He was 33. The man who stole the show for then top-flight English side West Bromwich Albion that day, as he did most times he stepped onto a football pitch, was Laurie Cunningham. After a spell in France with Marseille, he returned to England with Leicester City in 1985, followed by a return to Spain with Rayo Vallecano. Laurie Cunningham's life was tragically cut short 25 years ago today when he was killed in a car crash in Madrid on the morning of 15 July 1989. In the 63rd minute, a sumptuous piece of play from Cunningham provided the second goal. West Bromwich Albion became one of the most attractive and exciting English sides in the late 1970s and Cunningham soon attracted attention. It was a . It was a period when there weren't many international signings and the club made a special effort financially to sign Laurie, to sign a star, because almost all the rest of us were from the youth team.". I remember taking copious notes as she revealed something that, at least to me, sounded . 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. Every so often I would get a call from a newspaper to tell me they were going to run a story, saying I was with this lady or that girl and that would cause me real stress. Dyce raped her and stabbed her to death. Cunninghams exploits in his two seasons at West Brom, in particular a match against Valencia in the UEFA Cup, convinced Real Madrid to pay a reported club-record fee of 110 million pesetas around $1.2 million to bring the talented youngster to Spain. Other women told the court he had attempted to rape them at knifepoint. Ex-Real Madrid player and manager Vicente Del Bosque stated that while Cunningham was one of the most gifted players he ever came across, he might have lacked the competitive spirit required at Real. Darren Moore vividly recalls sitting at home as an eight-year-old, staring at the television in wide-eyed amazement. Albion featured two other players of African descent, Brendan Batson and Cyrille Regis, and the three of them were known as the "Three Degrees." The presence of three black players on one . RM 2CWN25G - Race car driver Wade Cunningham hits the wall during the IZOD IndyCar World Championship race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada October 16, 2011. "He was so full of flair and ended up playing for the original long-ball side - it was a far cry from playing for Real Madrid against Barcelona to be playing at Plough Lane.". At the time, I remember it made me get into football for the first time because Cyril Regis, Brendon Batson and then Laurie Cunningham were playing, added Moore, who is one of the few Black managers currently working in English football. Show Hide article text (OCR) Save to Ancestry. I had a good upbringing, I enjoyed school, had a lot of friends, but at the back of my mind, my mum and sisters were dead. On December 18, 2016 the Lord called Laurie home from labor to reward. A new documentary tells his trail-blazing story, writes Ed Aarons, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Cunningham left behind a wife and son, along with a lasting legacy that will always be . By that time Cunningham had notched up a series of sporting firsts which resonated through the wider culture: a teenage signing to east London team Leyton Orient, Cunningham was the first black player to represent England (in 1977 as an under-21, scoring a winning goal . [7], 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. Striker Regis was one of the first black footballers to break through to the top level of English football when he made his debut for the Baggies in 1977. Discovery Company. His amazing journey from Brisbane Road to the Bernabeu went via West Brom, where the winger became the first black player capped by England at any level and, along with defender Brendan Batson and striker Cyrille Regis, formed the legendary 'Three Degrees' partnership. Aftab Jafferjee QC, prosecuting, said Richards was raped and stabbed five times. Killed in a Madrid car crash in 1989 at the age of 33, he may well have been a talent unfulfilled but his legacy inspired a generation of black footballers. 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. His final season as a footballer was back in the Spanish capital, a second stint with Rayo. July 15, 1989 in Madrid, Spain (car accident) Birth Name: Laurance Paul Cunningham: Nickname: Laurie : Mini Bio (1) Laurie Cunningham was born on March 8, 1956 in London, England. Transfer history . It would be the last club Cunningham played for. The privileged one, since it has never happened again with any other Real Madrid player, was Cunningham. Car overturned on motorway. He was somebody with so much grace and speed and finesse on the football pitch and had an eye for goal. Sadly, the rest of Cunninghams time in Madrid was punctuated by injuries and the Englishman never quite fulfilled the lofty expectations held of him by the club and the fans. Rhodene Cunningham, now 32, is still haunted by the memories of what she and her grandmother discovered when they went returned to the family home. For the next few years, Cunningham bounced from club to club, never spending more than a season with the same team. Regis, who had survived a similar car crash with Cunningham a few years earlier, was shaken to the core by his death. Laurie's time at Real Madrid was bittersweet. The art and craft of creating a writing habit. Cunningham was the first Englishman to play football for Real Madrid. "That kid could do anything with a football.". British IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon died from injuries sustained in an horrific crash at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, race organizers said. Cunningham was killed in a car crash in Madrid on the morning of 15 July 1989, at the age of 33. "Madrid viewed him as one of the most distinguished footballers in Europe. Read More Keane slams De Gea as 'like he's had a few drinks . He did just that after finding religion and then meeting his second wife, Julia. Exactly 20 years ago, on 15 July 1989, one of the most remarkable careers in English football history came to a sudden and tragic end in a car crash on the outskirts of Madrid. Unfortunately, in July 1989, not long after Rayo achieved promotion back to the Primera, Cunningham was involved in a car accident that ended his life. Palmars. Delhi News | Asian News International | Tuesday February 28, 2023. With his pace reduced, he spent the remainder of his career as a wandering journeyman, spending time with Leicester City (1985-86), Rayo Vallecano (1986-87), Wimbledon (1987-88), and Charleroi (1987-88). "When I was four, I found my mum and my sisters dead in our flat," she told the judge in a victim impact statement. Collections; . Spent 2 minutes with me at court because she had another case. Left Winger Current club: ---Further information. Something went wrong, please try again later. This was the first in a series of unfortunate injuries that would torment the winger for the rest of his time in the Spanish capital. Cunninghams stay in Spain coincided with the Movida Madrilea, a counter-cultural movement that swept the capital in the aftermath of dictator General Francos death. The autobiography tells how Regis endured years of horrendous racist abuse from the terraces, including monkey chants and being thrown bananas. Cunningham's pace and exciting style of play drew favorable attention and he became the first black player to represent England at any level when he played for the under-21s in a 1977 friendly. "Laurie was the first black man to play for his . Laurie Cunningham was one of the most exciting players in English football during his time at West Brom. The road simply didn't exist almost 40 years ago until Laurie 'Paul' Cunningham made that journey. Because obviously his connection was at West Bromwich Albion, one of the local teams that was in my area. 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Laurie Cunningham, who made his name playing for West Bromwich Albion, died aged 33 in a car crash in Spain in 1989. Despite his continuing battle against injuries, Cunningham would later find more glory in a short spell back in England with Wimbledon, briefly becoming part of the clubs famous Crazy Gang that shocked Liverpool to win the 1988 FA Cup final. He was just 33. I had known him for 26 years. "For two years it was fantastic for him and he became very famous. Cunningham's second-half substitute appearance in the Dons' 1-0 win over Liverpool proved to be his farewell appearance in English football before he ended up back in Madrid, playing for second division Rayo Vallecano. "He was saying how he was going to light up the Bernabeu next season and show Madrid what they had missed out on. [13], A play based on his life, Getting the Third Degree by Dougie Blaxland, was first performed in 2019. BBC Breakfast star Charlie Stayt halts show to warn Lenny Henry 'you shouldn't say that', Charlie was hosting BBC Breakfast on Thursday - but warned Lenny: "You really shouldn't say that. He played there for three years before moving to West Bromwhich Albion, where he was joined by Cyrille Regis and, the next year, Brendon Batson to mark the first time an English side fielded three black players at the same time. I played for him, drank with him, had laughs and great times with him. Today's Car Crash news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS. He was 33 years old. . Thankfully, the journalists in question could never quite make their stories stand up or persuade the ladies to kiss and tell.. Laurie Cunningham, pictured at Orient in 1975. "I was really scared. Friday would have been Cunningham's 57th birthday had his life not been tragically cut short in a car crash in Spain in July 1989. Thats a football match, Moores father told him. Laurie Cunningham - the poet, ballet dancer and shopaholic who always wore an ironed white shirt on match day . Cunningham achieved yet another first in 1983 when he was reunited with Atkinson at Old Trafford on loan, becoming the pioneer in a list of players to have played for both Manchester United and Real Madrid that now includes Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Michael Owen. He left behind his Spanish wife and their one child, a son. Sentencing Dyce at the Old Bailey, Judge Anthony Morris handed down three life sentences and told him it would constitute a whole life term. My mum was just lying there covered in blood. Cunningham was capped 12 times by England but his life was tragically cut short in 1989, aged 33, in a car accident in Madrid. A month or so later, he was dead.". For Laurie, it was a struggle dealing with the media and they came up with this playboy image of him, even though he never really drank and just loved to go out dancing.". Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? On the screen were 22 men running around a pitch and kicking a ball. On the way home at 2am Laurie, who was driving a Renault 5 GTI, momentarily fell asleep at the wheel. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Of all the legendary players to have worn the Real Madrid shirt down the years, only one has ever left the Nou Camp pitch to a standing ovation. He later earned 6 caps for the full national team between 1979 and 1980, becoming one of the first ever black England internationals. He went on to score on his first appearance in El Clasico two weeks later, though Real ultimately succumbed to a 3-1 defeat to Barcelona. In his first few games he took all within his stride; long, alarmingly quick strides. A year later, while in Madrid, he was involved in a fatal car crash. Laurie Cunningham. I looked at the football match as the pitch being a stage, where the 22 players were playing, Moore told CNN Sport. Every year on my birthday I would cry it would be tears of happiness as I remembered them all, but also of great sadness. His name was Laurie Cunningham. Cunningham received his first international call-up to the England U21 side in 1977 while playing for West Bromwich Albion, becoming the first black footballer to represent an England international team organised by the Football Association. He was 33. He died in a car-crash in Madrid. First Among Equals: The Laurie Cunningham story will be shown on Wednesday night on ITV1. So theres still a long way to go.. Born in London, Cunningham signed his first professional contract with Leyton Orient. Along with the broken toe, Laurie suffered a knee ligament injury and endured a series of botched operations that kept him out for the rest of the season, until the European Cup final versus Liverpool. Laurie Cunningham death. People should be talking about what a fantastic football manager he was and the immense contribution he made to English football. He slips up once. Though he may never have reached the heights many predicted after those scintillating . CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Thirty years ago, in the early hours of 15 July 1989, England winger Laurie Cunningham died after a car accident on the northern outskirts of Madrid. A life which should be remembered more. Eventually a fee of 950,000 was agreed and, aged 22, Cunningham left the Hawthorns for Madrid. But, for this England winger, the dream turned to tragedy. Poor full-back Rafael Zuvira, along with the rest of the Bara backline, simply couldnt cope with the winger. He had ability that you would marvel at, [in the same way] that you now look at the likes of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. He had been discharged by the clubs doctor and didnt expect to be punished for spending his own time as he wished. On July 15, 1989, weeks away from returning to the Spanish top flight with Rayo Vallecano, Laurie Cunningham was killed when he swerved to avoid a car with a flat tire and was thrown from the vehicle. The outburst shocked the sporting world but none more so than Regis who had had nothing but respect and affection for his former boss. Furthermore, at West Brom, under the tutelage of Atkinson, next to Cyrille Regis and Brendon Batson, he formed one-third of the famous Three Degrees strikeforce that took English football by storm. "I see him as never realising his potential," revealed Regis. Back with Real Madrid, his scored goals in the early rounds of the European Cup, but then he succumbed to injury, and required an operation on a broken toe. And Cunningham showed how much he could play in a Uefa Cup tie against Valencia on 6 December 1978, a game that changed his life. Not to be confused with, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The electric trailblazer who met a tragic end in Madrid", "Laurie Cunningham: Tragic tale of the former Manchester United player", "The match that pitted white players against black players", "Laurie Cunningham: Tragic tale of the former Manchester United player who amazed Real Madrid", "The wraps come off 125th anniversary mural", "Leyton Orient To Unveil Laurie Cunningham Plaque", "Orient icon Laurie Cunningham honoured with statue", "West Bromwich Albion: Statue of legends Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendan Batson due to be unveiled", "Getting The Third Degree: Interview with Dougie Blaxland", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Laurie_Cunningham&oldid=1138234810, *Club domestic league appearances and goals, This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 17:33. He was in no condition to compete, he hadnt played a worthwhile match since the game against Betis. Before joining Rhetoriq, Laurie spent eight years developing thought leadership . A brace from the Londoner saw Real Madrid overturn the visiting sides early lead before Los Blancos went on to win 3-1. Liverpool won 1-0, Cunningham was predictably underwhelming, and his Real Madrid career was all but over. Its a life that we sadly miss, but a life that should have been enjoyed and celebrated., Additional reporting by Darren Lewis and Zayn Nabbi. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. And although a paltry six England caps would suggest Cunningham did not entirely fulfil his own promise, he left a legacy more enduring than only a list of statistics and memories. The club announced that Cunningham would feature in a mural of the former players to be displayed at The Hawthorns. He had been the club's first English signing, which was one of many "firsts" throughout his fifteen-year professional career. To mark the 25th anniversary of the game, Madrid newspaper AS ran a feature with the headline "The man who ran riot in the Nou Camp" and quoted one Barcelona fan who was there. "You've got your memories and stuff in your head about the fun we used to have and some of the games we played. "I went out with him and the Vallecano president," he said. He was the first black player in the England squad. . They were drowned and stabbed to prevent them from identifying the intruder. To make matters worse, on the night of the Betis game, Laurie was found in a Madrid nightclub wearing his cast. "It was a fantastic thing for him to achieve, to play for Real Madrid, but it was sad too because West Brom had a fantastic chemistry," added Regis. Negotiations took place at Atkinson's house, in an endearingly amateurish sounding set-up a million miles away from the wheeling and dealing world of galactico transfers of the modern era. accidents 10:19am Jan 20, 2023 Pedestrian killed after . Today, he is remembered as one of the finest players that England has ever . In the first leg, Cunningham scored a goal in Real Madrid's 31 win. If we'd had a few, he could have started and if it had gone wrong, we could have put someone else on.". It would be here in the Midlands that Cunningham was catapulted to true stardom. Cunninghams career with Los Blancos got off to a blast. After all, it was only about 20 years ago that all this was going on and if you look at countries like Italy it still is going on. Malcolm Boyden tells his story . All Rights Reserved. He is from London. He was severely reprimanded by the clubs hierarchy; unfairly so, according to many. while the player was on the field.) Cunningham has also been honoured with an English Heritage blue plaque at his childhood home, statues at Orient and Albion, an ITV documentary, First Among Equals (2013) and a play by Dougie Blaxland, Getting the Third Degree . Despite some exceptional performances, and finishing his first season in Spain with a League and Cup double, there were always questions surrounding Cunninghams attitude and desire. By outshining Kempes and Valencia that night, Cunningham convinced Los Blancos that he was the hero for the job. Laurence Paul Cunningham (8 March 1956 15 July 1989) was an English professional footballer. Coronation Street favourite Julia Goulding has confirmed she's back on the cobbles. The day saw dozens of Laurie's family, friends and former team-mates join us as guests at the Matchroom Stadium with events throughout the day to celebrate the life of the special talent that was cut tragically short. The champions scored a total of 70 goals in their 34 games that season; Laurie contributing eight from the 29 matches he played. West Brom's squad for the 1978/79 season, featuring Cunningham, Regis and Batson. [12] Another statue by Ibbeson was unveiled in West Bromwich town centre in May 2019. But injuries soon impaired his ability and he went on loan to Manchester United (1982-83) and Sporting Gijon (1983-84) before transferring to Marseille in 1984. In the 1981/82 season he only managed three further appearances, all of which came after Christmas. Laurie Cunningham liked to dance. 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. After leaving Madrid at the end of the 1982-83 season, the thoroughbred Cunningham began a spell as journeyman player, having short-term spells with a variety of teams around Europe before finally getting his chance in the FA Cup final - with, of all teams, the Crazy Gang of Wimbledon in 1988. Everything went well - that performance captured whoever was looking for Real Madrid and sold him to the club.". It just so happened that the Real Madrid hierarchy, along with the rest of the country, took notice as Cunninghams sheer pace and light-footed trickery stunned the Valencia defence. Real Madrid wanted a marquee signing, a player who would aid their domestic dominance, and provide the extra star quality needed to bring back the trophy that Madridistas have always seen as a birthright: the European Cup. The former soccer star is now a successful agent to a number of top players who are disbelieving of the once overt racism in the game. To have that being echoed through Cyril, I felt that I almost personally knew Laurie. Two or three years later Bryan Robson left, then Remi Moses did - I don't think the club has ever been the same.". Twenty years on, he clearly still misses him as a friend and as a footballer. He scored twice in his league debut against Valencia and also played well in both league matches against Barcelona as Real won La Liga and the Copa del Rey that season.