on the golf course as proved by him winning the Merseyside Professional Association Footballer’s Golf Championship for the third year running in October 1938.

Cooper's story has a sad ending as the then Sergeant in the King's Regiment Liverpool died in a motorcycle accident when serving with the military police in Aldeburgh on 25 June 1940. Cooper collided with a double deck motor bus and an enquiry took place into his death with the outcome being an order that stated despatch riders were no longer allowed to ride their motorcycles without wearing a crash helmet.
Appearances per season
Please note

Contrary to popular belief Tom Cooper was born in 1905, not 1904. There are no records for him in 1904. <a href="http://www2.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?r=113340360&d=bmd_1308003022">A Thomas Cooper is registered in Stoke Upon Trent in April – June 1905</a>.<p> The Army Records also show that when they registered his death, he was 35, giving him a 1905 birth date. Thanks to England Football Online‘s Chris Goodwin for pointing this out.

Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 150 10 0 0 0 160
1934-1935 23 2 0 0 0 25
1935-1936 26 2 0 0 0 28
1936-1937 39 1 0 0 0 40
1937-1938 26 5 0 0 0 31
1938-1939 36 0 0 0 0 36
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
10 900 Arsenal
9 810 Huddersfield Town
8 720 Sunderland
8 720 Middlesbrough
8 720 Chelsea
8 720 Birmingham City
8 720 Wolves
7 630 Everton
7 630 Brentford
7 630 Grimsby Town
7 630 Leeds United
6 540 Portsmouth
6 540 Derby
6 540 Preston North End
6 540 Bolton Wanderers
5 450 Leicester City
5 450 Stoke City
5 450 Manchester City
4 360 Blackburn Rovers
4 360 Manchester United
4 360 Aston Villa
4 360 WBA
4 360 Sheffield Wednesday
3 270 Charlton Athletic
2 210 Crystal Palace
2 180 Tottenham
2 180 Sheffield United
2 180 Blackpool
1 90 Norwich City
1 90 Swansea City
1 90 Yeovil Town
Total Venue
81 Away
79 Home
Total Competition
150 League
10 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
107 35 34 38 32.7% George Kay
53 21 11 21 39.6% George Patterson (2nd term)
Wartime Appearances / Goals
Season Appearances Goals
1939-1940 9 0
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 08.12.1934 Chelsea Stamford Bridge League
50 18.03.1936 Leeds United Anfield League
100 13.11.1937 Manchester City Maine Road League
150 11.03.1939 Portsmouth Anfield League
Related Articles
County back star of England team

From the Derby Daily Telegraph on 15 April 1929.

Liverpool signs the England captain

From the Derby Daily Telegraph on 5 December 1935.

Tommy Cooper killed in a road accident

A report from Derby Daily Telegraph on 26 June 1940 on Tommy Cooper's tragic death in a road accident near Aldeburgh, Suffolk.

Scrapbook
English welcomed t the club in July 1933
English welcomed t the club in July 1933
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Longton N/A N/A N/A N/A
Trentham N/A N/A N/A N/A
Port Vale 1924-1925 England Second Division 21 0 22 0
Port Vale 1925-1926 England Second Division 11 0 11 0
Derby 1925-1926 England Second Division 5 0 5 0
Derby 1926-1927 England First Division 25 0 25 0
Derby 1927-1928 England First Division 13 0 13 0
Derby 1928-1929 England First Division 28 0 31 0
Derby 1929-1930 England First Division 17 0 18 0
Derby 1930-1931 England First Division 42 0 43 0
Derby 1931-1932 England First Division 33 1 36 1
Derby 1932-1933 England First Division 36 0 42 0
Derby 1933-1934 England First Division 33 0 37 0
Derby 1934-1935 England First Division 16 0 16 0
Total 280 1 299 1