On a lovely sunny September morning in Göttingen, the co-founder of the Cheltenham Göttingen Youth Sports Exchange was remembered with the unveiling of a plaque in his honour at the Göttingen Sports Centre’s Guest House.
Phillip Gordon ‘Jasper’ Cook founded the exchange of young sports people between the two twin towns in 1967 together with Göttingen sportsman Peter Morgenstern. Over the years they enabled the exchange of hundreds of youngsters in sporting fixtures, mainly football. Jasper visited Göttingen so many times during his life, that he called it his second home. In 2013 he was awarded a certificate of appreciation for his dedication over the years. Sadly he passed away in 2020.
The plaque was unveiled by Cllr Diggory Seacome (Chairman of the Twinning Committee) and also by Cllr Iain Dobie who was on that first visit in 1967, despite professing to have no football skills whatever!!
The unveiling was a poignant part of the programme for the group of Cheltenham visitors in the German twin town from 22-27 September 2023 and many of the group were present to mark the occasion.
Cheltenham International Partnerships 