Author Topic: Laurie Cunningham  (Read 14771 times)

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glosterbaggie

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Laurie Cunningham
« on: September 21, 2016, 10:30:10 AM »
Not sure where to post this sorry Mods. Not seem right to put in "Ex-players" thread?

" Eavis said any nominations would still have to be judged on rigorous criteria which included being regarded as eminent in their profession, making an exceptional impact and having lived in London for a significant time.


The lives of others: 150 years of London’s blue plaques
 Read more
Cunningham ticks all those boxes and more, and a blue plaque for the footballer will be unveiled on Wednesday, on the exterior wall of 73 Lancaster Road in Stroud Green, London, the Haringey house where Cunningham grew up and lived in for more than a decade.

Born in 1956 to first-generation immigrants from Jamaica, Cunningham became the first black footballer to play for England in a competitive international match and was the first Englishman to play for Real Madrid when they bought him from West Bromwich Albion for the then eye-watering sum of £950,000.

His first professional team was Leyton Orient – after turning down an offer from the Ballet Rambert – but it was as part of Ron Atkinson’s successful WBA side that he became a true star. Uniquely for the time, the team had three black regular first-team players: Cunningham, Cyrille Regis and Brendan Batson – or the Three Degrees as Atkinson nicknamed them.

Cunningham was a great footballer and true pioneer, forced to contend with racial prejudice and vile abuse from both fans and fellow professionals. As well as his artistry and grace on the ball he was admired for his innovative approach to training, using both yoga and dance to improve his technique and stamina. He also taught Peter Reid how to peel a king prawn."

"Cunningham’s career reached a high in 1988 when he was a second-half substitute for Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang in their surprise FA Cup final win over Liverpool. A year later he was killed in a car crash near Madrid, aged just 33."

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/sep/21/blue-plaque-leyton-orient-laurie-cunningham-black-asian
« Last Edit: September 21, 2016, 10:33:09 AM by glosterbaggie »
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miggybaggy

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2016, 10:42:25 AM »
I worshipped this man. A beautiful footballer and human being.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2016, 10:54:03 AM »
Meet him on the day he signed for us, such a shy and graceful young man.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2016, 10:59:19 AM »
Quite right too - a class act and great man.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2016, 06:19:16 PM »
As a 5 year old, Laurie and Cyrille were the first two players i realised were better than normal.

Well deserved... RIP Legend
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2016, 07:10:59 PM »
Obviously from my name, the player I worshiped in my youth.
Nice touch for a truely memorable player. A true World class Baggie.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2016, 07:16:05 PM »
Obviously from my name, the player I worshiped in my youth.
Nice touch for a truely memorable player. A true World class Baggie.

Exactly! Loved to see him play.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2016, 07:20:07 PM »
Obviously from my name, the player I worshiped in my youth.
Nice touch for a truely memorable player. A true World class Baggie.

Lets not forget the man who gave 3 players the chance to play at the highest level & at the same time changed the face of English football. Big Ron 

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2016, 07:27:27 PM »
No one i have seen since,anywhere, had such fantastic balance, and the ability to go past players like they weren't there.
Privileged to have seen him play for us, week in week out.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #9 on: September 21, 2016, 08:06:36 PM »
Laurie was certainly one of the two most naturally gifted footballs I have ever seen play live the other being George Best. Both had this great ability to glide past opponents, and had amazing balance and control. Magnificent player.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2016, 08:26:52 PM »
Had the very great privilege of seeing him play live.

Wonderfully talented man.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #11 on: September 21, 2016, 11:03:48 PM »
Saw him a few times live, when I was a nipper cracking player. What a team that was, will we ever see the likes again?

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #12 on: September 22, 2016, 12:03:57 AM »
My memory of him as a 15 year old was his silky smooth running and his ability to glide past defenders. He had the whole package, incredibly fast and skilful.

He would have been a megastar in todays game and would still have ended up at Real madrid for close to a world record fee. He was THAT good.

Such a shame his life was cut short.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #13 on: September 22, 2016, 09:53:35 AM »
I've posted this before. My son once asked me what he was like. I told him, imagine Christiano Ronaldo playing for Albion? Laurie was better.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2016, 03:27:19 PM »
As a 11 year old in 1977, one of my early memories of him was seeing him rip a decent Leicester City team apart at Filbert Street, we won 0-5 and Laurie scored one.

Magnificent player and feel privileged to have seen him every other week at the shrine!   

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #15 on: September 22, 2016, 04:01:39 PM »
I was at that match.....superb!!!

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #16 on: September 22, 2016, 04:12:20 PM »
I've posted this before. My son once asked me what he was like. I told him, imagine Christiano Ronaldo playing for Albion? Laurie was better.


No he wasn't. I know Albion fans love Laurie, me included but flippin heck we do talk some rubbish sometimes.

Look at Ronaldo's goal record and that alone tells you how far he is ahead of Laurie. I posted before in another post, Messi scored more goals in one season than Laurie managed in his career.

Rose tinted glasses and all that?

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #17 on: September 22, 2016, 04:53:32 PM »

No he wasn't. I know Albion fans love Laurie, me included but flippin heck we do talk some rubbish sometimes.

Look at Ronaldo's goal record and that alone tells you how far he is ahead of Laurie. I posted before in another post, Messi scored more goals in one season than Laurie managed in his career.

Rose tinted glasses and all that?

Yes, Laurie was one hell of a player, but totally different to Ronaldo, Best or Messi. Laurie was a pure winger, would pulverise a full back with speed and/or trickery, however, not a goalscorer like the other three.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #18 on: September 22, 2016, 05:01:07 PM »
Was Laurie possibly too nice as a person? I don't think he really knew just how good he was because he was shy. I still think he'd walk into todays Barcelona team.

glosterbaggie

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #19 on: September 22, 2016, 05:20:36 PM »
I wonder how he would have got on in today's game with "billiard table pitches" and far more protection from refs?
Also the way the game is played it was still a bit "agricultural" then.
He was 40 years to early.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #20 on: September 22, 2016, 06:01:03 PM »

No he wasn't. I know Albion fans love Laurie, me included but flippin heck we do talk some rubbish sometimes.

Look at Ronaldo's goal record and that alone tells you how far he is ahead of Laurie. I posted before in another post, Messi scored more goals in one season than Laurie managed in his career.

Rose tinted glasses and all that?

You may well talk rubbish my friend, but I don't.

As someone else says, the game was different then, pitches were often mud heaps, sometimes rock hard frozen and rutted, and on occasion so sandy they as well have been playing on the beach.

Tackling had yet to be outlawed, two feet up, both off the floor and over the ball was quite normal. Physical intimidation was just part of the game.

Laurie played at a time when being protected by the ref was unheard of and yet he thrived.

He was a gem, and given today's prevailing conditions would have been a world superstar.

Like I said, maybe you talk rubbish, but I don't. You may not agree, that's your call, but stow the insults, they aren't needed, they aren't welcome and in my case they won't be meekly ignored.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2016, 06:02:41 PM by Chipperfan »
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #21 on: September 22, 2016, 08:18:04 PM »
The most naturally gifted footballer I've ever seen. As pointed out he played at a time when tackling meant tackling! ....and he rarely wore shin pads as I recall. Laurie was racially abused by fans and players almost every game in a way that it's hard to imagine for our younger fans yet maintained a wonderful dignity both on and off the pitch. Wonderful footballer, wonderful man and wonderful memories.....
Born and bred in Dudley

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #22 on: September 22, 2016, 09:01:54 PM »
The only player I saw live back then who was better than Laurie was Georgie Best.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #23 on: September 22, 2016, 09:53:17 PM »
One other point on the Messi/Ronaldo/Cunningham question.

Messi has spent his entire playing career at one of the top two clubs in the world. Ronaldo came to prominence playing at Britain's top club, then moved and has spent the intervening period at one of the top two clubs in the world. Oh, and they both play largely as strikers.

Cunningham, on the other hand, came to prominence at Albion, when we at our very, very best managed only third in the top division. Admittedly he then moved to Real Madrid however as at Albion and Orient he was played as a winger. He then, after a good beginning, was put out of the game for a period by a tackle in training from one of his own club mates, which incidentally tells you all you need to know about the physicality of the game back then.

He then played out the remainder of his career at a succession of low key club sides (even Manchester United weren't all that back then).

So, let's not pretend that comparing him unfavourably to Ronaldo or Messi is a like for like process.

However, at the root of it all it doesn't matter what any if us think about who was or wasn't better.

Laurie was a beautiful football player, a joy and a privelege to watch and worth the admission money alone. And he played for us, and I'm so happy about that. I just wish it had gone on for longer.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2016, 10:18:44 PM by Chipperfan »
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #24 on: September 23, 2016, 08:24:13 AM »
Not much point in comparing players from different periods, far too many differences in the games.

I only got to see Laurie Cunningham a handful of times as we'd moved up to Hull in '74 so was only able to get to games when we came back down to Worcester to visit relatives during school holidays.

A truly magical player, I was gutted when he went to Real Madrid but so pleased that he got a cup winners medal with Wimbledon although he should have got  league and cup winners medals with us.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #25 on: September 23, 2016, 11:18:53 AM »
The first time i saw him was playing for Orient against us The Hawthorns, and we couldn't get the ball off him.
We signed him the next season after we went up.

On the back page of Shoot magazine they used to do profiles of players, likes dislikes, etc. They featured Laurie and asked him who the most difficult opponent he had played against was.
He put, nobody.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #26 on: September 23, 2016, 01:40:34 PM »

Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #20 on: Yesterday at 06:01:03 PM »
Quote
Quote from: Atomic on Yesterday at 04:12:20 PM

No he wasn't. I know Albion fans love Laurie, me included but flippin heck we do talk some rubbish sometimes.

Look at Ronaldo's goal record and that alone tells you how far he is ahead of Laurie. I posted before in another post, Messi scored more goals in one season than Laurie managed in his career.





Rose tinted glasses and all that?

You may well talk rubbish my friend, but I don't.

As someone else says, the game was different then, pitches were often mud heaps, sometimes rock hard frozen and rutted, and on occasion so sandy they as well have been playing on the beach.

Tackling had yet to be outlawed, two feet up, both off the floor and over the ball was quite normal. Physical intimidation was just part of the game.

Laurie played at a time when being protected by the ref was unheard of and yet he thrived.

He was a gem, and given today's prevailing conditions would have been a world superstar.

Like I said, maybe you talk rubbish, but I don't. You may not agree, that's your call, but stow the insults, they aren't needed, they aren't welcome and in my case they won't be meekly ign



HERE HERE!!!!.....
                                             

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #27 on: September 23, 2016, 01:53:09 PM »
You may well talk rubbish my friend, but I don't.

As someone else says, the game was different then, pitches were often mud heaps, sometimes rock hard frozen and rutted, and on occasion so sandy they as well have been playing on the beach.

Tackling had yet to be outlawed, two feet up, both off the floor and over the ball was quite normal. Physical intimidation was just part of the game.

Laurie played at a time when being protected by the ref was unheard of and yet he thrived.

He was a gem, and given today's prevailing conditions would have been a world superstar.

Like I said, maybe you talk rubbish, but I don't. You may not agree, that's your call, but stow the insults, they aren't needed, they aren't welcome and in my case they won't be meekly ignored.


Woh, chill my friend with the melodrama you're reminding me of a woman  :o.

I weren't insulting you, if you read properly I said "We" not "you", meaning that we as Albion fans do look at our own team and players differently to what general football fans do. It's natural I suppose but it does cloud judgement.

Friends now?  ;)

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #28 on: September 23, 2016, 03:02:43 PM »
Slight side note, but is the Three Degrees statue up yet?

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #29 on: September 23, 2016, 03:18:12 PM »

Woh, chill my friend with the melodrama you're reminding me of a woman  :o.

I weren't insulting you, if you read properly I said "We" not "you", meaning that we as Albion fans do look at our own team and players differently to what general football fans do. It's natural I suppose but it does cloud judgement.

Friends now?  ;)

So let me get this straight. You quote my post, speak directly of talking rubbish, but then say that it wasn't a direct reference to my quote but a general observation about football fans.

Some folks don't much like being called out and they do make lame attempts to excuse their bad behaviour don't they?

Not you of course, just a general observation.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #30 on: September 23, 2016, 03:27:39 PM »
So let me get this straight. You quote my post, speak directly of talking rubbish, but then say that it wasn't a direct reference to my quote but a general observation about football fans.

Some folks don't much like being called out and they do make lame attempts to excuse their bad behaviour don't they?

Not you of course, just a general observation.



That's correct sir. If you wish to interpret it differently that is, however, your right.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #31 on: September 23, 2016, 04:37:35 PM »
Hi Chipperfan/ Atomic,

For what it's worth, I interpreted Atomic's "we", as a collective we, not a specific we.

Also, for what it's worth, I saw George Best play a number of times & for every brilliant thing he did, he did 5 things that didn't come off.

& finally also, I was at Filbert Street when Laurie Cunningham destroyed Leicester. & destroyed them he did. But he was clapped off the field by every single member of the crowd that day. That's when people used to go to football to watch football.
If it was easy, it wouldn't be Albion

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #32 on: September 23, 2016, 04:56:49 PM »
If I remember he was "taken out" in training by one of our own.That was the thuggery football was then.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #33 on: September 23, 2016, 06:49:24 PM »
Hi Chipperfan/ Atomic,

For what it's worth, I interpreted Atomic's "we", as a collective we, not a specific we.

Also, for what it's worth, I saw George Best play a number of times & for every brilliant thing he did, he did 5 things that didn't come off.

& finally also, I was at Filbert Street when Laurie Cunningham destroyed Leicester. & destroyed them he did. But he was clapped off the field by every single member of the crowd that day. That's when people used to go to football to watch football.

Afternoon John, you told me in a post a couple of weeks back your first match was against QPR, Brian Little/Gary Megson era.

On topic I certainly wasn't lucky enough to see the Pearl play, and I'm dubious about the claims re Messi/Ronaldo, though I'm equally dubious of similar claims of Best's prowess.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #34 on: September 23, 2016, 08:26:50 PM »
Afternoon John, you told me in a post a couple of weeks back your first match was against QPR, Brian Little/Gary Megson era.

On topic I certainly wasn't lucky enough to see the Pearl play, and I'm dubious about the claims re Messi/Ronaldo, though I'm equally dubious of similar claims of Best's prowess.

My first game watching the Albion was indeed against QPR, but my first game watching professional football was way before that. As I recall, in the Ray Pointer, Burnley & Graham Leggett Fulham era.

The game featuring Laurie Cunningham at Filbert Street is well etched in my memory, the only player to have destroyed Leicester is a similar manner to Laurie Cunnnigham, was George Best in a 5 - 1 victory to Man Utd
If it was easy, it wouldn't be Albion

A wise old owl sat in an oak, the more he saw, the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard, why aren't we like that wise old bird?

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #35 on: September 24, 2016, 07:05:47 AM »
If I remember he was "taken out" in training by one of our own.That was the thuggery football was then.

I think that is when he moved to Real Madrid, he got badly injured and never reached the same heights again. :(

How good was he, in my humble opinion, up with the very best, but, because of the above injury, he did not have the longevity of Ronaldo and therefor, can not truly be rated for his achievements in the same way. There is no doubt in my mind, had he played in todays era, on todays pitches, with more protection from the rules, referees and culture, he would have been an absolute world star.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #36 on: September 24, 2016, 07:10:12 AM »
I think that is when he moved to Real Madrid, he got badly injured and never reached the same heights again. :(

How good was he, in my humble opinion, up with the very best, but, because of the above injury, he did not have the longevity of Ronaldo and therefor, can not truly be rated for his achievements in the same way. There is no doubt in my mind, had he played in todays era, on todays pitches, with more protection from the rules, referees and culture, he would have been an absolute world star.

My point entirely mate. He was very, very special. An extraordinary talent.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #37 on: September 24, 2016, 08:26:14 AM »
My first game watching the Albion was indeed against QPR, but my first game watching professional football was way before that. As I recall, in the Ray Pointer, Burnley & Graham Leggett Fulham era.

The game featuring Laurie Cunningham at Filbert Street is well etched in my memory, the only player to have destroyed Leicester is a similar manner to Laurie Cunnnigham, was George Best in a 5 - 1 victory to Man Utd

Was Laurie playing for Orient in this game? as surely this pre dates QPR, Little/Megson era or am I missing the obvious?  :-\
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #38 on: September 24, 2016, 08:59:05 AM »
Was Laurie playing for Orient in this game? as surely this pre dates QPR, Little/Megson era or am I missing the obvious?  :-\

Err yes.

I lived in Leicester at the time & I was watching Albion as the away team. I moved to the West Midlands in 1986, & stated watching WBA soon after, I am now an Albion convert. I have been watching professional football since 1962, & two players who stood out for me from that era were Ray Pointer from Burnley & Graham Legget, who was a Scotland International, & played for Fulham.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2016, 09:04:46 AM by baggiejohn »
If it was easy, it wouldn't be Albion

A wise old owl sat in an oak, the more he saw, the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard, why aren't we like that wise old bird?

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #39 on: September 24, 2016, 10:29:47 AM »
Err yes.

I lived in Leicester at the time & I was watching Albion as the away team. I moved to the West Midlands in 1986, & stated watching WBA soon after, I am now an Albion convert. I have been watching professional football since 1962, & two players who stood out for me from that era were Ray Pointer from Burnley & Graham Legget, who was a Scotland International, & played for Fulham.

Ahh right, got it, that's cleared it up.............sort of.

Anyhow, if the Black Flash was at Albion today, he'd be worth a fortune.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #40 on: September 24, 2016, 10:58:57 AM »
Ahh right, got it, that's cleared it up.............sort of.

Anyhow, if the Black Flash was at Albion today, he'd be worth a fortune.

If in his prime, in excess of £70million I would think.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #41 on: September 24, 2016, 11:11:07 AM »
If in his prime, in excess of £70million I would think.
more than that I reckon, Sterling £50m :o. a one legged Cunningham would still be a better player.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #42 on: September 24, 2016, 11:13:31 AM »
Laurie really shone in 76-77 and 78-79, but went off the boil slightly in 77-78. Hard to believe it in the context of the following season, but he was out of the side for the first few months of 1978 and played next to no part in our FA Cup run to the semi final.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #43 on: September 24, 2016, 11:16:34 AM »
If in his prime, in excess of £70million I would think.

Agreed!
I had the pleasure of watching Laurie play for us whilst in my early teens (about 40 years & 8 stone ago) not sure I quite appreciated how good he actually was back then but how I wish we had that kind of entertainment now (oh stop reminiscing you silly old fool)
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #44 on: September 24, 2016, 04:04:55 PM »
I think that is when he moved to Real Madrid, he got badly injured and never reached the same heights again. :(

How good was he, in my humble opinion, up with the very best, but, because of the above injury, he did not have the longevity of Ronaldo and therefor, can not truly be rated for his achievements in the same way. There is no doubt in my mind, had he played in todays era, on todays pitches, with more protection from the rules, referees and culture, he would have been an absolute world star.

Apparently one of his own players did his knee in training. Football is a different game now with far better pitches and far more protection for the type of player that Laurie was. I have no doubt he would have been a world class player in this day, as was stated he was born probably 40 years to early. I am delighted that I saw him in his prime at the Hawthorns, this is a player when he played for Real Madrid at Barcelona was applauded off the pitch by the Barcelona supporters after he had torn them apart. If he was playing now he wouldn't have played for us, with respect he would have played at a top, top club. He was a magnificent plate. 

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #45 on: September 24, 2016, 04:18:18 PM »
Magnificent player even

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #46 on: September 24, 2016, 05:49:21 PM »
Magnificent player even

You can just edit your post. ;D
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #47 on: September 24, 2016, 05:58:51 PM »
You can just edit your post. ;D

TBF he had most defenders on a plate  ;D
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #48 on: September 24, 2016, 08:08:48 PM »
He was that good that even the opposition fans clapped him & wanted their club to sign him.
"The 3 Degrees" Those were the days. No team in the land in those days looked forward to playing us.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #49 on: September 25, 2016, 12:24:47 AM »
You can just edit your post. ;D

Ok cheers 🍻😊

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #50 on: September 25, 2016, 10:52:27 AM »
He was that good that even the opposition fans clapped him & wanted their club to sign him.
"The 3 Degrees" Those were the days. No team in the land in those days looked forward to playing us.

Back then I genuinely think we were the most attractive team in the country, fabulous football.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #51 on: September 25, 2016, 10:55:35 AM »
Back then I genuinely think we were the most attractive team in the country, fabulous football.
Oh absolutely, they were glorious times well etched in my memories!

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #52 on: September 25, 2016, 12:06:31 PM »
Laurie really shone in 76-77 and 78-79, but went off the boil slightly in 77-78. Hard to believe it in the context of the following season, but he was out of the side for the first few months of 1978 and played next to no part in our FA Cup run to the semi final.

That was more down to our overated manager Atkinson, who also had Bryan Robson as sub on many occasions.
These are the players he was associated with, Cunningham, Regis, Statham, Robson, and Johnston, thouh he signed none of them and would have signed them all at United.
 The players he did sign, Barnes, Owen, Deehan and Mills were far inferior, only Batson was a superior signing.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #53 on: September 25, 2016, 12:08:11 PM »
Oh, i was at Leicester that day, and Cunninghams goal was from about 30 yards. We were 0-3 up at half time, and also had one disallowed in the second half.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #54 on: September 25, 2016, 12:18:21 PM »
That was more down to our overated manager Atkinson, who also had Bryan Robson as sub on many occasions.
These are the players he was associated with, Cunningham, Regis, Statham, Robson, and Johnston, thouh he signed none of them and would have signed them all at United.
 The players he did sign, Barnes, Owen, Deehan and Mills were far inferior, only Batson was a superior signing.

That is a very astute post, Batson was an up grade on Paddy Mulligan, but Paddy was a fair player himself.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #55 on: September 25, 2016, 04:34:34 PM »
That was more down to our overated manager Atkinson, who also had Bryan Robson as sub on many occasions.
These are the players he was associated with, Cunningham, Regis, Statham, Robson, and Johnston, thouh he signed none of them and would have signed them all at United.
 The players he did sign, Barnes, Owen, Deehan and Mills were far inferior, only Batson was a superior signing.

Absolutely agree about Atkinson. His signings were pretty poor, he was lucky to inherit an incredible group of players from Giles and Allen.
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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #56 on: September 25, 2016, 08:08:11 PM »
It was the reintegration of Ally Brown that lost Laurie his place in 77-78. Ally and Ronnie Allen didn't get on and Ally was out of the side. We played with two wingers, Laurie and Willie, and Cross or Regis centre forward.

In Dec 77 Ally was recalled and that was it for Laurie until Willie injured his shoulder in the semi final against Ipswich. Thereafter it was the forward line of Laurie, Cyrille and Ally.

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Re: Laurie Cunningham
« Reply #57 on: March 22, 2018, 09:10:43 PM »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz6V9KA3sxU

Great little profile on Laurie. Top Youtube channel with loads of great content for those interested.