Bertie Peacock

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Bertie Peacock
Peacock as Celtic captain
Personal information
Date of birth	29 September 1928
Place of birth	Coleraine, Northern Ireland
Date of death	22 July 2004
Playing position	Defender
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1944-1947 1947-1949 1949-1961 1961-1965	Coleraine F.C. Glentoran Celtic Coleraine F.C.	-(-) -(-) 453 (50) -(-)
National team
1949–1961 1955	Northern Ireland United Kingdom	32 (0) 1 (0)
Teams managed
1961-1974 1961-1964	Coleraine F.C. Northern Ireland
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Robert "Bertie" Peacock, MBE (September 29, 1928 – July 22, 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. He died in 2004, aged 76.

In June 2006 a statue of Peacock was commissioned. The memorial stands in Coleraine and was unveiled in July 2007, at the opening of the 25th Milk Cup.^[2]

[edit] References

v • d • e 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