Allan Cockram made almost 120 appearances for the Bees between 1988 and 1991.
One history of the club recalls his “flowing locks, ever present smile and witty rapport with the crowd…enhanced by the way he sprayed the ball around the pitch, an ability to conjure up goals out of nothing, and who loved shooting from distance.”
One of Cockram’s proudest footballing moments, however, came last March when he led the Brentford Penguins, the team for children with Down Syndrome which he coaches, out onto the pitch at the Gtech Community Stadium before our game against Leicester City. The Penguins formed a guard of honour for the players as they emerged from the tunnel.
“It was something I’d dreamt about for six years,” the Griffin Park fans’ favourite says.
“You’ve got to aim for something and in my head it was always to build a relationship with Brentford Football Club and make them either mascots or guard of honour. When we achieved that it was a very important day in my life – and I know what it did for the kids as well.”
The lead up to that special day is the subject of Mighty Penguins, a short documentary which received its world premiere in June at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. It explores the close bonds between Cockram and the youngsters on his team.
“They mean the world to me,” he says.
“I kind of get them and I don’t know why I get them – it’s something really deep within me.
“I’ve got a different relationship with every kid.
It’s hard to explain – they just make sense to me. Everything is unconditional.
“I’m a very natural person. I’m honest with my feelings. I just say what I feel, and it got me into trouble a lot. As a football coach you can fake stuff. There’s plenty of fake coaches out there. With these children, though, you can’t fake it because they’ll just tell you. They’re very honest. Also, their love is unconditional, so they will love you, hug you, tell you jokes, laugh together.
“I always say it’s spiritual.”
Mighty Penguins tells a story of resilience and acceptance, highlighting the challenges of living with Down Syndrome and the power of football to build communities and forge friendships.
“It’s not just the kids – we’ve built a community for the parents too,” the former midfielder explains.
“We’ve built something that is safe, but also where they can talk about their issues and they’re not alone in the world. They’re not outsiders anymore.
“On a Sunday morning at Gunnersbury Park there’s between 45 and 60 people every single week, and all the parents are sharing little bits of their story.
The kids are maturing because they see children that are the same as themselves.”
In addition to a club for children with Down Syndrome, the Planet Penguins Football Foundation has recently expanded to include the Emperors and Empresses, walking footballing teams designed to improve fitness and mental health amongst older men and women.
“I’ve got parents and kids in all three teams – a kid, a mum and dad in the different teams,” Cockram says.
“90% of the women in the Empresses have never played football, never kicked a football.
Through the Penguins and football, which is an activity they would never normally be drawn to, they’ve found a community.
“I think the other teams are outsiders as well. It’s like the Forgotten Generation that you hear stories about, men of 55 and over who have been left on the scrapheap and women over 40 who have missed out on the whole Lionesses thing and who were told at school, ‘you can’t play football, you’re not allowed to play football.’
“We’re just a bunch of misfits really that have all come together and it works in a very special, unique way.”
The Who Cares Wins Awards
Vikki Cockram, co-trustee with an ex-England footballer!
As if the attention generated by the documentary wasn’t enough, the Penguins are currently enjoying a blizzard of publicity after Allan Cockram received the Unsung Hero Award from David Beckham in the Who Cares Wins Awards, September 24th, which celebrate healthcare workers and volunteers who have gone above and beyond.
Beckham, who presented the award alongside his son Romeo during a photoshoot at the Gtech, paid tribute to the “incredible work” of an “amazing, inspiring man.” “We all love him,” he added.
In his acceptance speech before a star-studded audience, Cockram said, “This isn’t just for me – it’s about thanking everyone who helps me and has been behind me all the way.”
“Thank you to my wife Victoria, the fantastic volunteers. Thank you to all the DS (Down Syndrome) kids, who are the most loving, honest and the cheekiest people on the planet. You guys have made me a better person and above all thank you for finally letting me find my acceptance in the world.”
A documentary. A major award. Visits from football royalty, newspaper profiles and appearances on primetime television.
It seems the March of the Penguins is only just beginning
Watch the film (soon)
The UK distribution rights for Mighty Penguins are still being negotiated so unfortunately the documentary is not yet on general release or streaming platforms but readers can find out more about the Brentford Penguins Football Foundation at https://www.planetpenguinfootballfoundation.com/
You are now probably now interested in everything Allan has done off the pitch and on
Nick Bruzon caught Allan back in February, sometime before the film and his interview is here!
Jonathon Burchill recalls Allam Cockram’s days as a Bee from April 1988
Allan made his debut for the Bees in April 1988, under manager and ex-Spurs colleague, Steve Perryman, scoring 2 goals in his first 7 games. He went on to be a regular in midfield the following season, which included our FA Cup run to the 6th round that ended in a 0-4 defeat at Anfield.
Allan remained at Brentford for a couple more seasons, playing 117 games in total, scoring 17 goals.
He etched his name on a piece of club history in a Third Tier game with Bury at Griffin Park in November 1990. With the Bees 0-2 down he came off the subs bench, along with Gary Blissett. Bliss pulled a goal back before Allan scored the equaliser as the games ended 2-2.
Jonathan’s pub trivia!
1. It was the first time, since two substitutes were allowed in league games in 87-88, that the two Brentford subs had come on, and both scored.
2. Had the Bees beaten Liverpool that season, they would have course traveled to Hillsborough.
Stuart Hughes consults on Media Creation for Bees United and Stuart is one of the BBC’s most experienced and respected foreign news producers. Stuart began his career at BBC Wales in his hometown of Cardiff. For more than two decades he has covered hundreds of historic news events around the world, working alongside many of the best-known names in broadcast journalism. His assignments have included the 9/11 attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Arab Uprisings, the death of Nelson Mandela, the Syrian civil war, the migrant crisis, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the Trump presidency and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic.