| Les Cocker | |
| Birth Date: | 13 March 1924 |
| Birth Place: | Stockport, England |
| Death Date: | [1] |
| Death Place: | Doncaster, England |
| Position: | Striker |
| Years1: | 1946–1953 |
| Clubs1: | Stockport County |
| Caps1: | 173 |
| Goals1: | 43 |
| Years2: | 1953–1958 |
| Clubs2: | Accrington Stanley |
| Caps2: | 122 |
| Goals2: | 48 |
| Totalcaps: | 295 |
| Totalgoals: | 91 |
| Manageryears1: | 1958–1960 |
| Managerclubs1: | Luton Town (Coach) |
| Manageryears2: | 1960–1974 |
| Managerclubs2: | Leeds United (Coach) |
| Manageryears3: | 1962–1974 |
| Managerclubs3: | England (Coach) |
| Manageryears4: | 1974–1977 |
| Managerclubs4: | England (Assistant Manager) |
| Manageryears5: | 1977–1979 |
| Managerclubs5: | United Arab Emirates (Assistant Manager) |
| Manageryears6: | 1979 |
| Managerclubs6: | Doncaster Rovers (Coach) |
Les Cocker (13 March 1924 – 4 October 1979) was an English professional football player and coach. As a player, Cocker played as a striker for Stockport County and Accrington Stanley, making nearly 300 appearances in the English Football League. After retiring as a player, Cocker became a coach, working with club sides Luton Town and Leeds United, before working with the victorious England team at the 1966 World Cup.
Cocker was born in Stockport on 13 March 1924.[2] During World War II, Cocker spent time with the Reconnaissance Regiment in Occupied France.[3]
Cocker was married to Nora and had three sons – David, Stephen and Ian.[3]
Cocker began his professional career with Stockport County in 1946, scoring 43 goals in 173 League games between then and 1953.[4] Cocker then played with Accrington Stanley, scoring 48 goals in 122 League games between 1953 and 1958.[5] In his professional playing career, Cocker scored a total of 91 goals in 295 League games.[2]
After retiring as a player in 1958, Cocker became a Coach at Luton Town.[2] In 1960 Cocker moved to Leeds United,[3] as one of the country's first FA Coaching Certificate holders.[3] In 1962, Cocker was called up by England national team manager Walter Winterbottom to become a squad trainer,[3] combining his national duties with those of his club. Cocker left Leeds in 1974 to become full-time Assistant Manager to Don Revie with the England national team.[3] When Revie left in 1977 to become manager of the United Arab Emirates national team, Cocker followed as his assistant.[3] Cocker returned to England in 1979 to become a coach at Doncaster Rovers under former Leeds legend Billy Bremner, but he died in October of that year aged 55.[3]
Cocker was also a Team Trainer with the victorious England squad at the 1966 World Cup.[3] Despite the England team winning the competition, Cocker was not awarded a medal, and a posthumous campaign for Cocker to be awarded one was launched by his family in February 2008.[3] [6] The campaign attracted support from former Leeds players including Eddie Gray, Peter Lorimer and Johnny Giles, as well as British politicians including Gerry Sutcliffe and Richard Caborn.[3] [6] Cocker was eventually awarded a medal in June 2009, which was collected on his behalf by his family.[7]