The Sky Blues former central midfielder from the 1990s Paul Cook who joined the Coventry City Former Players Association in late October 2012 (being signed up by our late and well respected former committee man Bob Bromage) was paid another visit this time by committee member Frank Pritchard at Cooky’s current place of work last Friday. Paul who has been gaffer at Division One outfit Chesterfield FC since October 2012 was pleased to see Frank who dropped in to the Spireites newish HQ (since 2010) at the ProAct Stadium, Chesterfield. Frank was pleased to make Paul a formal presentation of his official Association tie (pictured below).
A Liverpudlian, Paul was discovered playing at non-league Marine in 1984 by Wigan Athletic where he stayed for 4 years clocking up over 80 league appearances before moving to Molineux in 1989 (after a brief six game stint at Norwich City). At Wolves Paul proved a popular and effective midfield presence and over five seasons and nearly 200 league appearances (19 goals) in the second tier he made the short journey to Highfield Road to partake in Premier League football in 1994.
Frank (left) presents Paul with his CCFPA tie
Full value in his first season under Phil Neal, ‘Cooky’ made, in total, 40 league and cup appearances for the Sky Blues but was much less in favour the folowing season with Ron Atkinson at the helm and made only 3 appearances for the senior team before being sold to Tranmere Rovers in February 1996. At Prenton Park Paul was something of a linch-pin featuring in 60 games in 18 months but in 1997 the Club were tempted by a quarter of a million pound offer from Stockport County. Then, after a loan spell, Paul moved to Burnley in 1999 (as well as briefly returning to Wigan on loan in 2001-2). In 2003 Paul, at the age of 36, became central to non-league Accrington Stanley’s project to regain Football League status which was achieved in 2005-06. When he hung up his boots at the end of that season he had made nearly 650 league appearances for all his clubs.
From 2006 Paul’s managerial experience has taken in Southport, Sligo Rovers and (from February 2012) League Two side Accrington Stanley. Paul’s time at Chesterfield has seen him lead the Club to the Division Two championship last season and they are currently mid table (above the Sky Blues) in League One. The two clubs are next due to meet at the Ricoh on Sunday 28th December and therefore with both Paul and Sky Blues gaffer Steven Pressley being Association members we expect quite a battle between the sides of ‘our’ Managers.