Cocker Hoop: The Biography of Les Cocker, Key Man for Ramsey and Revie

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Leeds went onto win the 1973/74 First Division championship and with it, put Don Revie in a position as favourite to take the England job. It highlights Cocker’s contribution to success and how he understood the support that injured players needed in their rehabilitation during a period when Leeds were playing for a number of trophies at home and in Europe. Cocker Hoop is the authorised biography of Les Cocker, renowned trainer and coach for Leeds United and England, working with Don Revie and Alf Ramsey respectively.

Cocker established himself as a highly-respected trainer and coach at Leeds United, helping to build a famous footballing dynasty alongside Don Revie. The book cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket (if applicable) is included for hard covers. Helped by Kerr and Cocker, Arcadia finished in a best-ever fourth position in the South African first division, and also reached the South African Cup final. As one of the first recipients of full coaching badges at England's Lilleshall, he established himself as a supreme trainer and coach for Leeds United, and helped build a famous footballing dynasty alongside Don Revie. It shows how the world of club and international football differ with the lack of regular contact that was enjoyed at Leeds not able to be replicated for England, and as Endeacott reflects, “recreating such wonderful alchemy was a romantic but implausible idea at international level.Interestingly, the book details how Cocker “urged him (Revie) not take it as it was the worst international squad Les had known in his career; there were too many ‘ordinary’ players around.

However, for the England national side dark clouds gather as they miss out on qualification for the 1974 World Cup finals in West Germany. He was a key player, turning out over 200 times for the Town, mostly at wing half, forming a half back line with John Timmins and Jimmy Kerr. Co-authors Robert Endeacott and Dave Cocker have provided a wonderful tribute to Les Cocker in this book, with Endeacott’s insightful interviews and knowledge of Leeds United combining with Cocker’s family anecdotes and stories of the time. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. centres on the Elland Road club finally bringing major silverware to LS11, with the League Cup, First Division title and Inter Cities Fairs Cup adorning the trophy cabinet.It serves as a reminder that success in football extends beyond mere physical prowess; it requires careful attention to one's health and fitness regime.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Following a generous Foreword from ex-Leeds United player John Giles (as he signs himself in the book, rather than the Johnny familiar in his playing days) about his time working at the Elland Road club with Les Cocker, there follows an Introduction from Endeacott.England senior manager Sir Alf Ramsey noted this as “it showed that he (Cocker) would influence, for the better, the player’s future conduct” and was no doubt part of Ramsey’s decision to promote Cocker to trainer of the senior England squad and therefore a key part of the 1966 World Cup preparations. But there is an individual that connects both, and whose name is not so familiar – that of Les Cocker. Born in Wolverhampton, Cocker began his career in the youth team of Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1956, playing in their 1958 FA Youth Cup triumph. The lead up and the tournament in 1966 dominate Chapter 5, with an excellent interview with the Three Lions right-back of the time, George Cohen, providing a great inside view of the England set-up and Cocker’s contribution during that historic time. Working from numerous books and biographies, as well as (more importantly) previously unpublished notes written by Don Revie and Les Cocker, DisRepute – Revie’s England tells the truth about his exit from Leeds, his time as England boss and his departure to take charge of the United Arab Emirates national team.