The Bonnie Prince: Charlie Cooke – My Football Life – Charlie Cooke with Martin Knight
Synopsis
The official autobiography of Chelsea and Scotland legend Charlie CookeBefore Joe Cole, Dennis Wise and Frank Leboeuf were ‘Here, There and Every ******* Where’, there was Charlie Cooke. He arrived at Chelsea in 1966 as a replacement for club favourite Terry Venables and promptly delighted the fans with his superb ball skills, searing runs and perceptive crosses. Most spectacular of all was his magical body swerve that triggered a collective mega-decibel sigh from the Shed. They called him ‘the Magician’, ‘the Maestro’ and ‘the Wizard’, or just ‘Charlie, Charlie, Charlie Cooke’. Cooke became a pivotal member of the mercurial Chelsea side of the late 1960s and ’70s, playing alongside the likes of Peter Bonetti, Alan Hudson and Peter Osgood. The epic two-match 1970 FA Cup final against arch-enemies Leeds remains to this day one of the most-watched television events ever in the United Kingdom. Like many of the era, Cooke finished his career in America, where he played with and against the likes of George Best and Pelé. But unlike most of the other British players, Cooke stayed on in the USA, helping the country to develop as a footballing nation. The Bonnie Prince is an insightful, exciting and entertaining account of a special footballer, once seen never forgotten
Review
I was never lucky enough to see Charlie Cooke play, but those who did tell me that he was so good he made players like Joe Cole, Arjen Robben and co. look second rate. I’ve also not read the book, but it’s definitely on my Christmas present list!!
