This appears to be a few years old I hope that Mr Cooper is now in remission and is doing well.
Jan Steadman told me the same story about the B team situation and that crooked Jack Warner. As a result a lot of good players didn't get the chance to represent at the senior level.
I had the priviledge of playing with Garfield da Silva and could never forget the guy's intensity, strength and accuracy with corner kicks.
I took it for granted back in those days but looking back now, I had the opportunity to play with and against Gally Cummings, Rawl Aimey, Jap Brown, Jan Steadman, Peter Mitchell, Leone Carpet, Alvin Henderson, Hutson Charles, O Brian, Gerry Vidale, Roger Gaspard, Sloan Seales, Roderick Gibbs, Polycarp Alexander, Crispen St Louis, Leonson Lewis, Ivan Sampson, Colin Osbourne, and so many other big names which I can't recall ..the 70's and the 80's were the glory years for football in Trinidad. I used to play in a minor league in Moruga in the summer and big players like Wilfred Cave and Leroy Spann as well as other players from the first division would be playing. This was how the torch was passed to the younger players. Players learned from players back then.
Coops has to be among the greats.