Cocker Hoop: The Biography of Les Cocker, Key Man for Ramsey and Revie

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Interestingly, the book details how Cocker “urged him (Revie) not take it as it was the worst international squad Les had known in his career; there were too many ‘ordinary’ players around. In later life he lived at Newport, Shropshire until the time of his death in February 2017, aged 77. But there is an individual that connects both, and whose name is not so familiar – that of Les Cocker. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average.

He was with Leeds when they won the League title (twice), the FA Cup and the European Fairs Cup (twice).Cocker established himself as a highly-respected trainer and coach at Leeds United, helping to build a famous footballing dynasty alongside Don Revie. Once again readers get to see another part of Cocker’s range of skills, with Cohen stating, “he (Cocker) knew what an individual needed, he was very good that way, spotting areas that a player might need to work on.

Leslie James Robert Cocker (18 September 1939 – February 2017) was an English professional footballer who played as a wing half. This image not only celebrates their pursuit of excellence but also pays homage to individuals like Les Cocker who played an integral role in shaping young talents into formidable athletes. The chapter also looks at England’s preparation for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico and the unsuccessful defence of the Jules Rimet trophy. It shows Les Cocker as a talented individual, whether as a coach, assistant manager or trainer, loyal, hardworking, wanting nothing more than to make players and the team the best they could be. Now as a non-Leeds United fan and given my view that the film is deeply fictionalised for cinematic effect, I don’t have the same misgivings or deep rooted anger towards the film as many of the Elland Road faithful have.Kerr went on to manage South African side Arcadia United, with Cocker joining him in Pretoria in February 1966, shortly after breaking his collar bone in the final minute of a game at Lockheed. He went on to win the Youth Challenge Cup in 1958 by beating a Chelsea team that included Jimmy Greaves.

His football career continued from 1953 to 1958 at Accrington Stanley and it was from here that he retired as a player. Set against the backdrop of a bygone era, when training methods were simpler yet equally effective, this snapshot offers us a glimpse into the past while highlighting timeless principles that still hold true today. Cocker Hoop is the authorised biography of Les Cocker, renowned trainer and coach for Leeds United and England, working with Don Revie and Alf Ramsey respectively. Co-written with Dave Cocker, eldest of Les's three sons, the book takes us through Les's footballing career up to his untimely death in 1979. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH).Already with enemies within the Football Association, the Football League, the game itself and of course the media, he needs to win over a lot of people, and quickly. Leeds though struggled in the 1960/61 season and in March 1961, Don Revie took up the reins at the club as Player/Manager, keeping the Elland Road club out of the ignominy of relegation to the then Third Division.

His factual works include Hunting The Hooligans (co-written), A Celebration - the Official Leeds United Centenary Book , The Leeds United Collection and Peaches, A Chronicle of The Stranglers . After breaking a collar bone, he left and relocated to South Africa in February 1966 for a two and a half year spell with the Arcadia Shepherds, in which he was the club's top scorer.

With Revie unable to work his magic for the Three Lions and the FA it seems working behind the scenes to bring in another manager, he resigned in in 1977 taking up a role as the manager of the United Arab Emirates national team. April 1974 saw Sir Alf Ramsey sacked, prompting all the backroom staff including Cocker stating they would resign in a show of loyalty to the ex-England boss.