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COLIN COOPER BENEFIT MATCH - MIDDLESBROUGH v MILLWALL - SATURDAY 12th AUGUST 2006
After an illustrious twenty years in Football, 'Super' Colin Cooper has finally hung up his boots. From those that recall the young, central defender with his baby blonde highlights at Ayresome Park, to some of the younger Riverside generation there will be few who have seen a more committed player with such honest passion playing for their team.
Since beginning his professional career in the 1985/86 season, Coops has played an impressive 346 league games for Boro, with two seasons for Millwall and six seasons for Nottingham Forest sandwiched in between.
This coming Saturday 12th August sees Middlesbrough take on Italian team Chievo in a benefit match at the Riverside, to promote the launch of Colin's charity, the Finlay Cooper Fund (formerly Dragonfly Fund). The charity is named after Colin and Julie Cooper's two year old son, who tragically died at home in 2002.
After such a long and dedicated career, it's time for the fans to give Super Cooper a little something back.
On the morning of the 12th, to coincide with the Chievo game, there will be a charity match played between two teams of football supporters. Middlesbrough will take on Millwall in the second match of its kind with both teams doggedly determined to take home the Finlay Cooper Cup.
The first match between these two sets of fans was played back in 2002 at the Co-op Ground in New Eltham, and both sets of fans made it a great success under what were very difficult times for Colin and Julie, who travelled four hours to get to the game. They saw Boro beat the Millwall boys by a goal to nil.
This year's match will be a much happier occasion with a real air of celebration for a Boro legend and his move from valued squad member to MFC coaching staff.
Jason Pickering will be making the long journey up to Teesside. He was one of the original Millwall players in the 2002 fans match and has been the chief instigator for the coming re-match.
"The idea of this game (2006) came up about a week or so ago when I saw Coops on Sky talking about how much the support of the Boro fans had helped him and Julie through such a traumatic time. If not for this, he would have walked away from football completely.
Colin was also talking about his forthcoming benefit match and I thought how nice it would be to have a re-match and also to be able to present Colin with something for his services to Football. Millwall fans hold Colin in such high regard and he has always been a fans favourite, the fact he was staying in football after what he had gone through was a testament to not just Colin but Julie as well.
Colin only spent a couple of seasons at the Den but in that time he showed what type of man he is. Forget the stereotypical Premiership footballer, Colin is a guy who cares as much as the working class fan. Some of the so called superstars should take a leaf out of his book."
The fully officiated match will be played at 11am at the Eston Academy, Middlesbrough, on the outdoor pitch. Spectators are very welcome for what should be a brilliant morning, with Colin Cooper presenting the trophy (kindly donated by Teesside and Cleveland Trophies) to the winners.
As well as the match there is a completely unique, signed Cooper shirt up for auction, half time fun and a raffle with prizes donated from MFC including signed football shirts, footballs, pennants, a signed England football and many other prizes, some of which are pictured above. There is no admission fee, and any money raised from the day is being donated to the Finlay Cooper Fund.
Will the Millwall lads get their revenge? Come along on Saturday and find out!
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