Stephen Cooke
Encyclopedia
Stephen Cooke is a footballer currently signed to Pelsall Villa
in the Midland Football Combination
Premier Division, where he plays as a midfielder. Once considered a bright prospect for the future of English
football, Cooke's career has been seriously affected by a number of injuries.
and began his career as a trainee at the FA National School of Excellence
in Lilleshall
and then signed as a trainee at Manchester United
. He moved on to hometown club Walsall
before joining Aston Villa
. Cooke turned professional in July 2000. He made his first team debut on 2 August 2000, coming on as a second-half substitute for Julian Joachim
in Villa's 2–1 defeat at home to Celta Vigo
in the UEFA Intertoto Cup
semi-final second-leg.
He moved to Bournemouth
on loan in March 2002, making his Football League debut in Bournemouth's 5–1 win at home to Northampton Town
on 9 March. He returned to Villa before the end of the season.
On 1 January 2003 he finally made his Premier League
debut for Aston Villa
, coming as a late substitute for Ulises De la Cruz
in Villa's 2–0 home win over Bolton Wanderers
. He made two further appearances that season for Aston Villa
, as a late substitute for Dion Dublin
in the 1–0 defeat at home to Manchester United
in March and as a second-half substitute for Stefan Moore
in the 3–1 defeat away to Leeds United
on the final day of the season.
He rejoined Bournemouth
again on loan in January 2004 and signed on loan for Wycombe Wanderers
in December of the same year. Cooke's Aston Villa
career came to an end when he was released at the end of the 2004–05 season.
, this time on a permanent basis.
on loan until the end of the season. Cooke made the good start to his Torquay United
career scoring on his debut, but the club lost 5–2 away to Notts County
on 19 January. He returned to Bournemouth and was released at the end of the season.
confirmed that Cooke had joined the club along with two other former League players, in the shape of Terry Fleming
and Duane Darby
.
In September 2007 he undertook a trial with Grimsby Town
and later trialled with Wrexham
Both trials came to nothing and he resigned for Halesowen Town.
until the end of the season, but only made four appearances.
. However, the second spell was also unsuccessful for Cooke who was released on September 17, 2009 after the club entered administration.
in September 2009, following his release from Halesowen.
. He played three games in the 2009–10 season, providing one assist.
Pelsall Villa F.C.
Pelsall Villa F.C. are a football club based in the village of Pelsall, near Walsall, West Midlands, England, currently playing in the Midland Football Combination Premier Division. They are nicknamed The Villains and play at The Bush Ground...
in the Midland Football Combination
Midland Football Combination
The Midland Football Combination is an English football league covering parts of the West Midlands. It comprises five divisions, a Premier Division, Divisions One and Two and two Reserves Divisions...
Premier Division, where he plays as a midfielder. Once considered a bright prospect for the future of English
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...
football, Cooke's career has been seriously affected by a number of injuries.
Aston Villa
Cooke was born in WalsallWalsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
and began his career as a trainee at the FA National School of Excellence
Lilleshall Hall
Lilleshall Hall is a large former country house and estate located near Lilleshall in Shropshire, England. It was founded as an Augustinian Abbey in the 12th century, with its estate running to some...
in Lilleshall
Lilleshall
Lilleshall is a village in Shropshire, England.It lies between the towns of Telford and Newport, on the A518, in the Telford and Wrekin borough and the Wrekin constituency....
and then signed as a trainee at Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. He moved on to hometown club Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
before joining Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. Cooke turned professional in July 2000. He made his first team debut on 2 August 2000, coming on as a second-half substitute for Julian Joachim
Julian Joachim
Julian Jostin Joachim is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Coalville Town Football Club....
in Villa's 2–1 defeat at home to Celta Vigo
Celta de Vigo
Real Club Celta de Vigo , simply referred to as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, currently playing in the Segunda División. It was founded on March 28, 1923 following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna Foot-ball Club.Nicknamed Los Celestes ,...
in the UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
semi-final second-leg.
He moved to Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
on loan in March 2002, making his Football League debut in Bournemouth's 5–1 win at home to Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
on 9 March. He returned to Villa before the end of the season.
On 1 January 2003 he finally made his Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
debut for Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, coming as a late substitute for Ulises De la Cruz
Ulises de la Cruz
Ulises Hernán de la Cruz Bernardo is a Ecuadorian footballer currently with LDU Quito.De la Cruz has set up a charity, Friends of FundeCruz, in his home village to fund a number of projects serving the local community....
in Villa's 2–0 home win over Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
. He made two further appearances that season for Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, as a late substitute for Dion Dublin
Dion Dublin
Dion Dublin , is a retired English footballer. He was capped four times for England. Dublin started his career as a centre back with Norwich City, but made his name at Cambridge United as a goal-scoring centre forward. However, in his later years he showed his versatility by becoming an...
in the 1–0 defeat at home to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in March and as a second-half substitute for Stefan Moore
Stefan Moore
Stefan Leroy Moore is an English footballer, currently playing with St Neots Town of the United Counties Football League....
in the 3–1 defeat away to Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
on the final day of the season.
He rejoined Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
again on loan in January 2004 and signed on loan for Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
in December of the same year. Cooke's Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
career came to an end when he was released at the end of the 2004–05 season.
AFC Bournemouth
In July 2005, Cooke re-signed for BournemouthA.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
, this time on a permanent basis.
Torquay United
On 16 January 2007, he joined Torquay UnitedTorquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
on loan until the end of the season. Cooke made the good start to his Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
career scoring on his debut, but the club lost 5–2 away to Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
on 19 January. He returned to Bournemouth and was released at the end of the season.
Halesowen Town
On 3 August 2007, Halesowen TownHalesowen Town F.C.
Halesowen Town is an English association football club formed in 1873, since 2011 playing in the Southern League Division One South & West]]. The team is nicknamed "The Yeltz".-History:...
confirmed that Cooke had joined the club along with two other former League players, in the shape of Terry Fleming
Terry Fleming
Terence "Terry" Fleming is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Northern Premier League Division One South side Lincoln United, where he is also the manager....
and Duane Darby
Duane Darby
Duane Darby is a professional footballer who has made over 400 senior appearances in English football, and scored over 100 goals. He played a significant number of games for Torquay United and Hull City, and also helped both Rushden & Diamonds and Shrewsbury Town gain promotion from the Conference...
.
In September 2007 he undertook a trial with Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
and later trialled with Wrexham
Both trials came to nothing and he resigned for Halesowen Town.
Weymouth
In April 2009, he signed for WeymouthWeymouth F.C.
Weymouth F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Weymouth, who currently play in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:Weymouth Football Club were founded in 1890 and played their first game on 24 September of that year...
until the end of the season, but only made four appearances.
Return to Halesowen
For 2009-10, Cooke returned to Halesowen Town where he joined up with former Aston Villa team mate Stefan MooreStefan Moore
Stefan Leroy Moore is an English footballer, currently playing with St Neots Town of the United Counties Football League....
. However, the second spell was also unsuccessful for Cooke who was released on September 17, 2009 after the club entered administration.
Bloxwich United
Cooke signed for Bloxwich UnitedBloxwich United A.F.C.
Bloxwich United A.F.C. is a football club based in Bloxwich, England. Prior to 2008 the club was called Birchills United. In the 2007-08 season, they were champions of the West Midlands League Division One.-History:...
in September 2009, following his release from Halesowen.
Pelsall Villa
Cooke's stay at Bloxwich United was not a long one, and he soon left to join Pelsall VillaPelsall Villa F.C.
Pelsall Villa F.C. are a football club based in the village of Pelsall, near Walsall, West Midlands, England, currently playing in the Midland Football Combination Premier Division. They are nicknamed The Villains and play at The Bush Ground...
. He played three games in the 2009–10 season, providing one assist.