[1] He began his career as a wing half with South Salford Lad's Club and then played for Clayton and Manchester North End.

[3] He turned professional with Manchester City in August 1923,[4] but was unable to break into the first team and was sent to Southport on loan for a trial period in 1924.

[4] He continued to score goals at his new club and was a member of the 1930–31 squad that won the FA Cup and promotion to the First Division.

[6] Cookson maintained his high goalscoring ratio after joining Second Division club Plymouth Argyle in 1933.

[3] He scored 28 goals in his first season with Argyle, including 27 in 29 league appearances, but injuries restricted his playing time over the next two campaigns.