We’ve been lucky enough at “Going Down The Oteley Road” to speak to some ex Shrewsbury Town players, this week Daz Carding spoke with ex striker The Cookie Monster, Andy Cooke.
How did you get into football?
Firstly I was born in Shrewsbury so I think over the years my love for the club has always been there, my experience at Shrewsbury goes many years, back when I used to stand as a boy on the Wakeman and Riverside and I signed schoolboy forms when I was 14/15yrs old. This was down to Derick Mann who I have many things to thank for in my footballing life.
Unfortunately I never got picked up until late in today’s terms, it would never happen, as I was playing and scoring for Telford in the old Conference at 17! How would no one take a chance on a young player playing at that level in today’s terms!!?? Any way moving on as a youth player and for whatever reason at the time it didn’t work out at Shrewsbury and I moved with Derick to Telford as a YTS scholar.
How did you end up back at Shrewsbury?
It was always a plan of mine to return to the club I watched many times growing up and experiencing so many magical Shrewsbury moments on the terraces home and away. I was very fortunate to go on and play for some big clubs in my time as a professional and experienced some unbelievable times, grounds, countries and many memories playing with and against many world class players, but as my career was in my 30’s I desperately at some stage wanted to come back and play for the Shrews.
I remember being on loan up in Darlington from Bradford for the last month of the season up at the their new stadium and we played Shrewsbury in one of the last home games. I think we drew, I could be wrong and Joe Hart made an unbelievable save from my last minute header and feeling a bit gutted as I wanted to sort of impress the Shrewsbury manager, Gary Peters at the time.
Think I still had a pretty good game so took it upon myself to ask Dave Timmins, goalkeeper coach at the time and I knew him from years back to put a word in for me for the next season.
That season finished and I finished my loan spell at Darlington and my contract at Bradford was up. I wasn’t particularly worried as I wanted to move on to new things and at the time I had plenty of offers to go straight into another club but decided to take a gamble to hold on that something potentially could happen at Shrewsbury.
Eventually my wait was over and I had a call from Gary Peters to come to Shrewsbury for pre season training, no contract basically a trial! Now this was a gamble no contracts on the table but to risk it all to prove myself to Shrewsbury. I remember playing in probably 5/6 games that preseason and scored in everyone of them and to be fair I felt in great shape. Gary Peters had no other option than to give me a contract and my persistence paid off.
What did you think of playing at Gay Meadow?
I was obviously very familiar with the Gay Meadow, I think to any other non Shrewsbury fan/player it was an old school classic, an old English football ground that had something about it. The sight of the floodlights from the distance always gave me a great feeling, even better under the lights! I I think that probably no one really enjoyed going to play as an away team but I loved it and in my first and the clubs final year there it was amazing and instrumental in our success.
I think a lot of teams were already beaten before they arrived. The pitch wasn’t great at the time especially in the winter months, old run down stands etc but we used that energy to create the outstanding performances that we produced that year.
I’m just glad I had the experience of playing in a Shrewsbury shirt there and scoring at either end. Obviously my hat trick goals there I’m very fond of and proud of, but I think scoring for your team is just a great feeling wherever you play.
What do you think of Montgomery Waters Meadow?
Though the Gay Meadow was a shrine to the Salop faithful times do change and the new stadium was a must for the future of the club. Money is instrumental in modern day football life and with the stadium will secure the brightest of futures for a rural team like Shrewsbury. I remember playing in an All stars preseason friendly and Zola was absolutely incredible even in his latter years. What a great game to open the New Meadow. Bigger pitch more space though the feel of the old ground was lost hopefully within time the New Meadow will create its own identity and maybe the corners to be one day filled in would create that closed in atmosphere, but we all know that might take a couple of promotions to achieve something like that but look at Bournemouth! Anything is possible…
How do you think your Shrewsbury career went?
If I look back at my time with Shrewsbury I probably wasn’t prolific in terms of goals but my game was a lot more than about just goals and my times over the years at Burnley, Stoke Bradford etc proved that. So I can honestly say I gave it my all over the Shrewsbury years, not all went to plan but to be also down as played in the last ever game there is a special moment. The last game was was an emotional day enjoyed by many but times move on and it was the right time to move to the new stadium and I think it’s instrumental in moving the structure of the club forward.
Do you have any favourite goals in blue and amber?
I don’t know what it was I always seemed to score against Stockport over my career but to score two hat tricks in the same season I will always remember. Probably my Shrewsbury favourite goal was the chip at the wakeman end.
What was your favourite moment whilst playing for Shrewsbury?
The Mk Dons away game was just one of those all time great nights that don’t come round very often.
I remember talking to the gaffer in the week and saying this could be my last ever chance of playing at Wembley so I was really ready for the night. I was absolutely gutted to be left out of the starting line up but just thought I would get my chance at some time. The game seemed pretty level with MK Dons probably having the better of the first half but Gary came over and asked if I would be ready to go on at half time. All I knew was I had never been so ready and was so pumped up to go on. I recall the ball being turned back over the top and running on and connecting with a half volley. I remember running round behind the goal and the fans going crazy, bizarrely we had talked about this ball over the top as a tactic in training as we saw a flaw in the MK Dons back four when pushing up. They equalised and I scored again, obviously what happened that night was amazing and at the final whistle I just remembered getting crushed by the lads in a massive pile on. I couldn’t even breathe! The changing room after was mental as it was if we’d just won promotion.
How was the Play-Off final?
Leading to the final we were hit with several blows, Ben Davies rupturing his Achilles, Scott Shearer being cup tied and Luke Jones getting injured in the warm up. But no matter how you look at it I don’t think we were as strong going into the final as we could of been. Bristol Rovers were on an amazing run of form and took full advantage of that final. To experience playing at Wembley is amazing and surely every footballers dream, but losing there is one of the worst things I’ve experienced in football. Everyone was gutted after the game there was nothing anyone could say to make it better. I’ve experienced a playoff win but to be on the other end of that occasion is devastating.
Though that season had ended so had my contract but due to a clause in my contract me playing so many games Shrewsbury/Gary had to offer me a new deal. Talking of Gary overall as hard as I worked to convince him I was a player for him and Shrewsbury I actually liked him, he was a hard working manager who had morals, beliefs and values though slightly old school and that is no disrespect he had the experience to create a team structure and an environment to work hard and be the best you could be. Here’s a little story, I was coming back from injury and we were away at Notts County and Gary said Cookie I want you there so I arrived separately from the squad as I drove. The lads were already in the changing room so I had to try and get in, I was in my Shrewsbury tracksuit so should of been fine. Anyway I went to the main doors and a big bloke with a yellow high viz on says “yes?” and I said “I’m Andy Cooke Shrewsbury Town player the gaffer asked me to come to the game”, his reply was “I don’t care who you are!Your not coming in!”. “What but I’m a player” I said and “I don’t care” replies the bloke on the door “your not coming in!!!” So I thought wow so there’s a bit of a commotion and the bloke not letting me in. Just then I see the gaffer I shout and he sees me and says “hey Cookie come on in” and I told him this bloke wouldn’t let me. Gary came over and said “he’s my player he’s coming in” and the bloke says “he’s f’in not!” So Gary starts getting angry and tries to get me in and the bloke try’s to stop him. All I’m saying is it went off and it took about 8 guys to hold off Gary as he got me in…Brilliant!
How was it the following season?
I had a few calls to go and talk to other clubs but had no hesitation whatsoever as I just wanted to stay at Shrewsbury. I remember having a great preseason and feeling as fit as I’d ever been, I got two goals on the opening day against Lincoln and couldn’t of been happier, all my hard work was paying off. On the Tuesday we played Colchester in the cup and Gary said he wanted to rest me for the weekend but I remember the game being 0-0, I think with about 5 minutes to play and I came on. All I remember is trying to turn a ball around the corner with my right foot and feeling a horrible pull at the back of my knee I just walked off. I knew it was bad as if you can put your hand at the back of your knee you’ll feel two bands. I couldn’t feel one of them on my right side it just wasn’t there! After a scan it was confirmed I ruptured my bicep tendon quite rare in footballers very common in traffic accidents I was lead to believe, as it happened it was just hanging on by a thread so no operation I needed to wait for it to grow back. If it had come completely away I was finished! Either way that injury was probably the start of my downfall!
A Notts County move very nearly happened but fell through very late on in the day. I remember the opportunity to go and talk to them came so I decided to listen to what they had to offer. I knew the assistant manager at the time, Dave Kevan as had worked with him at Stoke City. The truth is I was still getting back to full fitness since coming back from my bicep tendon injury. To be honest I never wanted to leave Shrewsbury but I think it’s always flattering to hear another sides interested in you even at the age I was. Anyway I was picking up minor niggles due to the amount of work I was doing to get fit and I think when it came down to it Notts County didn’t want to take a gamble if I wasn’t 100% fit. I hadn’t really played that many games since my return and in all fairness I was more than happy to return back to Shrewsbury.
I never really spoke about my time ending at Shrewsbury and in all honesty I was absolutely gutted how it all ended!
How was it ending your playing career where it all began?
I always had a plan to finish my career at Shrewsbury, then stay on as a squad member, learning coaching and progress to a role to build my experience as a coach, complete my badges and get involved with the academy to progress in football at a club I loved when I finished playing. That was my perfect role in moving forward. Unfortunately Paul Simpson I believe just wanted me out even though I offered to basically play for free! He just wanted me gone! The club ended up paying up my remaining 3 months contract and I was finished. In looking back now I never recovered from this and went through I believe a lot of what ex pros go through. I had no confidence and suffered depression etc and lost quite a few years through this. I did have offers to play from Telford and Kidderminster but I’d lost all motivation to carry on. I just wanted to stay at Shrewsbury but the dream was over so after not much thought I begrudgingly decided to call time on my career.
Who were some of your favourite players you played with at Town?
Looking back at my time I was lucky to play with some great players Dave Edwards obviously comes to mind his energy and stature to make those box to box runs is a difficult feat by any player and there are not many made like that anymore. Credit to him and the career he’s has had great to see him back in blue and amber. I’ve got to also mention my old room mate Ben Davies he loved a joke or two especially away from home in the hotel. The bucket of water against the door, knock and run off always a classic.
What do you think of the current Shrewsbury Town team?
Well what can I say about Shrewsbury’s current form. A bit hit and miss I think, I’ve been fortunate to go quite a few times to watch and probably watch the Town more than anyone else. I still go to Stole but probably more in more of a media role than just going to watch. Its brilliant at Shrewsbury the fans and the town, basically all involved. In League One the teams that compete at this level seem to get bigger and better and there’s been a lot of change since Paul Hurst’s exploits but Sam has got the team playing decent football which in a perfect world all fans want to see. I like the introduction of Ryan Giles who gives energy going forward, as I think that’s been missed and possibly has let the side down over the last year or so but Sams vast experience of his playing days and management attributes will hopefully have helped develop his knowledge. Knowing the league and players has no doubt reinforced his management of a group of players he believes he can develop to give Shrewsbury a massive realistic promotion push. And with new additions hopefully a realistic playoff push can be achieved. We all know what the Championship brings in terms of profile, opposition and money. Yes there’s such a long way to go between now and the end of the season but always look positively.
Who we’re you a fan of growing up?
I probably based my playing style on Mark Hughes, I watched him many times at Man Utd as a young boy and loved his hold up play and spectacular goals. A proper old centre forward. Then the likes of Shearer another old school centre forward, both power houses something that’s quite rare in modern football.
Huge thanks to Andy for chatting with us about his time at Shrewsbury and for bringing back some great memories from years gone by.
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Daz Carding
“Going Down The Oteley Road”
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