Born: 9 April 1905

Born in: Fenton, Stoke-On-Trent

Died: 25 June 1940

Other clubs: Longton, Trentham, Port Vale (1924-26), Derby County (1926-34); Wrexham (wartime guest)

Signed from: Derby County

Joined Liverpool: £7,500, 04.12.1934

Debut: 08 Dec 1934

Final appearance: 06 May 1939

Wartime: Apps / Goals: 9 / 0

League: Apps / Goals: 150 / 0

All Competitions: Apps / 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.