Researching Bob Cooper

Born and raised in the east of County Donegal in the north-west of Ulster, Cooper, a Presbyterian, attended Foyle College and then studied law at The Queen's University of Belfast, where he was the Chair of the Young Unionists. Despite his Protestant Unionist background, Cooper married a Catholic.

In 1970, Cooper became a founder member of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, and at the 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election, he was elected for West Belfast. He served as Minister for Manpower Services, a junior position in the Sunningdale Northern Ireland Executive. Soon after, he became deputy leader of the party, and in 1975 he was elected to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention.

In 1976, Cooper left politics to take up an appointment as head of the Fair Employment Agency. In 1990, this became the Fair Employment Commission, and he continued in the post until 1999. He then headed the Integrated Education Fund until shortly before his death.

Cooper was knighted in 1998. His wife was Lady Pat Cooper.

Cooper played rugby league for Western Suburbs Magpies and North Sydney Bears and, in 1980, was selected in the New South Wales team for the inaugural game in the State of Origin. He played primarily in the back row. Cooper was named in the Western Suburbs Magpies Team of the Eighties, in the second-row.

In 1982, Cooper was suspended for the equal-longest period in rugby league history, of fifteen months, after he ran in to join a brawl and left three Illawarra Steelers players flattened during a match at Wollongong showground. When imposing the suspension, the NSW Rugby League judiciary chairman, Jim Comans said, "Acts such as these must be obliterated from the game, and I'll begin by obliterating you."

In 1983, Cooper played Australian rules football with St George in the Sydney Football League and won the reserve competition's best and fairest award.

In 1984, Cooper returned to the NSW Rugby League with North Sydney but, after only four games, he dislocated his shoulder and retired from football.

Born in Rugby, Warwickshire, Cooper represented Central Midland Schools at cross-country running as a teenager. He combined his speedway career with his work as an engine fitter for Rolls-Royce. After attending a training school at King's Lynn in 1971, he made his competitive debut the following year in a 'Stars of Tomorrow' event at King's Lynn in 1972. In 1974 he signed for Leicester Lions, riding in the junior team, and was loaned out to Rye House Rockets, averaging 4.78 over his debut season, also riding in one match in the top division for Lions, but failing to score from three rides. He continued to ride for Rye House until 1978 and made two further appearances for Leicester in 1975. He made 128 appearances for Rye House, scoring 628 points.