Kalacs_Orthopedic_Shoe Posted 4 December 2017 Posted 4 December 2017 Just seen a great piece on Laurie Cunningham by the brilliant Tifo Football channel on Youtube. They do Some brilliant videos on a wide range of topics if you've not seen their channel. Cunningham is a name I had heard referenced now an then, but party due to my age I knew next to nothing about him. Most surprisingly for me (apart from him being the first Brit' to play for Madrid) was that he payed for us in the 80's, if only for a short period. I was just wondering what memories people had of him when he was with us....
SpacedX Posted 4 December 2017 Posted 4 December 2017 39 minutes ago, Kalacs_Orthopedic_Shoe said: Just seen a great piece on Laurie Cunningham by the brilliant Tifo Football channel on Youtube. They do Some brilliant videos on a wide range of topics if you've not seen their channel. Cunningham is a name I had heard referenced now an then, but party due to my age I knew next to nothing about him. Most surprisingly for me (apart from him being the first Brit' to play for Madrid) was that he payed for us in the 80's, if only for a short period. I was just wondering what memories people had of him when he was with us.... Huge excitement when he signed given his reputation in both English football and abroad. His season was blighted by injury but my abiding memory is the "Laurie Laurie" chants from the kop whenever he got the ball. I remember as a kid watching him alongside Regis at the baggies on Star Soccer.
stripeyfox Posted 4 December 2017 Posted 4 December 2017 Was a great player. Didn't see him a whole lot for us but remember the news of his death in a car crash in Madrid aged only 33.
Max Wall Posted 4 December 2017 Posted 4 December 2017 The triumvirate of Cunningham, Regis and Batson at the baggies were real trailblazers, that was my memory. Though there had been talented black players before, to have 3 playing together in a team, that, at the time, were an exciting, entertaining attacking force was very unusual. He was also England's first black player I think (at any level) and signing for the fabled Madrid in those days was simply unheard of. A true pioneer. It's a shame his short time at City was blighted by injury.
boots60 Posted 4 December 2017 Posted 4 December 2017 When Cunningham & Regis ripped us apart in a 0-5 home defeat it signalled the end of the great Jimmy Bloomfield reign. Truth is WBA that day would have beaten anyone. For a few short weeks they were simply brilliant. All down to 2 men. Cunningham & Regis. Batson (the third degree) was an average defender .
1972 Fox Posted 4 December 2017 Posted 4 December 2017 I was at Filbert Street for his City debut which was a a 3-0 victory over Man Utd (who he had played for briefly on loan a few years earlier). Was a top quality player but as already said injuries blighted his time with us and his career as a whole. He was also part of the Wimbledon FA Cup winning team in 1988. Very sad that his life was taken so early in a tragic car accident.
MPH Posted 4 December 2017 Posted 4 December 2017 31 minutes ago, Blue Fox 72 said: I was at Filbert Street for his City debut which was a a 3-0 victory over Man Utd (who he had played for briefly on loan a few years earlier). Was a top quality player but as already said injuries blighted his time with us and his career as a whole. He was also part of the Wimbledon FA Cup winning team in 1988. Very sad that his life was taken so early in a tragic car accident. Was that the one where Man United came to us top of the league and had won like 8-9 on the trot? if so i didnt realize i witnessed his debut for us!
1972 Fox Posted 4 December 2017 Posted 4 December 2017 5 hours ago, MPH said: Was that the one where Man United came to us top of the league and had won like 8-9 on the trot? if so i didnt realize i witnessed his debut for us! Yes it was that season. They won all of their first 10 league games and were unbeaten in their first 15 league games (and they still didn't win the league that season). But it was Sheffield Wednesday who were the first to beat them two weeks before we defeated them 3-0. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985–86_Manchester_United_F.C._season
murphy Posted 4 December 2017 Posted 4 December 2017 7 hours ago, Max Wall said: The triumvirate of Cunningham, Regis and Batson at the baggies were real trailblazers, that was my memory. Though there had been talented black players before, to have 3 playing together in a team, that, at the time, were an exciting, entertaining attacking force was very unusual. He was also England's first black player I think (at any level) and signing for the fabled Madrid in those days was simply unheard of. A true pioneer. It's a shame his short time at City was blighted by injury. I always thought that was Viv Anderson. Just googled it. Viv was the first black player at senior level (1978) and Cunningham thought to be first at any level (U21, 1977) but it turns out that was wrong. A guy called Ben Odeje played for England schoolboys in 1971. Anyway, great player but only played a few times for us. His best days already behind him then.
Max Wall Posted 4 December 2017 Posted 4 December 2017 4 minutes ago, murphy said: I always thought that was Viv Anderson. Just googled it. Viv was the first black player at senior level (1978) and Cunningham thought to be first at any level (U21, 1977) but it turns out that was wrong. A guy called Ben Odeje played for England schoolboys in 1971. Anyway, great player but only played a few times for us. His best days already behind him then. Thanks for the info @murphy. I knew Viv was the first at senior level but thought I'd read somewhere Laurie was the first at any level, maybe they meant other than schoolboy level or maybe I just remembered incorrectly. Either way, I remember personally loving both Regis and Cunningham, even though they played for the baggies. They just seemed to have a lot of verve in what was quite a staid time for the UK in general.
Gforce19 Posted 4 December 2017 Posted 4 December 2017 I remember the chant "give it to Laurie " "give it to Laurie" Folliwed by him controlling the ball to a standard far higher than any Leicester player at the time . Although he had only half a season or so on loan here you knew he was a different class. I couldn't understand why we didn't make the signing permanent. Possible comparison with Mahrez wouldn't be far off as to type of player and style of play
Sampson Posted 5 December 2017 Posted 5 December 2017 He was one of those players like Les Ferdinand or Roberto Mancini who although he was here past his best at the end of his career, you could still see absolutely oozed with class and was a step ahead of the rest if the squad.
Leicester_Numan Posted 5 December 2017 Posted 5 December 2017 14 hours ago, Kalacs_Orthopedic_Shoe said: Just seen a great piece on Laurie Cunningham by the brilliant Tifo Football channel on Youtube. They do Some brilliant videos on a wide range of topics if you've not seen their channel. Cunningham is a name I had heard referenced now an then, but party due to my age I knew next to nothing about him. Most surprisingly for me (apart from him being the first Brit' to play for Madrid) was that he payed for us in the 80's, if only for a short period. I was just wondering what memories people had of him when he was with us.... Like others, I remember his debut against Man Utd, they were top of the league while we were struggling at the bottom end. We, and he in particular, just took them apart in a 3-0 win. Best player on the pitch despite not scoring.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.