Quarter and St John the Baptist Primary Schools were big winners at Hamilton Sports Council’s 2019 Davie Cooper Soccer 7s earlier this month.
More than 300 pupils from primary five to seven from across Hamilton, Larkhall, Blantyre and Uddingston took part in the popular annual competition.
The tournament took place at Hamilton Palace Sports Grounds on Sunday, May 12, in glorious sunshine, with 18 boys’ and 11 girls’ teams taking part.
St John the Baptist won the boys’ tournament, with St Mary’s Hamilton as runners-up, while Glengowan and St Elizabeth’s finished joint third. In the girls’ competition, Quarter were winners, with High Blantyre runners-up and Woodhead and St Mary’s Hamilton in joint third place.
This annual competition is organised by George Mackenzie and run entirely by volunteers from Hamilton Sports Council (HSC) with support from South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture.
Other schools taking part were Townhill, Muiredge, St Mark’s Hamilton, St John’s, Stonehouse, Chatelherault, St Mary’s Larkhall, Hamilton College, Robert Smillie, David Livingstone, Newfield and St Cuthbert’s primaries.
Hamilton, Stonehouse and Larkhall MSP Christina McKelvie was also on hand to present the medals and trophies.
Originally called the Jock Stein Tournament, it was renamed after Davie Cooper in February 1999, with the revamped Hamilton Palace Sports Ground officially opened in May of that year.
The new site included a bronze statue of Davie Cooper, with artist Kenny Mackay casting two small copies, which were to be given as trophies for winners of the tournament.
These were gifted to the sports council by South Lanarkshire Leisure.
