Mick Cooke (football manager)

Mick Cooke (born 14 August 1951) is an Irish association football manager and former player.

Mick Cooke
Personal information
Full name Michael Cooke
Date of birth (1951-08-14) 14 August 1951
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Newbridge Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1970 St Patrick's Athletic ? (?)
1970–1974 Drogheda United ? (8)
1974 St Patrick's Athletic ? (?)
1974–1977 Shamrock Rovers ? (?)
1977–1978 Bluebell United ? (?)
1977–1978 Thurles Town ? (?)
1978–1981 Galway United ? (?)
National team
1970 Republic of Ireland U19 3 (0)
Teams managed
1992–2000 Republic of Ireland Women
1999–2002 Shamrock Rovers (assistant)
2003–2010 Monaghan United
2011–2013 Drogheda United
2014 Athlone Town
2015–2016 Bray Wanderers
2018–present Newbridge Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

A former youths international Cooke played in the qualifiers for Republic of Ireland national under-19 football team in the 1970 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship. An inside left he started his career at St Patrick's Athletic F.C.. He then moved to Drogheda United scoring 8 league goals in four seasons and was their top scorer in 1972/73.

He played in both games of the 1971 FAI Cup Final as Drogheda lost in the replay to Limerick.

The Dubliner was signed by Mick Meagan for Shamrock Rovers later that year, the man who had brought him to Drogheda as a teenager four years earlier.

A former Republic of Ireland national football team youth international in February 1974 Cooke signed for St Patrick's Athletic [1] and was an unused substitute as Pats lost the 1974 FAI Cup final.

Managing career

Cooke managed the Republic of Ireland women's national football team for eight years from 1992, standing down in July 2000 to concentrate on his role as assistant manager of Shamrock Rovers.[2]

Cooke led the U–17 girls to triumph in the Gothia Cup in 1995, beating Taiwan in the final; and, the following year, won the Dana Cup with the U–18's when defeating the State of Texas in the final in America.

One of his last games came against world champions USA in front of 30,500 spectators at the Foxboro Stadium, Massachusetts in September 1999.[3]

He was alongside Damien Richardson from 1999–2002 as Rovers finished League of Ireland runners-up and reached two FAI Cup semi-finals.

In 2003, he got his first manager's job in the league at Monaghan United. After seven seasons he took over from Bobby Browne in February 2011 and in the 2011 League of Ireland season he led Drogheda to ninth place and safety in the Premier Division.[4][5]

He is the first team manager of League of Ireland Premier Division side Drogheda United since taking over 2011.[6]

He took over from Bobby Browne in February 2011 after seven seasons in charge of Monaghan United, and in the 2011 League of Ireland he led Drogheda to ninth place and safety in the Premier Division.[7][8]

Cooke took over as manager of Athlone Town in November 2013, but left the position in April 2014 after the club lost all of their opening ten league games of the 2014 season.[9]

On 7 July 2015, Cooke took the reins at Bray Wanderers.

Honours

As a manager

References
  1. The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1974/0205/Pg003.html#Ar00305:4014F642450D46796948B98138997939599139597B3B7990. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. "End of an era for Irish women". Kickin Magazine. 7 July 2000. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  3. "End of an era for Irish women". Kickin Magazine. 7 July 2000. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  4. "Cooke finds the right recipe as Drogheda make most of lifeline". Irish Independent. 28 December 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  5. "Cooke delighted with Drogheda form". Extratime.ie. 26 March 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  6. "Cooke appointed Drogheda manager". Extratime.ie. 27 February 2011. Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  7. "Cooke finds the right recipe as Drogheda make most of lifeline". Irish Independent. 28 December 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  8. "Cooke delighted with Drogheda form". Extratime.ie. 26 March 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  9. "Mick Cooke and Athlone Town part company after abysmal start". Irish Independent. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
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