What Niall Quinn, Peter Reid, Grant Leadbitter and more said about ex-Sunderland kitman John Cooke during testimonial match at South Shields

The event at 1st Cloud Arena was to recognise Cooke’s remarkable service to the Black Cats, who he played for between 1979 and 1985 before serving as kit manager from 1994 to 2020. Cooke left the club after he was made redundant in 2020.

Kevin Phillips, Niall Quinn and Ally McCoist were among the names who played the fixture, which saw a team managed by Cooke take on a side led by ex-Sunderland manager Peter Reid.

Joe Nicholson and James Copley spoke to some of the players involved about their experiences with Cooke:

Niall Quinn

“He was more than a kitman, a kitman doesn’t do him justice.

“He was an integral part of the dressing room for a generation of teams, not just the team I was involved with.

“He was a nice fellow to give you a pat on the back when you were down, he would give you a good kicking if you were getting a bit big for your boots. He was good at that.

“He knew far more about the game than a kitman, and I know that because he kept telling us.

“He was just a fun guy to be around and knew and understood the dressing room so well. We would consider him a teammate.”

Kevin Phillips

“I’ve known that this day was going to come around quite a long time ago.

“Speaking to all the lads they couldn’t wait to come here and see John and see all the players, and it’s thoroughly deserved.

“John is so respected in the North East and what he did at Sunderland, especially when I was here, he was an iconic figure at the football club and a fantastic servant.”

Grant Leadbitter

“Cookie was here when I came through as a young kid. Cookie has been the heart and soul of Sunderland football club for many, many years.

“For me Cookie helped me many times off the field with what I’ve gone through, a person to speak to.

“He’s a really good guy and he helps everyone out.”

Peter Reid

“Besides being a player for Sunderland, when he was kitman he was the best.

“Getting that dressing room atmosphere and that spirit, if you’ve got a good dressing room you’ve got a chance and John was an integral part of that.

“Besides that he was just a great geezer.”

Jack Ross

“I’m just delighted to come along and support John because obviously he was a huge figure at the club, not just in my time here.

“He was a good help to me and I enjoyed a lot of conversation with him before games and during the week.

“I’m delighted to see that he’s been recognised in this way.”

Kevin Kyle

“Whatever happened or didn’t happen to him at Sunderland he put in 35 years of service as a player and obviously as a kitman. He was a great guy to have in the dressing room.

“I think any squad that experienced Cookie’s time at the club, none of them would have had a bad word to say.

“It’s nice to turn up and see so many familiar faces to support Cookie in this testimonial.”