Bertie Peacock
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Bertie Peacock MBE (1928 - 22 July 2004) was a football player and manager from Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
After starting his career with local side Coleraine F.C., Peacock moved on to Belfast club Glentoran in 1947. After two years he was signed by Glasgow club Celtic, where he would go on to become captain and a club legend. During his time at the club he won one league title, two Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups.
Peacock won 31 caps for Northern Ireland. He featured alongside Harry Gregg, Danny Blanchflower and Billy Bingham in the team that reached the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup, the country's best result to date. He became Northern Ireland manager a year after his retirement as a footballer in 1961, giving George Best his first start. In the 1960s Peacock returned to Coleraine, winning the Irish League title in 1974. He was also assistant manager to Billy Bingham during Northern Ireland's 1982 World Cup campaign, where they famously knocked out hosts Spain in Valencia.[1]
Alongside Jim Weir and Victor Leonard, Peacock was one of the founders of the Milk Cup. Held in his native Coleraine, the youth football competition started with sixteen teams in 1982 and rose to become one of the most respected tournaments in the world.
In 1986 He was awarded the MBE for his services to football.
In June 2006 a statue of Peacock was commissioned. The memorial is to stand in Coleraine and is due to be unveiled in July 2007, at the opening of the 25th Milk Cup.[2]
[edit] References
| Preceded by Peter Doherty |
Northern Ireland manager 1962 - 1967 |
Succeeded by Billy Bingham |
 |
Northern Ireland squad - 1958 FIFA World Cup | |
|---|---|---|
|
1 Gregg | 2 Cunningham | 3 McMichael | 4 Blanchflower | 5 Keith | 6 Peacock | 7 Bingham | 8 Cush | 9 Simpson | 10 McIlroy | 11 McParland | 12 Uprichard | 13 Casey | 14 Scott | 15 McCrory | 16 Dougan | 17 Coyle | 18 Rea | 19 Graham | 20 Chapman | 21 Hamill | 22 Trainor | Coach: Doherty |
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This biographical article related to Northern Ireland football is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.Categories: Northern Irish football biography stubs | 1929 births | 2004 deaths | Coleraine F.C. players | Celtic F.C. players | FIFA World Cup 1958 players | Glentoran F.C. players | Members of the Order of the British Empire | People from County Londonderry | Northern Ireland international footballers | Northern Ireland national football team managers | Northern Irish footballers | Northern Irish football managers
