William Cook Celtic Full back 1930-32

Doing some research on my great Uncle William Cook who made 110 appearances in the hoops 1930-2. Got some great stuff on the Celtic Wiki but wonder whether there is anyone on here or within the Celtic family who has researched Celtics teams in the 1930s in any detail.

I know he was the player who ran in immediately as John Thomson dived at the feet of Sam English & wondered if he was ever interviewed about the incident as it must have stayed with him for the rest of his career along with the other players that day.

He won a SC & FA Cup in his early twenties playing in the 1932 SC winning side v Motherwell that included Jimmy McGrory & the 1933 Everton FA cup winning side that included Dixie Dean.

if anyone else on forum is related ( he had two brothers & two sisters ) it would be good to hear from you.

 

Not got any info on him just thought I would say what a cracking thing it must be to know someone in your family has pulled on the world famous hoops. I hope your beeming with pride

 

Just checked.
He had the Number 2 in the team.
His first match was Tuesday Februray 18th 1930.
It was in a 4-0 win over Ayr United at Celtic Park.
Peter Scarff scored all 4 goals.

Team for that match was
1) Kelly
2) Cook
3) McGonagle
4) Wilson
5) J McStay (C)
6) Robertson
7) R Thomson
8) A Thomson
9) Scarff
10) Napier
11) Hughes

His last game was Monday December 26th 1932.
It was in a 2-0 win against Queens Park at Celtic Park.
Scorers were F O'Donnell and H O'Donnell

Team was

1) Kennaway
2) Cook
3) McGonagle
4) Wilson
5) J McStay (C)
6) Geatons
7) R Thomson
8) A Thomson
9) F O'Donnell
10) Napier
11) H O'Donnell

I guess you may already have this info but thought i would give other supporters the chance to hear about him, at least a little.

With the years he played he should have received a Scottish Cup winners medal as well as 2 Glasgow Cup winners medals.

EDIT : Found a little bit more info. He didn't, as you mention, play 110 games for Celtic.
He played 124 games for Celtic

Here is breakdown of those matches by season

Season 1929 -30 - 14 matches
Season 1930-31 - 42 matches
Season 1931-32 - 41 matches
Season 1932-33 - 27 matches
Total matches = 124

 

Would love to research my family history and discover a relative had played for Celtic. Must be extremely inspiring to read stuff about your Uncle and his contribution to Celtic.

 

That's class mate

 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Cook_(footballer,_born_1909)

http://www.thecelticwiki.com/m/page/Cook,+Willie

You'll obviously have already read those links, just wanted to share them for anyone who's interested.

Must be a great feeling to be related to an ex-Celt

Also had some managerial career he was the manager of Peru and Iraq which is quite amazing

 

Thanks guys yes it is pretty mind blowing tbh .. Just two generations back .. Thanks for the correction too Drakhan even better & thanks for the heads up on the book. I have the 1988 book which contains some mentions of him .. He was apparently the first celtic player sold mid season ( not the last! ) for £3000 which must have been a decent amount back in 1932. Even better is I look a bit like him as does my dad ( his nephew ) I'm planning a trip to Goodison Park to see where he plied his trade after Paradise. He was born in Coleraine according to wiki etc in 1909 but his age on the Irish census of April 1911 states he was a year old ( someone couldn't count !)

 

The book i mentioned was one of numerous Celtic gifts from the wife and step daughter this June for my 50th.
It has every team sheet for Celtic from their 1st season until 2012.

 

nice one m8

 

Our kids are playing everton on a Monday night pretty soon, if you can go then would be killing 2 birds with 1 stone so to speak..

 

Willie Cook's pub in the Hilltown in Dundee, still called 'Cookies' locally, remains a Celtic stronghold.

There's a good story about it in David Potter's biography of Patsy Gallacher. I believe that Jim McGovern, one of the Dundee MPs and a big Celtic fan, got the story framed and it is up on the wall behind the bar.


"On the day that Patsy's son Tommy signed for Dundee in late August 1947, Patsy had accompanied Tomy to Dens Park to act as "agent" in the signing of forms etc. The business done, Patsy decided to visit his friend Willie Cook in his Hilltown bar. He was sitting in the snug bar enjoying his drink, very dapper as always with his black nap double-breasted overcoat and a brown bowler hat.

At this point enter Jim Hannan, a Celtic supporter of many years, a married man with three children, and a veteran of Dunkirk, North Africa, Italy and the D Day landings. Clearly a man who did not lack courage, but when Cookie said to him "Jim, do you know who that is?" and Jim was told the identity of the smartly dressed visitor who nodded politely in his direction, Jim just froze and neglected the opportunity to go and talk to the man who inspired such reverence. He regretted that moment for the next fifty years."

 

According to the 'Alphabet of the Celts' book, Willie Cook had quite a coaching career!

Rhyl - player/manager 1946
SK Brann (Bergen) 1947
Sunderland
Peru (national coach) 1952
N. Ireland Youth Coach
Portadown manager
Iraq (!) national coach 1955
Wigan Athletic manager
Crewe Alexandra manager
Norwich City trainer-coach 1958


Won his first Irish cap along with Sam English of Rangers v Scotland in September 1932 - the year after John Thomson died.

Played against Celtic for Everton in the 1938 Empire Exhibition Cup Final

 

Great story thanks for replying is that the same Willie Cook who owned the bar ? I know my g/uncle from research worked after the war on the liverpool docks at some point & lived in liverpool in his latter years where he died in 1992. Sadly professional footballers who played back then weren't made for life.

 

Sadly work commitments prevented a trip down but have a couple of games highlighted in 2015 I might get to. A 1-1 result is a good sign our youngsters are matching their peers with clubs down south though.