[RCB] Billy Cook (1909)

[Admin]

William Cook (20 January 1909 – 11 December 1992) was a Northern Irish professional football player and manager. He was capped 15 times for Ireland.

About
Full name William Cook
Date of birth 20 January 1909
Place of birth Coleraine, Ireland
Date of death 11 December 1992 (aged 83)
Place of death Liverpool, England
Playing position Defender
Contract for two years

Style of Play
Plucked from the Junior leagues by Celtic in February 1930, Billy Cook was pitched into the first team within a week of his arrival at Parkhead. It proved an ideal game to ease himself into the top-class game, Celtic running out 4-0 winners over Ayr United. It was soon clear that Celtic had a top-class defender on their hands, and his first full season in the Celtic team saw him claim a Scottish Cup winner’s medal, and a place in Celtic’s end-of-season US tour.
Usually to be found at right-back, Cook also slotted in on the left if required, and was famed for warning wingers: “Get the ball away!” before catching them with a firm challenge and chastising them: “You didn’t get the ball away!” There was more to Cook though than the typical defensive hardman of the day. Stan Bentham, an Everton team-mate of Cook’s, said of him: "Willie Cook, right full-back, Irish international, with the ball control of any inside-forward. A hard player he could pass the ball facing his own goal, find our outside-right, which he often did."