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Leeds legend Liam Cooper puts £1,000 behind The Old Peacock bar for locals
'What a captain and leader on the pitch and at the club he was. An even greater gentleman and kindhearted guy who will do everything for anybody top guy. MOT.'
Leeds United legend Liam Cooper was a special guest at go-to matchday pub The Old Peacock this past weekend and delighted fans even further by putting a healthy £1,000 in free drinks behind the bar.
Cooper left the Whites after more than 10 years at Elland Road back in September 2024 after his contract expired, joining Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia on a free transfer, but he remains a welcome face at the pub across the way from Leeds' home ground.
Especially when he gets the round in.
Returning to The Old Peacock for the first time since leaving Yorkshire, not only did Liam Cooper turn up completely by surprise and offered to put £1,000 behind the bar.
A belated Christmas present from ex-captain Cooper. (Credit: The Old Peacock)
Speaking to the BBC, one of the staff members explained how Cooper walked in pretty much without being noticed until beloved bar woman Dawn Oates spotted him and asked him for a picture.
After it became apparent it was indeed the former defender and club captain, the Kingston upon Hull-born Scottish international was insistent on sharing some free drinks with the punters.
Dawn and her colleagues then proceeded to hand out can after can of ALAW Lager ('All Leeds Aren't We'), the popular beer created in collaboration between official United supporters' groups and Osset Brewery, who have owned the Peacock since 2013.
Writing in a post on social media, the busy boozer said: "We would like to send a massive thank you to Liam Cooper for coming into the pub today and putting £1000 over which we handed fans a free can of ALAW Lager on his behalf."
Responding in the comments, many applauded the "classy" gesture and noted it wasn't the first time he'd done similar; one person detailed how he was treated to four free tins of the local brew and everyone echoed the mutual love between him and the club.
Much to the delight of regulars, The Old Peacock has been treated to lots of guest appearances by both present and former players over the years.
Fellow former defender and fan favourite Luke Ayling, who also left the club last year, famously relished popping in to surprise match-goers, even having the pub temporarily renamed as 'The Luke Ale Inn' in his honour.
If you thought his goodbye video was emotional enough, 'Coops' farewell was doubly so after a literal decade as a Peacock.
Where does he rank among all-time club servants and legends, do you think?
Leeds City Council has confirmed that work to stabilise buildings on Lower Kirkgate is set to begin later this month, with repairs expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
Back in 2024, Lower Kirkgate in Leeds city centre was closed following the partial collapse of a building, leaving one of the city's oldest streets inaccessible.
Since then, the street has remained closed while plans were developed to address the structural issues affecting the buildings.
Now, almost two years after the initial incident, the council has confirmed that a contractor has been appointed to carry out the work.
The buildings are privately owned, but Leeds City Council says it will step in to carry out the stabilisation work to prevent further deterioration and protect the historic properties.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are pleased that, following months of careful planning and preparation, we are now in a position to begin stabilising these privately owned buildings.
“A contract has been awarded for the work, which is scheduled to get under way later this month and is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
“It should be stressed that the situation on Lower Kirkgate is not of the council's making, with the owners of the buildings allowing their condition to deteriorate over many years and then failing to take the necessary steps to address the resultant structural issues.
“By stepping in and carrying out this work itself, the council will be able to arrest the deterioration of important heritage assets on one of Leeds’s oldest streets. As always, we thank the local community for their continued patience and support.”
Further details about the work, including when the street may be able to reopen, have not yet been confirmed.
Canadian rock legends Nickelback announce Leeds gig on huge world arena tour
Clementine Hall
Nickelback announce world arena tour in support of their new album - and they're coming to Leeds.
The Canadian rockers will be bringing their biggest hits as well brand-new music to arenas around the world.
Formed in Hanna, Alberta, the band made up of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair, have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide.
Best known for rock anthems including Rockstar, Photograph and How You Remind Me, Nickelback have built up a huge global following over the course of their career.
The upcoming tour will see the band celebrate their new album, Everything Under The Sun, and they'll be kicking off the UK leg of the tour right here in Leeds at the First Direct Bank Arena.
The tour follows their record-setting Get Rollin' world tour, and will once again take them to venues across North America, Europe, and Australia.
The group have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide, and achieved billions of streams across digital platforms.
Their new album will be released at the end of the month on Friday 30 October, so you'll have plenty of time to get to know their new tracks before they come to Leeds on Saturday 22 May 2027.
They'll be supported on the tour by Don Broco, an English four-piece featuring Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney, Tom Doyle and Matt Donnelly. Known for their genre-defying sound and dynamic approach to modern rock.
Nickelback 2027 UK Tour Dates in full
22 May - Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
24 May - London The O2
28 May - Birmingham Utility Arena
1 June - Glasgow Ovo Hydro
2 June - Manchester Co-op Live
Tickets for Nickelback at the Leeds First Direct Arena go on sale next Friday 16 October and you can get yours HERE.
Danny Jones -
6th January 2025 
