Lawrie Cunningham was a pioneer for British football but his career ultimately ended in tragedy.
Cunningham initially signed a schoolboy contract at Arsenal in 1970 but was released by the north London side.
But just two years later, before making his debut for the club in 1974, he secured a move to second-tier Leyton Orient.
His progressive and exciting style earned the left winger a move to West Brom, where he remained for three years under the guidance of former Manchester United boss Ron Atkinson.
Then Real Madrid came calling. And even at the time, this usually meant that a player had to think very little before signing for Los Blancos.
Madrid paid a fee of £950,000 for his services – a club record for both the Spanish giants and West Brom at the time.
At the time, Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stéfano was surprised by the amount the club paid for Cunningham.
Alfredo Di Stéfano said, “Considering the price Madrid paid for him, he will certainly be the best attacker in the world.” [quote via ESPN],
But his first season could hardly have been better. Cunningham won a league and cup double in his first campaign in the Spanish capital, with arguably his defining moment coming during ‘El Clásico’ in February 1980.
Laurie Cunningham outside the Santiago Bernabeu (Credit: Getty)
Although the game at the Camp Nou ended in a 2–0 victory for Madrid, Barcelona fans praised his excellent performance.
Former Barça defender Migueli later described how “he drove us crazy with his dribbling” and “his pace”.
And Spanish newspaper Marca reported how “Cunningham had Barcelona fans in his pocket”.
The winger was regarded as a top-class player according to his former teammate and 2010 World Cup-winning manager Vincent del Bosque, who described him as “the Cristiano Ronaldo of his era”. bbc sport,
He achieved several historic achievements and became the first British player to represent Madrid and the first black player to play for England Under-21s, before earning a total of six senior caps.
However, Cunningham’s career stalled due to injuries and the murder of his sister-in-law left him “depressed”. real MadridOfficial website of.
In 1983, he returned to England and joined Manchester United on loan before moving to Spanish outfit Sporting Gijón.
He then signed a permanent deal at Marseille in 1984 before moving back to England and joining Leicester City the following year.
But Cunningham returned to the Spanish capital, this time with Rayo Vallecano in 1986. Winning the 1987/88 FA Cup with the Wimbledon team dubbed ‘The Crazy Gang’, before returning to his homeland once again after a brief stint at Belgian outfit Charleroi. ,
Laurie Cunningham during Wimbledon’s 1-0 FA Cup final win against Liverpool in 1988 (Credit: Getty)
That summer, he re-signed for Vallecano. And despite scoring the goal that secured promotion in 1989, by this time, Cunningham’s life was turbulent, and two relationships resulted in two children. The BBC reported that unsuccessful investments and long-standing problems with property contributed to the decline of his career.
Then on 15 July 1989, Cunningham was driving on a motorway on the outskirts of Madrid after a night at a party.
Cunningham, along with another man “approached an intersection before speeding up a slower car”. But he failed to see the other car with a flat tire before “losing control”.
The car reportedly “overturned several times” and “struck a lamppost”. He was taken to the hospital but was declared dead shortly afterwards. He was only 33 years old.
A toxicology report later revealed how Cunningham was three times over the drink-driving limit. And despite the tragic end of his life, the Londoner will always be remembered for his skillful play and breaking boundaries after suffering racist abuse from fans during his time in England.
His son Sergio recently discussed the topic after current Madrid winger Vinicius Jr. faced racist abuse while playing for Madrid.
Sergio told how when he lived in England, his family was attacked at their home and received death threats.
“It was the biggest insult in the world to see a black man in an England shirt,” he said. Happen,
“My father was born in the United Kingdom in the 70s at a time when racism was a reflection of society. You will travel around England and see signs banning the entry of the Irish, blacks and dogs. Imagine when my father used to wear the English team shirt.
“When my father came to Real Madrid in 1979 he did not feel racism in Spain. I’m sure they’ll be surprised that we’re still talking about these issues.”