Phonce Cooper first started playing soccer at a high school level for John Burke High in Grand Bank and from there, in 1968, went on to play with the Junoir Gee Bees. In 1969 & 1970, he played for the Grand Bank Senior team.

Phonce's big break may have came in 1971 when he moved to St. Lawrence for employment and also started playing soccer with the St. Lawrence Laurentians. During his first year as a Laurentian , he was introduced to the Laurentians winning ways, as he was a member of the St. Lawrence team which captured the Burin Peninsula Championship, the All-NFLD Championship and the Atlantic Championship.

In 1972, Phonce, playing under the guidance of Atila Baliant, again won the Burin Peninsula and the All-NFLD Championships with St. Lawrence. In 1973, Phonce was a key player on the Laurentians second division winning the Burin peninsula championship team while also playing first division

In 1975,Phonce became a member of the Laurentians coached Jack Simms era, a time that St. Lawrence dominated provincial soccer. It was during this time that Phonce and all of his Laurentians team mates were in a class of their own, winning championship after championship.

The highlight of Phonce's career came in 1977 when he was a member of the Laurentians Silver Medallists team. The Laurentians played this National tournament on home pitch.

The Laurentians teams of the 1970's were awarded "Team of the Decade" honours, a team on which Phonce was a member.

In 1978 came the closure of the mines in St. Lawrence and with this Phonce relocated. In 1997, he returned, this time to assist in the reactivation of the St. Lawrence Fluorspar mines. By now,19 years later, Phonce had started playing Masters with the St. Lawrence Laurentians and is still active with their indoor and summer program today.

Phonce, by his own admission, feels that soccer has always been a very big part of his life. Although he would be the first one to admit, he was never a finesse player.

Today former coaches and team-mates of Phonce Cooper certainly realize that his career was constructed and maintained on the Laurentians Logo, "Desire and Determination".

The St. Lawrence Soccer Hall of Fame welcomes Phonce Cooper.

Phonce was nominated by his former team-mate and long time friend, Keith Farrell.