Features
MON 15.07.2019
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. The first English player ever to play for Real Madrid was aged only 33.
The London-born Cunnigham rose to prominence playing under Ron Atkinson at West Bromwich Albion in the English First Division in the late seventies. Alongside Cyril Regis and Brendon Batson, he made up a trio of black players known by their flamboyant coach as the ‘Three Degrees’.
He caught the eye of Real Madrid after an impressive performance against Valencia CF in the UEFA Cup, and in 1979 they swooped to make him one of their biggest signings to that date. He scored twice on his debut against Valencia and helped Madrid to win a league and cup double in 1979/80, in a team comprised of players such as Jose Antonio Camacho, Uli Stielike and Vicente del Bosque.
Del Bosque, who went on to coach Real Madrid and Spain, described his former team mate in the Guardian newspaper: “(He) was an incredible athlete, that was Laurie: strong, fast, powerful, talented, he could sprint, he could leap, he had it all." Another former Real Madrid coach Camacho said: "His acceleration was unbelievable. He was like an airplane taking off."
One of the high points of Cunningham’s career was Real Madrid’s 2-0 victory at the Camp Nou against arch-rivals FC Barcelona in 1980, where he became one of the few Madrid players to receive a standing ovation.
After an explosive start to his LaLiga career, a series of injuries led to him struggling to reach his previous heights. He had loan spells with Manchester United and Real Sporting, before moving to France with Olympique Marseille in 1984.
He returned to Spain to play two seasons with Rayo Vallecano in the Second division, either side of spells with Charleroi in Belgium and Wimbledon in England, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1988. He scored the goal that earned Rayo Vallecano promotion back to the top flight at the end of the 1989 season before his fatal car crash that summer.
© LALIGA - 2019