NEALE Cooper had only been in Hartlepool for a matter of minutes and his big beaming smile was brightening up Victoria Park. It was the case for the next two years.

Cooper’s charisma and touchline passion was just what was needed at the time.

Pools had been promoted for only the third time in their history, but going up under Mike Newell in 2003 was a miserable event.

What should have been a glorious time was morose. Pools were going up with a grimace. Newell was liked and respected by the players, a very tight-knit group, but was far from popular among the crowd.

Newell was sacked. Cooper was the antidote.

“Welcome Neale, so why Hartlepool United?” was the opening gambit in his introductory press conference.

“Well I’ve come from Ross County, it’s somewhere up near Iceland’’ he quipped, his raucous laugh echoing around the executive box in the Cyril Knowles Stand.

He added: “My philosophy is to work hard, ensure people are playing with a smile on their faces and don't complicate things. I want a hard working team of boys who get on well.’’

It’s fair to say his opening words rang very true.

Knowles and Brian Clough have another one of Hartlepool United’s finest managers alongside them in the great dug out in the sky. Cooper will even manage to out-talk Clough.

A whirling dervish on the touchline, his antics during games were as entertaining as the non-stop action on the pitch.

From his opening game, a 4-3 win at Peterborough in August 2003 to the final outing of his first spell, a 3-1 home defeat to Walsall in April 2005 it was fun and free-flowing football all the way. From 8-1 home wins, to 6-4 defeats it had everything.

At London Road, the sweat dripped from his shining dome as he roared his side to victory when they were 3-1 down. His shirt was dripping wet. He put himself through the wringer every game.

His second game in charge was a League Cup penalty shoot-out win at Sheffield Wednesday. Cooper ripped a hamstring tearing onto the pitch to celebrate.

It didn’t take long for the Hartlepool fans to take to him, and he took to Hartlepool.

The football played by his side is unlikely to be bettered by a Pools side. Grimsby were thumped 8-1 at Victoria Park as they ran riot. After the traumas of that win, he promptly drove back to Aberdeen overnight to see his children for the weekend. The hours will have flown by as he remembered Paul Robinson’s hat-trick and Gavin Strachan’s sublime free-kick.

Friday night football meant entertainment at the Vic. Pools – inspired by Adam Boyd – later beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0.

Boyd was reborn under Cooper. Heading nowhere, the talented Hartlepool-born forward was shipped on loan to Boston United. A wake up call. Boyd rediscovered his game, came back home and fired Pools into the play-offs.

Cooper was never afraid to make the big calls. Within days of the season starting, he dropped long-established goalkeeper Anthony Williams for the untried Jim Provett, who then earned player of the year awards.

Young talent was given a chance to shine – the likes of Andy Appleby, Michael Maidens, Steven Istead and Darren Craddock were all introduced.

People wanted to play for him, supporters wanted to watch his team. He was in charge when Pools took over 10,000 supporters to an FA Cup tie at Sunderland.

It was the proverbial match made in heaven as Pools made the play-offs, only to lose in injury time at Bristol City.

For the press he was a dream to interview. Always with time to give, a quip, a punchline, a joke and a story.

Cooper wasn’t without his problems and his time at Pools came to an abrupt end before their next play-off campaign in 2005.

After 48 wins in 110 games, and with Pools needing to avoid defeat on the final day of the season at Bournemouth, Cooper was sacked.

No-one knows why, even if there ever was a definitive factor why it happened. But things weren’t right and Ken Hodcroft’s decision did prove correct as Pools got the draw they needed and then reached the play-off final.

After departing Ross County after six years in charge he admitted: “People say I left for health reasons, but I wasn't hospitalised or anything like that. I lost a bit of spark and that was a big part of my management style.’’

It was the same at Pools, the spark was missing.

Cooper had a brief spell at Gillingham and three years later managed Peterhead. He returned to Pools in December 2011, chairman Hodcroft hoping he could rediscover his fire and lift Pools up again.

But this was a different club to before. Pools were stagnant and, while a decent League One club, the days of challenging at the top were gone.

Cooper now had Micky Barron, his 2003 captain, as his assistant. He gave young Luke James a chance and was rewarded instantly with a goal of the season contender.

But it didn’t work out and he was sacked in November 2012, with only one win to his name that season.

His final game at Bury ended in defeat, he was an emotional and broken man who knew his time was up. The romantic return never worked out.

But he was always fondly remembered by supporters, staff and players at the club. Always welcome back at Victoria Park and warmly respected in the town.

Just like his former team-mates at the clubs he graced as a no-nonsense midfielder were quick to salute him.

Sir Alex Ferguson always respected him for what he did as a player in his Aberdeen side, Sir Alex was always there for his former midfield enforcer when he later needed him, despite Cooper doing a better impression of Ferguson than anyone.

He had charisma in abundance. Everyone loved Neale Cooper.

As the statement from Victoria Park said last night: We are heartbroken.