Laurie Cunningham

Laurie Cunningham

Laurence Paul "Laurie" Cunningham (8 March 1956 – 15 July 1989) was an England international footballer. When he joined Real Madrid, he became the first English player in the club's history. He was also the first black player to represent England at any level (under 21), and the first to represent the full England side in a competitive match. Life Born in Archway, London, Cunningham started in schoolboy football and was turned down by Arsenal before joining Leyton Orient in 1974.[1] 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 first time an English team simultaneously fielded three black players, and Atkinson collectively referred to Cunningham, Batson and Regis as 'The Three Degrees' after the legendary U.S. soul singing trio.[1] West Bromwich Albion became one of the most attractive and exciting English sides in the late 1970s and Cunningham soon attracted attention. He became the first black player to wear an England shirt at any level[2] in England under-21s' friendly against Scotland at Bramall Lane on 27 April 1977, scoring on his debut. He subsequently earned a full England cap, making his debut against Wales in a Home International on 23 May 1979. Although Viv Anderson had made his England debut in a friendly six months previously and thus was the first black player to play for the senior England team, Cunningham was the first black player to play in a competitive England match. In June 1979, Cunningham gained his 2nd and 3rd caps, against Sweden and Austria respectively. In the summer of 1979 he made a historic move as the first British player to transfer to Real Madrid, for £950,000.[1] According to legend, Real Madrid had first really become aware of Cunningham after his brilliant performance against Valencia in the UEFA Cup in 1979. Knowing this, Cunningham made his way to the Bernabeu in the off season, and asked if they would like to sign him, thus getting the ball rolling with the negotiations at Ron Atkinson's house. Playing for Real Madrid in the 1979/80 season, Cunningham started off well, scoring twice on his league debut against Valencia (and setting up the other goal in the 3–1 win), and also scoring against Barcelona at the Bernabeu. In one of his most memorable performances, he inspired a 2–0 victory for Real in the reverse fixture at Camp Nou, terrorising the Barcelona back line and even earning a standing ovation from the home fans. As well as his impressive league form, he was scoring important goals and performing well in Europe, as Real Madrid powered their way to the European Cup semi finals, where despite Cunningham's impressive goal in Hamburger SV, they lost 5–3 on aggregate to Kevin Keegan's side. Unfortunately, though he played against the Republic of Ireland in England's last Euro 1980 qualifier in February 1980, his performances often went unnoticed back in England, and he was regularly overlooked by Ron Greenwood – even in a March 1980 prestige friendly against his adopted country, Spain, he was only brought on as a substitute against the hosts in a 2–0 England win – but Cunningham had to shoulder some of the responsibility, as he failed to secure an International Release clause in his lucrative contract, and Real prevented him from joining the England squad on a number of occasions. At the end of a successful first season with Real Madrid, winning the double and becoming Real's 3rd highest scorer that season, Cunningham was surprisingly omitted from Greenwood's Euro 1980 squad. He seemed to be a pawn in a power struggle between England and Real Madrid, with Greenwood later explaining that he was unable to call up Cunningham due to the late scheduling of the Spanish Cup Final – although Tony Woodcock (then of 1. FC Köln) was also only up for release at the same time due to his own domestic cup final, yet he joined the Euro 1980 squad. Shrugging off this disappointment and back at Real Madrid, Cunningham began the 1980/1 season well, and was again called up for England (after bitter negotiations with Real Madrid) for the 1982 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 was to be his last England cap. Back with Real Madrid, his early season form was good again scoring goals in the early rounds of the European Cup, but then he succumbed to injury, and required an operation on a broken toe. This toe saga was to sour his relations with Real, as he was heavily fined and ostracised for celebrating the success of the operation at a disco. His recovery was set back due to aggravating the injury at yet another disco, and also again due to a tough training ground challenge. Cunningham developed a playboy reputation, and was heavily criticised in the Spanish press, together with his long-time girlfriend Nicky Brown. Many speculated at this stage in his career, Cunningham was more interested in his hobbies of architecture, fashion, disco dancing and fast cars than he was in playing football for Real Madrid. Cunningham recovered just in time for the 1981 European Cup Final against Liverpool in Paris, and though he was clearly not match fit, played the whole match (with some exciting bursts of play), as Real Madrid lost 1–0. During pre season training for the 1981/2 season, Cunningham's injury jinx continued, as a thigh injury kept him out of the majority of the season (only 3 goalless appearances in the league), his only real noteworthy contribution was in the UEFA Cup quarter final tie against Kaiserslautern. In the first leg, Cunningham showed that he wasn't quite over the hill with a goal and great performance in Real Madrid's 3–1 win. In the 2nd leg, however, he was sent off shortly before half time for retaliation, as Kaiserslatern won 5–0 to inflict Real Madrid's worst ever result in European competition. Prior to this tie, a finally fit Cunningham had been summoned up for England duty again, but this would be the last time he made an England squad. Cunningham won a 2nd Spanish Cup medal as he played in the final when Real Madrid beat Gijón 2–1, but it was a depressing campaign for him. For the next season, with Real Madrid signing Johnny Metgod to join Uli Stielike as the 2 permitted foreigners, Cunningham spent most of the 1982/3 season on the sidelines, until joining Manchester United on loan in April 1983, reuniting with Ron Atkinson. The loan move wasn't a great success (5 appearances, 1 goal), and Cunningham returned to Real Madrid, where he was promptly loaned out to Sporting Gijón for the 1983/4 season. In Gijón (under his old real Madrid manager Vujadin Boškov), he got to play in the most number of league games since his West Brom days, but was clearly no longer the same player, his pace having deteriorated, as his injuries took their toll. On completion of his loan, Real Madrid decided to write him off and he went to Olympique Marseille in France on a free transfer. Cunningham was only to remain in France for one (semi impressive) season in 1984/5, before heading back to England to join Leicester City. Like his last sojourn in England, again this was an unimpressive stay, effectively playing only half a season due to yet more injury. At the end of this 1985/6 season, Cunningham went back to Spain to play in the 2nd tier for Rayo Vallecano, enjoying his best season since his hey day, managing 37 games in this 1986/7 season. Buoyed by this, he managed to secure a financially rewarding move to Charleroi in Belgium for the 1987/8 campaign, but was yet again struck down by injury, and in the new year was back in England on a short term deal with Wimbledon, where he managed to help the Dons beat Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup Final, finally avenging his defeat against Liverpool in the European Cup Final 7 years earlier. After sharing in that glory, Cunningham again headed back to Spain and Rayo Vallecano for the 1988/9 season, enjoying an Indian summer and the season was topped off by scoring the goal that secured their promotion to the Primera Liga.[1] Laurie Cunningham was killed in a car crash in Madrid on the morning of 15 July 1989. He was 33. He left behind his Spanish wife and their one child, a son. In 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. Honours Real Madrid La Liga winner – 1980 Copa del Rey winner – 1980 and 1981 Wimbledon FA Cup winner – 1988