Scott Cooksey
Encyclopedia
Scott Andrew Cooksey is a former English
professional footballer, who played as a goalkeeper. During his career, he played for a number of professional and semi professional clubs, including Derby County
, Shrewsbury Town
, Peterborough United
, Hednesford Town
and Hereford United
. His career was terminated prematurely during the 2001-02 season
after a wrist injury.
, and Cooksey was to establish himself as one of the team's star players as Hednesford established themselves as one of the country's top non-league sides during the mid 1990s. Cooksey was almost an ever-present first choice goalkeeper during his three and a half years at the club.
Amongst the highlights of his time at Hednesford included a famous FA Cup
run during the 1996/97 season, which saw Hednesford progress from the early qualifying stages, right up to the Fourth Round proper.
Cooksey was to play a pivotal role as Hednesford beat Blackpool
1-0 at Bloomfield Road
in the second round, as he produced a last-gasp save in the dying moments, with Hednesford holding onto a late 1-0 lead.
After defeating York City
1-0 at Keys Park
, Cooksey starred in one of Hednesford's most famous matches, a narrow 3-2 defeat to Premiership side Middlesbrough
at the Riverside Stadium
. Hednesford were far from disgraced though, as they gave their Premiership opponents a scare, taking a sensatioanl early lead, and leading for most of the first half, before two late goals finally killed off The Pitmen.
Cooksey and Hednesford's FA Cup
heroics continued into 1997/98, as they beat Hull City
2-0 at Boothferry Park
, in a match filmed live for Match of the Day
.
It was of little surprise, given Hednesford's run of good form during the mid-1990s, that several Football League clubs showed an interest in Cooksey, and his last few months at Hednesford were riddled with speculations of a transfer to a higher league. He was also called up to the England semi professional side, making two appearances.
, following his successful stint at Hednesford.
Unfortunately, he did not enjoy the same amount of success with Shrewsbury Town. The club were entering a rather mediocre period of their history, and were finding themselves struggling to remain in the Football League. Shrewsbury's first choice goalkeeper Paul Edwards was one of the stronger team members, and Cooksey struggled to dislodge him as first-choice keeper. His first-team debut was against Cardiff City
at Ninian Park
, where he gifted Cardiff their opening goal as he dropped a crossed ball, Cardiff eventually winning 3-0.
He was only to make one more league appearance, a defeat to Hull City at Gay Meadow, along with an appearance in the Auto Windscreens Shield.
Late in 1999, Jake King was sacked, and Kevin Ratcliffe
appointed as manager. Unfortunately for Cooksey, his position at the club was further compromised as Ratcliffe signed former Liverpool trainee Ian Dunbavin
as second choice keeper, leaving Cooksey to find a place elsewhere.
, then of the Football Conference
, signed Cooksey on loan from Shrewsbury. With Cooksey once again an automatic first choice, he was a hit at Edgar Street and was signed on a free transfer in the summer of 2000.
Cooksey was a first team regular as Hereford pushed for promotion from the Football Conference. Whilst 'The Bulls' were not be promoted during Cooksey's stay, he became well regarded at the club, establishing himself as the first choice goalkeeper. It was during this spell that Cooksey also won the accolade of being first choice goalkeeper in the England semi-professional squad earning a further two caps.
Unfortunately, late in 2001 Cooksey picked up a wrist injury, and received an injection in order for him to complete the season. Sadly, the injury was to become infected, and Cooksey missed the entire 2001-02 season. The severity of the potentially life-threatening condition meant a three week spell in hospital with blood poisoning which had destroyed his wrist ligaments and severely weakening it.
Bravely, Cooksey attempted to battle back to fitness, and returned to football in January 2002 with a solitary appearance on the bench in the FA Trophy replay against Chesham United
. Sadly, he was never able to fully recover from the wrist injury, and with the need for further complicated operations he opted to retire from professional football in February 2002, aged 29.
Since retiring from football, Cooksey has entered the world of teaching and currently is Head of PE at a school in Birmingham.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer, who played as a goalkeeper. During his career, he played for a number of professional and semi professional clubs, including Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
, Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
, Hednesford Town
Hednesford Town F.C.
Hednesford Town Football Club are an association football team based in Hednesford, Staffordshire, England. They play at Keys Park.-History:...
and Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
. His career was terminated prematurely during the 2001-02 season
2001-02 in English football
The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
after a wrist injury.
Early career
Cooksey started off his professional career at Derby County in 1990, before spending half a season at Shrewsbury Town, however he was unable to break into the first squad at either club. After a successful period at non-league Bromsgrove Rovers, Cooksey moved to Peterborough United in 1993. However at Peterborough, Cooksey was restricted to reserve team appearances, although he made a handful of starts at Peterborough, along with short loan stints at non-league sides Welling United and Stalybridge CelticHednesford Town
Cooksey's big footballing break came in July 1995, when John Baldwin, then manager of non-league Hednesford Town, signed Cooksey from Peterborough. Hednesford had recently won promotion to the Football ConferenceFootball Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
, and Cooksey was to establish himself as one of the team's star players as Hednesford established themselves as one of the country's top non-league sides during the mid 1990s. Cooksey was almost an ever-present first choice goalkeeper during his three and a half years at the club.
Amongst the highlights of his time at Hednesford included a famous FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
run during the 1996/97 season, which saw Hednesford progress from the early qualifying stages, right up to the Fourth Round proper.
Cooksey was to play a pivotal role as Hednesford beat Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
1-0 at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
in the second round, as he produced a last-gasp save in the dying moments, with Hednesford holding onto a late 1-0 lead.
After defeating York City
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...
1-0 at Keys Park
Keys Park
Keys Park is home of Hednesford Town Football Club, and is situated on Keys Park Road in the town of Hednesford, Staffordshire. The club previously played at the Cross Keys, a ground situated behind the pub of the same name....
, Cooksey starred in one of Hednesford's most famous matches, a narrow 3-2 defeat to Premiership side Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
at the Riverside Stadium
Riverside Stadium
The Riverside Stadium is a football stadium in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Middlesbrough F.C. since it opened in 1995...
. Hednesford were far from disgraced though, as they gave their Premiership opponents a scare, taking a sensatioanl early lead, and leading for most of the first half, before two late goals finally killed off The Pitmen.
Cooksey and Hednesford's FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
heroics continued into 1997/98, as they beat Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
2-0 at Boothferry Park
Boothferry Park
Boothferry Park was a football stadium in Kingston upon Hull, and was home to the football club Hull City for over 50 years from 31 August 1946 until December 2002, when they moved to the Kingston Communications Stadium....
, in a match filmed live for Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
.
It was of little surprise, given Hednesford's run of good form during the mid-1990s, that several Football League clubs showed an interest in Cooksey, and his last few months at Hednesford were riddled with speculations of a transfer to a higher league. He was also called up to the England semi professional side, making two appearances.
Shrewsbury Town
In October 1998, Shrewsbury Town manager Jake King signed Cooksey from Hednesford for £15,000. Cooksey had been a squad member at Shrewsbury during part of the 1992/93 season, and he was hoping to make an impact at Gay MeadowGay Meadow
The Gay Meadow is the former home ground of Shrewsbury Town FC, a football club in England. It was situated just outside the town centre of Shrewsbury, on the banks of the River Severn and it opened in August 1910....
, following his successful stint at Hednesford.
Unfortunately, he did not enjoy the same amount of success with Shrewsbury Town. The club were entering a rather mediocre period of their history, and were finding themselves struggling to remain in the Football League. Shrewsbury's first choice goalkeeper Paul Edwards was one of the stronger team members, and Cooksey struggled to dislodge him as first-choice keeper. His first-team debut was against Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
at Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
, where he gifted Cardiff their opening goal as he dropped a crossed ball, Cardiff eventually winning 3-0.
He was only to make one more league appearance, a defeat to Hull City at Gay Meadow, along with an appearance in the Auto Windscreens Shield.
Late in 1999, Jake King was sacked, and Kevin Ratcliffe
Kevin Ratcliffe
Kevin Ratcliffe is a former Welsh footballer who spent most of his career playing for Everton. He was born in Mancot, near Queensferry in North Wales.-Club career:...
appointed as manager. Unfortunately for Cooksey, his position at the club was further compromised as Ratcliffe signed former Liverpool trainee Ian Dunbavin
Ian Dunbavin
Ian Stuart Dunbavin is an English professional footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Accrington Stanley F.C.....
as second choice keeper, leaving Cooksey to find a place elsewhere.
Hereford United
In January 2000, Hereford UnitedHereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
, then of the Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
, signed Cooksey on loan from Shrewsbury. With Cooksey once again an automatic first choice, he was a hit at Edgar Street and was signed on a free transfer in the summer of 2000.
Cooksey was a first team regular as Hereford pushed for promotion from the Football Conference. Whilst 'The Bulls' were not be promoted during Cooksey's stay, he became well regarded at the club, establishing himself as the first choice goalkeeper. It was during this spell that Cooksey also won the accolade of being first choice goalkeeper in the England semi-professional squad earning a further two caps.
Unfortunately, late in 2001 Cooksey picked up a wrist injury, and received an injection in order for him to complete the season. Sadly, the injury was to become infected, and Cooksey missed the entire 2001-02 season. The severity of the potentially life-threatening condition meant a three week spell in hospital with blood poisoning which had destroyed his wrist ligaments and severely weakening it.
Bravely, Cooksey attempted to battle back to fitness, and returned to football in January 2002 with a solitary appearance on the bench in the FA Trophy replay against Chesham United
Chesham United F.C.
Chesham United is an English football club based in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, currently playing in the Southern League. They are nicknamed "The Generals" because they were once the football team of the General Baptist Church in Chesham. Chesham Generals merged with Chesham Town to form United...
. Sadly, he was never able to fully recover from the wrist injury, and with the need for further complicated operations he opted to retire from professional football in February 2002, aged 29.
Since retiring from football, Cooksey has entered the world of teaching and currently is Head of PE at a school in Birmingham.