Cooper frustrated by Bury’s slow start to season
Prop Ben Cooper has been left frustrated by Bury St Edmunds form this season. Having come into the campaign as potential dark horses to lift the National Two East title after a strong finish to last season, Jacob Ford's side have come unstuck with just seven wins from their opening 12 games.
Cooper, 33, feels the club's disappointing first half of the campaign more than most as he returned to his grassroots club in Suffolk four years ago to see out the end of his playing career.
He said: “It's being a slower start than we expected with some disappointing results. We've got a decent enough squad and it's about building into the next few years rather than focusing entirely on this season.
“We're below where we want to be, we wanted to be top four this year and eighth is a bit of a way off. We've got a tough month ahead, facing the top two within our next three games and a trip to Westcliff in between, so none are easy fixtures.
“I enjoy every minute I step on the pitch at Bury because it means slightly more or in different ways to me than perhaps people who aren't Bury through and through.”
Cooper previously played in the Premiership for London Welsh and went on to star in the Championship for Bedford before returning to Bury in 2019. As someone who endured liquidation at London Welsh, Cooper has a great deal of empathy for those who lost their jobs at Worcester Warriors and Wasps.
He added: “My time at London Welsh was the best period of my career because it is such a great club, so it was such a shame what happened. They're rebuilding now, only a league below Bury which is good to see.
“The situations at Wasps and Worcester are very similar to what went on at Welsh. They've got a lot bigger debts than what we had. It's unfortunate they've been led by people who don't know how to run a rugby club and don't have the care for the players involved.”
