Laurie Cunningham
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Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Laurence Paul Cunningham | ||
Date of birth | 8 March 1956 | ||
Place of birth | Archway, London, England | ||
Date of death | 15 July 1989 | (aged 33)||
Place of death | Madrid, Spain | ||
Position(s) | Left winger | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1974–1977 | Leyton Orient | 75 | (15) |
1977–1979 | West Bromwich Albion | 86 | (21) |
1979–1984 | Real Madrid | 44 | (13) |
1983 | → Manchester United (loan) | 5 | (1) |
1983–1984 | → Sporting Gijón (loan) | 30 | (3) |
1984–1985 | Marseille | 30 | (8) |
1985–1986 | Leicester City | 15 | (0) |
1986–1987 | Rayo Vallecano | 37 | (1) |
1987 |
Charleroi | 1 | (0) |
1988 | Wimbledon | 6 | (1) |
1988–1989 | Rayo Vallecano | 19 | (1) |
Total | 348 | (67) | |
International career | |||
1977–1978 | England U21 | 6 | (2) |
1978 |
England B | 1 | (0) |
1979–1980 | England | 6 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Laurence Paul Cunningham (8 March 1956 – 15 July 1989) was an English professional footballer who played as a left winger. He notably played in England, France, and Spain, where he became the first-ever British player to sign for Real Madrid.
Cunningham had signed a schoolboy contract with Arsenal in 1970, but was released in 1972 as his style of play was deemed incompatible with the Gunners' "give and go" tactics.
Cunningham received his first international call-up to the
While playing for Rayo Vallecano, Cunningham was killed in a car crash in Madrid on the morning of 15 July 1989, at the age of 33.[2]
Early life
Born in Archway, London, he was the son of a former Jamaican race-horse jockey.[3] Cunningham started in schoolboy football and was turned down by Arsenal before joining Leyton Orient in 1974.[4]
Club career
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West Bromwich Albion
He joined West Bromwich Albion in 1977, where, under manager Johnny Giles, he teamed up with another black player, Cyrille Regis, and the following year under Ron Atkinson, with Brendon Batson. This was the second time an English top-flight team simultaneously fielded three black players (the first being Clyde Best, Clive Charles and Ade Coker for West Ham United against Tottenham Hotspur in April 1972) and Atkinson collectively referred to Cunningham, Batson and Regis as the Three Degrees after the U.S. soul singing trio.[4]
Whilst a West Bromwich Albion player, he played in a benefit match for Len Cantello, that saw a team of white players play against a team of black players.[5]
Real Madrid
In the summer of 1979, he made a historic move as the first British player to transfer to Real Madrid, who paid West Bromwich Albion a fee of £950,000.[4] He scored twice on his debut and helped Madrid win the league and cup double.[6]
Cunningham began the 1980–81 season with Madrid well and scored goals in the early rounds of the
Later career
Cunningham only remained in France for one season in 1984–85, before heading back to England to join
Cunningham later moved back to Spain and Rayo Vallecano for the 1988–89 season. He scored the goal that secured their promotion to the Primera Division.[4] Cunningham was killed in a car crash in Madrid on the morning of 15 July 1989, at the age of 33.[2] He was survived by his wife and their son.
International career
On 27 April 1977, Cunningham made his debut for the England under-21's team in a friendly match against Scotland at Bramall Lane, scoring on his debut. At the time, he was considered the first black player to wear an England shirt at any level,[8] but it was later revealed that Benjamin Odeje had played for the England Schoolboys team in 1971.[9]
In 1979, he made his debut for the England national football team in a Home International match against Wales. Despite achieving the double with Real Madrid, Cunningham was overlooked by England manager Ron Greenwood for a place in the England squad for UEFA Euro 1980.[7] He was called up by Greenwood for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Norway, only to be an unused sub as England won 4–0. In the next qualifier against Romania, he came off the bench but was unable to help England avoid a 2–1 defeat. This proved to be his last England cap.[7]
Legacy
In November 2004, he was named as one of West Bromwich Albion's 16 greatest players, in a poll organised as part of the club's 125th anniversary celebrations. The club announced that Cunningham would feature in a mural of the former players to be displayed at The Hawthorns.[10]
In October 2013, the Nubian Jak Community Trust unveiled a blue plaque outside Brisbane Road.[11] In September 2015, English Heritage erected a blue plaque on Cunningham's childhood home at 73 Lancaster Road, Stroud Green, London.[12]
In November 2017, a statue by Graham Ibbeson was unveiled in Coronation Gardens, Leyton, near Brisbane Road, paying tribute to Cunningham and his time at Leyton Orient.[13] Another statue by Ibbeson was unveiled in West Bromwich town centre in May 2019. The work commemorates Cunningham's time at Albion alongside black teammates Cyrille Regis and Brendon Batson, with a spokesperson for the organisers commenting that "the three players opened the gates to allow black players into football at a time when they were locked out".[14]
A play based on his life, Getting the Third Degree by
Tributes
-
Statue of Cunningham near Brisbane Road
-
Statue of the Three Degrees by Graham Ibbeson, in West Bromwich New Square
-
Blue plaque outside Brisbane Road
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Orient | 1974–75 | Second Division | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | |
1975–76 | 34 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 35 | 8 | |||
1976–77 | 24 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 32 | 7 | |||
Total | 75 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 16 | ||
West Bromwich Albion | 1976–77 | First Division | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 6 | |
1977–78 | 33 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 40 | 6 | |||
1978–79 | 40 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 57 | 16 | ||
Total | 86 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 110 | 28 | ||
Real Madrid | 1979–80 | La Liga | 29 | 8 | 5 | 1 | — | 7 | 3 | 41 | 12 | |
1980–81 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 2 | 17 | 7 | |||
1981–82 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | |||
1982–83 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
Total | 44 | 13 | 8 | 1 | — | 14 | 6 | 66 | 20 | |||
Manchester United (loan) | 1982–83 | First Division | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | |
Sporting Gijón (loan) | 1983–84 | La Liga | 30 | 3 | 10 | 4 | — | — | 40 | 7 | ||
Marseille | 1984–85 | Division 1 | 30 | 8 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 8 | ||
Leicester City | 1985–86 | First Division | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | |
Rayo Vallecano | 1986–87 | Segunda División | 37 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 3 | ||
Wimbledon | 1987–88 | First Division | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 2 | |
Charleroi
|
1987–88 | First Division
|
1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
Rayo Vallecano | 1988–89 | Segunda División | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 1 | ||
Career total | 348 | 67 | 39 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 22 | 10 | 420 | 86 |
International
- Source:[17]
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
England | |||
1979 | 3 | 0 | |
1980 | 3 | 0 | |
Total | 6 | 0 |
Honours
Real Madrid
Wimbledon
Bibliography
- D. Bowler & J. Bains (2000), Samba in the Smethwick End: Regis, Cunningham, Batson and the Football Revolution. ISBN 1-84018-188-5
- Paul Rees (2014), The Three Degrees The Men Who Changed British Football Forever. ISBN 978-1-4721-1926-1
References
- ^ a b "The electric trailblazer who met a tragic end in Madrid". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
- ^ a b "Cunningham killed in car crash". The Observer. 16 July 1989. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Laurie Cunningham: Tragic tale of the former Manchester United player". The Independent. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Shea, Julian (15 July 2009). "From Brisbane Road to the Bernabeu". BBC Sport.
- ^ Chiles, Adrian (17 November 2016). "The match that pitted white players against black players". BBC News. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ Aarons, Ed (4 March 2013). "Laurie Cunningham: Tragic tale of the former Manchester United player who amazed Real Madrid". The Independent. London: Independent Print. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ a b c "Laurie Cunningham - Football Career". football-england.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ FA PR— Laurie Cunningham
- ^ Storey, Daniel (13 May 2020). "England's first black international and his 42-year wait for recognition". i. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "The wraps come off 125th anniversary mural". West Bromwich Albion FC. 17 November 2004. Archived from the original on 2 February 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
- ^ "Leyton Orient To Unveil Laurie Cunningham Plaque". Kick It Out. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Cunningham, Laurie (1956–1989)". English Heritage. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
- ^ Hunn, Jonathan (30 November 2017). "Orient icon Laurie Cunningham honoured with statue". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- ^ "West Bromwich Albion: Statue of legends Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendan Batson due to be unveiled". CBBC Newsround. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
- ^ Blease, Melissa (8 October 2019). "Getting The Third Degree: Interview with Dougie Blaxland". The Bath Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
- ^ "Laurie Cunningham". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ "Laurie Cunningham". England Football Online. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
External links
- Laurie Cunningham at Englandstats.com
- Profile on football-england.com
- Laurie's Legacy, Waltham Forest Council – via YouTube