HANGIN' WITH MR COOPER

Darlington wasted absolutely no time today in naming ex-Peterborough & Kettering manager Mark Cooper as the third Quakers chief in the last couple of weeks. Cooper has put pen to paper on a one-year contract with the club.

After it became apparent yesterday that Ryan Kidd didn't have the nerve for pulling Darlo back into the Football League at the first attempt, chairman Raj Singh acted quickly to snap up one of the initial candidates for the job back in March of this year.  To end up with a manager with the lower league credentials of Cooper must be viewed as quite a coup considering the turmoil that the club has been through over the last month. Cooper was in fact the first choice when Davey was appointed and declined the offer as he was on a shortlist for another job (a man with morals), ironically rumoured to be Hereford United.

Cooper's style has been described as defensively sound and hard to break down, a bit like a certain other Yorkshireman who managed the club in the not too distant past. In fact there are some startling similarities between Cooper and ex-boss Dave Penney.  Just like Penney, the Wakefield born Cooper played in midfield throughout the lower leagues during his career, both joined Darlo at the age of 41 after having some success in the non-league environment, and having both taken their first steps as player-managers. Each of them had a reputation for some good cup runs at their former clubs, something which JPT aside, Penney didn't manage to replicate at Darlington.

Darlo fans will hope that Cooper carries a bit more luck than compatriot Penney, who despite putting together a solid team, became a victim of circumstance and saw two promotion bids fade away.

Before Cooper can mould his team into a solid unit, he will have to go out and find some players capable of fitting into the system. One would hope that Cooper has had his eye on the ball for the last couple of months in anticipation of having to act fast should a job arise. With a reputation for liking a big, strong, physical team expect some strapping lads to join the cause in the coming months. Indeed according to Raj Singh, Cooper has already identified two or three 'interesting' players he'd like to bring to the club.

Cooper has brought former Southampton defender Richard Dryden with him to Neasham Road as his assistant, Dryden was part of Cooper's team in his first managerial job at Tamworth, and the pair will link up again.

I think I speak for all Darlington fans when I wish Mark Cooper all the best for the forthcoming season, and fingers crossed he's here a lot longer than the previous four managers we've seen during Singh's tenure.

Story written by: Divas

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