Arthur Cooper (footballer, born 1895)

Arthur Cooper

Personal information
Full name	Arthur Cooper
Date of birth	1895 (1895)
Place of birth	Sheffield, England
Date of death	1964 (1965) (aged 69)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1913–1914	Three clubs	50	(0)
1914–1915	Birmingham	10	(0)
1919–1922	Barnsley	100	(0)
1922–1923	Oldham Athletic	10	(0)
Total		170	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Arthur Cooper (August 1894–April 1964) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Oldham Athletic. HIS GREATEST SAVE. SHEFFIELD Wednesday goalkeeper Arthur Cooper, 22, of 32 March Street, Attercliffe, was commended by city magistrates for saving the life of a baby thrown into the canal at Broughton Lane by its mother. The footballer was walking home along the towpath near the footbridge when he heard a commotion and a man shout: "Arthur, there's a child in the water!" Fully-dressed he dove into the canal and swam to help the 23-month-old boy. He suffered a black eye and an arm injury from submerged debris, but was able to retrieve the baby who made a full recovery. The court commended Mr Cooper, and also praised two other local men - John Bramhall and John Bungay - who restrained the child's mother who was trying hard to jump into the water. She told police she'd thrown the child into the canal deliberately and wanted to drown herself. William Rawson Carter, the presiding magistrate, speaking to Mr Cooper, said: “We wish to express to you our appreciation of your bravery. If it had not been for you the child would have perished and you deserve public thanks for the way in which you behaved this occasion.” All three men worked for Brown, Bayley Steelworks, of Attercliffe, Sheffield. A charge of attempting to murder her son on 29 November 1916, against the mother, was dropped at Leeds Assizes in March 1917 on the grounds she was receiving hospital treatment for her depression and only had limited strictly supervised access to the boy until certified well enough to return home.

• THE GREEN 'Un (Sheffield sports newspaper) recorded Cooper's debut with the Owls on 14 October 1916, when they were away at Leeds in front of a 5,000-strong crowd. Although Leeds won 1–0, Cooper grabbed the headlines due to a string of top-class saves, some from awkward angles. He'd joined the Hillsborough team from Sheffield Minor League champions Beighton Recreation.

A scarcity of quality players led to Cooper not only appearing that season in Wednesday's colours in league and cup games, but also for Chesterfield, Beighton, and non-league Silverwood Colliery. His appearances were often accompanied by glowing write-ups which led to him signing for Barnsley at the cessation of hostilities.

• IN NOVEMBER 1917, Cooper played for Pennington's XI in front of 18,000 spectators at Bramall Lane, in a War Charties fund-raiser game featuring no fewer than 14 internationals. Jesse Pennington was an England player capped 25 times who played for West Brom as a left-back.

The opponents were Wilson's XI, captained by Arthur Wilson who, during his 20-year career at Hillsborough (1900-1920) played for the Owls 501 times, scoring 199 goals, as centre-forward. He also played six-times for Scotland. At Wednesday he won the Football League in 1903 and 1904, and the FA Cup in 1907. He holds the club's all-time records for appearances made and goals scored. Wilson scored a hat-trick and saw his team win 3-1. On 1 January 1918 he switched his goalie gloves for the centre-half's position in an appearance for Tinsley Colliery where he proved as good outfield as he did between the sticks" (stated The Green 'Un"). During the 1917-18 season, he also appeared on a short loan to Grimsby after their 'keeper got injured, and also for Birmingham. The latter commitment saw him sign for the Blues, appearing for them 10 times, and later moved to Oakwell. His final season was at Oldham 1922-23 after a £200 transfer from Barnsley. The season's highlight for Arthur was playing in goal at Anfield on Boxing Day in front of 40,000 people when Liverpool won 2–1. He then hung up his gloves at the end of the season and returned to the steel industry in Sheffield, living at 28 Talbot Road. During the Great War, matches were played but not under the same structure as in peacetime but it is clear from reports in the local and national press that Cooper played some 50 matches - coupled with his reserved occupation as a steelworker engaged on war work.