Aberdeen to hold '˜celebration of Neale Cooper's life'

Aberdeen are to host a public memorial at Pittodrie for former player Neale Cooper who died this week after a fall.

The late Neale Cooper is congratulated by his team mates after scoring for Aberdeen in the 1982 Scottish Cup final win over Rangers. Picture: SNS

The event – billed as a “celebration of Neale’s life” – will take place at 7.30pm on 8 June in the Richard Donald Stand.

Cooper’s family have encouraged friends, colleagues and supporters to attend.

In a statement, the family said: “Neale James Cooper passed away peacefully on 28th May 2018, aged 54, with his family by his side.

“A loving son to Anne, father to Amy, Alex and Ellie, brother to Shirley and uncle to Doug and Suzi, he left a lasting impression on everyone he encountered and will be sorely missed by those he left behind. The family would like to express their gratitude to Police Scotland, the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary paramedics, A&E and ICU departments who cared for Neale in his final hours, and the media for respecting their privacy.

“Neale will have a private family funeral and there will be a public memorial event at Aberdeen Football Club. The family would like to thank Aberdeen Football Club for organising the public memorial event and for the support they have shown. The family are also very touched and grateful for the overwhelming support and thoughts of the public and fans.”