London, England
On the walk to our Boxing Day game at Leyton Orient, we came across a statue of Laurie Cunningham in Coronation Gardens. From the statue, I knew he was a footballer, and, considering that Brisbane Road was next door, I figured Cunningham might have been impactful for Leyton Orient. But the plaque, and later online research, showed just how much of an impact Laurie Cunningham had on the Beautiful Game in England and beyond.
Laurie Cunningham was talented as a youngster and signed with Arsenal as a part of their youth setup. When he was released, he joined Leyton Orient, playing for the O’s professionally from 1974 to 1977. His play for Leyton Orient earned him a move to the first division, where he played for West Bromwich Albion. Later in 1979, Cunningham transferred to Real Madrid, becoming the first English player to play for arguably the biggest club in World Football.
Laurie Cunningham’s actual achievement was becoming one of the first-ever black English internationals, earning six caps playing for the Three Lions. Cunningham won several medals during his career, including a league title and two Copa del Rey titles with Real Madrid, and an FA Cup with Wimbledon.
With injuries later in his career, Cunningham ended up moving to several teams before he tragically passed in a car accident in Madrid in 1989. Right before the wreck, his career was enjoying a revival, during which he helped Rayo Vallecano gain promotion to La Liga. Cunningham was only 33 and was survived by his wife and son.
One of the actual benefits of travel is learning about the people who define those places. Laurie Cunningham paved the way for future generations to represent the Three Lions. When England plays in the 2026 World Cup, no one will blink an eye when half the team is of African descent. To know that Laurie Cunningham’s trailblazing occurred in my lifetime, it is only appropriate that he is honored with a statue near the stadium that gave him his professional debut.
