Frank Kopel
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Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Frank Kopel | ||
Date of birth | 28 March 1949 | ||
Place of birth | Falkirk, Scotland | ||
Date of death | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. | ||
Place of death | Kirriemuir, Scotland | ||
Height | Script error: No such module "person height". | ||
Position(s) | Left back | ||
Youth career | |||
1964–1966 | Manchester United | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1966–1969 | Manchester United | 10 | (0) |
1969–1972 | Blackburn Rovers | 25 | (0) |
1972–1982 | Dundee United | 283 | (6) |
1982–1984 | Arbroath | 62 | (1) |
Managerial career | |||
1982–1983 | Arbroath (assistant) | ||
1991–1992 | Forfar Athletic (assistant) | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Frank Kopel (28 March 1949 – 16 April 2014) was a Scottish footballer who played as a left back. Born in Falkirk, he had an 18-year professional football career, during which he played for Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Dundee United and Arbroath. He then went into coaching, becoming assistant manager at Arbroath and Forfar Athletic with a spell on the Dundee United coaching staff in between.
Career
Kopel was born in Falkirk and was a Scottish schoolboy international before signing for Manchester United as a schoolboy in 1964.[1] He turned professional in 1966 and made his debut as a substitute in a 2–2 draw at home to Burnley on 9 September 1967.[2][3] He made his full debut – and his only other appearance for the 1967–68 season – on 28 October 1967, playing at right-back in a 3–1 defeat away to Nottingham Forest.[2][4] Kopel made a further 10 appearances for Manchester United during the 1968–69 season, including his European debut against Anderlecht on 27 November 1968,[2] but he spent most of the season as a back-up to the club's first-choice full-backs, Shay Brennan and Tony Dunne.[1] He was sold to Blackburn Rovers for £25,000 in March 1969,[2] nearly two months after his final appearance for United, a 1–1 draw with Watford in the FA Cup.[2] Kopel had a poor record during his time at Manchester United; out of his 12 appearances, they only won two matches and lost five.[2]
Kopel spent over two years at Blackburn but made little impact and was released in December 1971.[5] He joined Dundee United in January 1972; the first signing made by the club's new manager Jim McLean.[5][6] Kopel would remain at Tannadice for the next ten years, playing nearly 400 first team games, and picking up two League Cup and two Scottish Cup runners-up medals during his time with the Terrors.[6] In 1982, he moved to Arbroath as player/coach, before retiring from playing in 1984. He returned to United to coach and his son, Scott, was an apprentice at Tannadice before making a career at Chesterfield, Brechin City and Forfar Athletic.[7] Kopel has the honour of having a Dundee United Supporters Club named after him, Frank Kopel's Travelling Shindig.[8] and in 2011 was inducted into Dundee United's official Hall of Fame.[6]
Personal life
Kopel married Amanda in 1969.[9] He was diagnosed as suffering vascular dementia in 2008.[9] He died at age 65 at his home in Kirriemuir on 16 April 2014. He is survived by his wife and their son, Scott.[10]
Honours
- Dundee United
References
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- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Dundee United legend Frank Kopel dies
External links
- Pages using infobox football biography with height issues
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Use dmy dates from July 2011
- 1949 births
- 2014 deaths
- Scottish footballers
- Manchester United F.C. players
- Blackburn Rovers F.C. players
- Dundee United F.C. players
- Arbroath F.C. players
- Sportspeople from Falkirk
- Association football fullbacks
- The Football League players
- Scottish Football League players
- Deaths from dementia