Mark Cooper comes from a family with a great FA Cup history.
Barrow boss Cooper’s dad Terry played in the 1970 final and the legendary Leeds full back created so many special memories before his death last July.
But Cooper has played his part in keeping the tradition going having enjoyed cup runs with Tamworth, Kettering and now Barrow who are eyeing another upset at Barnsley.
“I know he’ll be watching on Saturday, looking down from above,” said Cooper. “The tributes when he passed were so special. We were invited to the Royal Box at Wembley for the Andorra game, it helped my mum get some closure and it was special.
“I remember playing at Harrogate at the start of the season, we drove past Elland Road and it was incredible to see so many flowers, scarves and banners. Honestly, it was really special. The Leeds fans and Leeds are something special.”
Cooper, 53, had a much travelled playing career, has made a name and reputation for himself as a manager in non-league and at Swindon, had five memorable and successful years at Forest Green Rovers and is now defying the odds at Barrow.
The League Two club have been on TV three times this season after losing to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup, knocking out non-league Banbury and then causing an upset at Ipswich Town to earn themselves a place in the third round.
All done without a regular training ground as the club operates in an almost nomadic existence using different facilities in the North West with the players sometimes only going to Barrow itself on a match day. The Covid chaos has made it even more challenging.
Cooper said: “It’s the toughest year I’ve had. The difficult thing is trying to get an infrastructure. We’ve trained on a quarter of an astroturf pitch, been thrown off other places and it’s hard because you have to try and attract players to come to you.
“That’s why the cup is massive for smaller clubs. The prize money, the TV money can keep a club for going a year, maybe even two if you’re lucky. I get that it might not be a priority for the big clubs. But it might just help us get a training ground. It’s everything for us.”
Former England defender Cooper would have won more than 20 caps but for a terrible broken leg just a month before Leeds won the 1972 FA Cup final. That would have helped make up for losing the 70 final on a replay.
“I remember videos of my dad playing in the 1970 FA Cup final against Chelsea and when they score the winner, my dad’s in the back of the net from the Dave Webb winner,” said Cooper. “Long throw, Osgood flick on and Webby put it in and my dad with it.
“When you’re in it, you don’t realise at the time. Your dad is playing for England, Leeds, winning trophies. Everyone used to say to me: ‘Your dad was some player.’ You look back and realise, it fills me with pride.
“Just before he passed, he told a great story when he came back from the 1970 World Cup. He said to my mum: ‘Rose, I can go to Juventus. They’re gonna make me a millionaire. I’m going to see Don Revie tomorrow and tell him I want to go.’
“So, he came back home and my mum said: ‘what’s wrong.’ So he said: ‘Don made me sit down, sign a new contract for an extra fiver a week - and told me I should be really happy about it!’ That was the hold Don had on them. If he’d have said: ‘jump out of that window’ they’d have done it.
“I remember another one where Olympiacos flew my dad and Norman Hunter out to Greece for a holiday in the hope of persuading them to sign. But they couldn’t leave Leeds. I said to him: ‘Dad, I could’ve been fluent in Italian, living in Greece and you’d have been rich!’”
Mark Cooper recalls pressures of playing youth football with a famous footballing father
Growing up in a football family could be difficult at times.
Especially when you are the son of a famous footballer, as Mark Cooper recalls even from the days of playing for his local kids’ team.
“I’ll always remember growing up in Bristol, I played for a team called Boco Juniors, I was 11 and my dad would come and watch with his sheepskin coat on,” said Cooper.
“I remember one day this woman shouting at me: ‘You’ll never f***ing be as good as your dad, Cooper.’ I was 11 years old! It was one of the only times I’ve seen him lose his rag.
“I remember a game at Birmingham playing for Bristol City, we got promoted, I scored but I got subbed after 60 odd minutes. We conceded a couple of late goals and we lost. In the dressing room after the game, my dad said: ‘What were you doing for the second goal? It was your fault again.’
“I said to him: ‘I wasn’t even on the pitch!’ Because he wanted to be so clear of nepotism, he would let me have it after every game. After every game. Always. I wasn’t even on the pitch. It’s a really difficult gig playing for your dad.”
Cooper followed his father’s footsteps into coaching and management and still misses their chats after games to pick through what happened.
He added: “The one thing I really miss is after games, talking to him. He lived in Tenerife, we got him a stream and he’d watch every game. When he was here, he’d come to training. But after games, I’d get in my car and the phone would go. If we’d lost, I’d go: ‘Oh no, it’s my dad.’
“After he died, after the first few games, I felt like something was missing. I would enjoy talking it through and yet, like every dad, he wouldn’t really give you any praise.”
