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Different Class: The Story of Laurie Cunningham
Shortlisted for Biography of the Year at the British Sports Book AwardsWhen Laurie Cunningham played for England in an under-21s match against Scotland in 1977, he became the first black footballer to represent England professionally. Two years later, he would become the first Englishman to play for Real Madrid. In a time when racist chants flew from the stands, Cunningham's success challenged how black players were perceived, paving the way for future generations.But Cunningham was more than an exceptional footballer who could play like a dream. He was a dandy with a love of funk music and bespoke suits, as easily graceful on the dance floor as he was on the pitch.Different Class is a portrait of an important but unsung figure who brought glamour to the game at a particularly dark point in its history. Many know Laurie Cunningham’s name but not his story; now they will know both.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 13, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 9, 2019
'Different Class: Football, Fashion and Funk – The Story of Laurie Cunningham' (2017) is a superb read
Laurie Cunningham, for anyone that doesn't know, was the first black footballer to play professionally for England in 1977 and, two years later, went on to become the first Englishman to play for Real Madrid. His emergence as a professional came during a period of horrendous racism on the terraces and on the pitch. Having read 'It's Only Banter: The Autobiography of Leroy Rosenior', I was already well aware of what the pioneering black footballers had to endure. It was appalling.
As this book's title suggests, there was more to Laurie Cunningham than his football career, he was also a leading light on the London soul and funk scene of the 1970s. This subculture deserves a book of its own. I was aware of some of the clubs through documentaries however this book has plenty of information that was new to me. Dermot Kavanagh suggests that Laurie's extraordinary prowess as one of London's top dancers fed into his football style, which I can well believe. This book inspired me to look up clips of Laurie on YouTube and his jinking style is often balletic.
Sadly, Laurie's career was increasingly blighted by injuries and these hampered his career at Real Madrid and beyond. All of this makes the latter part of his story feel quite sad and downbeat. That he then died in a car crash, on 15 July 1989 at just age 33, feels even crueller.
As time goes by Laurie's legacy is getting reappraised, and this book is a part of that. There are now statues and placques to commemorate his pioneering career and his exceptional talent.
As I state at the outset, this is a superb read
4/5
'Different Class: Football, Fashion and Funk – The Story of Laurie Cunningham' (2017) by Dermot Kavanagh
Laurie Cunningham, for anyone that doesn't know, was the first black footballer to play professionally for England in 1977 and, two years later, went on to become the first Englishman to play for Real Madrid. His emergence as a professional came during a period of horrendous racism on the terraces and on the pitch. Having read 'It's Only Banter: The Autobiography of Leroy Rosenior', I was already well aware of what the pioneering black footballers had to endure. It was appalling.
As this book's title suggests, there was more to Laurie Cunningham than his football career, he was also a leading light on the London soul and funk scene of the 1970s. This subculture deserves a book of its own. I was aware of some of the clubs through documentaries however this book has plenty of information that was new to me. Dermot Kavanagh suggests that Laurie's extraordinary prowess as one of London's top dancers fed into his football style, which I can well believe. This book inspired me to look up clips of Laurie on YouTube and his jinking style is often balletic.
Sadly, Laurie's career was increasingly blighted by injuries and these hampered his career at Real Madrid and beyond. All of this makes the latter part of his story feel quite sad and downbeat. That he then died in a car crash, on 15 July 1989 at just age 33, feels even crueller.
As time goes by Laurie's legacy is getting reappraised, and this book is a part of that. There are now statues and placques to commemorate his pioneering career and his exceptional talent.
As I state at the outset, this is a superb read
4/5
'Different Class: Football, Fashion and Funk – The Story of Laurie Cunningham' (2017) by Dermot Kavanagh
March 10, 2018
Finally a biography on one of the most influencial footballers in the English game.
Laurie Cunningham was one of the main reasons I became a lifelong fan of West Brom as a kid back in the late 70's. West Brom were a phenomenally good side at the time - not least because of the flamboyant playing of Cunningham - and his powerful partnership with striker Cyrille Regis.
'Different Class' tells the story of how the young Cunningham was initially released by Arsenal only to find his feet as a footballer at Orient before moving to West Brom, where he played his best football, before an injury-ridden spell at Real Madrid left him a shadow of the player he used to be - and his life came to a tragic end in a traffic accident at the age of 33.
It tells the story of a time in football, where black players had a hard time making it in the top flight and racism in football was a major issue. Cunningham was the first black player to represent England at any level, when he played in an under-21 international, thus paving the way for future generations of talented black players.
I was fortunate enough to see Cunningham in his final Albion game before joining Real Madrid - a post-season friendly against a Danish side from my home town. The Baggies won 7-0 with Cunningham and Regis both scoring twice.
'Different Class' is a must-read for any Albion fan - and I would recommend it to every fan of English football of the 70's and 80's.
Laurie Cunningham was one of the main reasons I became a lifelong fan of West Brom as a kid back in the late 70's. West Brom were a phenomenally good side at the time - not least because of the flamboyant playing of Cunningham - and his powerful partnership with striker Cyrille Regis.
'Different Class' tells the story of how the young Cunningham was initially released by Arsenal only to find his feet as a footballer at Orient before moving to West Brom, where he played his best football, before an injury-ridden spell at Real Madrid left him a shadow of the player he used to be - and his life came to a tragic end in a traffic accident at the age of 33.
It tells the story of a time in football, where black players had a hard time making it in the top flight and racism in football was a major issue. Cunningham was the first black player to represent England at any level, when he played in an under-21 international, thus paving the way for future generations of talented black players.
I was fortunate enough to see Cunningham in his final Albion game before joining Real Madrid - a post-season friendly against a Danish side from my home town. The Baggies won 7-0 with Cunningham and Regis both scoring twice.
'Different Class' is a must-read for any Albion fan - and I would recommend it to every fan of English football of the 70's and 80's.
September 1, 2019
It’s a book of two halves. Brian.
Whilst music fans might remember The Three Degrees as Prince Charles favourite singers, football fans will recall the Ron Atkinson version applied to Cunningham, Brendan Batson and Cyrille Regis, West Bromwich Albion’s three black players.
Newsworthy at the time (the late 70’s) – this was only the second time an English professional team had fielded 3 black guys (note for pub quizzers – West Ham did it first in 1972), this book puts into context just how remarkable Cunningham’s achievements were at the time.
Of the 3, Cunningham was the player I knew least about. Regis was still playing top flight football until 1993 whilst Batson spent 18 years as the deputy chief executive of the PFA. Kavanagh provides a thoughtful and detailed account of Cunningham’s career and the social context that it took place within.
The book follows the chronology of Cunningham’s progress as a player, from his release as a youth at Arsenal, into his more stellar years at WBA and Real Madrid. The book does a good job of explaining just how unusual Cunningham’s transfer to Madrid was, and how short-sighted his exclusion from the 1980 England Euro squad turned out to be. There’s plenty of political and social detail – imagine holding a testimonial game today where a team of white players take on a team of blacks. Cunningham played for Real at the same time Kevin Keegan was at FC Hamburg, and whilst I clearly recalled the latter, I had no memory of the former.
Cunningham the man is a less well documented in the book. Despite the depth of research it all feels a little distant and it’s possible that his introverted, loner nature contributed to this. Cunningham’s love of clothes and dance are explored at length. Yet his split from long term partner Nikki Hare-Brown – something that must have had a huge impact on him – comes and goes in just a couple of paragraphs. It signalled Cunningham’s loss of anyone he trusted to manage his financial and personal affairs, and the passing references to the chaos of his personal life get little further exploration. Younger brother Keith’s girlfriend and 2 daughters are tragically murdered whilst Keith is in Spain with Laurie, something that must have been devastating for the whole family but other than mentioning that the culprit was not caught until 25 years later there’s no further insight as to the circumstances or the impact on the Cunninghams.
Despite this, Cunningham’s prowess on the ball comes alive and it’s clear what an inspiration he has been to a variety of black players and the naked racism he endured both on and off the pitch. A life sadly cut short at just age 33.
“White players attack the ball. Black players caress it” – Laurie Cunningham.
Whilst music fans might remember The Three Degrees as Prince Charles favourite singers, football fans will recall the Ron Atkinson version applied to Cunningham, Brendan Batson and Cyrille Regis, West Bromwich Albion’s three black players.
Newsworthy at the time (the late 70’s) – this was only the second time an English professional team had fielded 3 black guys (note for pub quizzers – West Ham did it first in 1972), this book puts into context just how remarkable Cunningham’s achievements were at the time.
Of the 3, Cunningham was the player I knew least about. Regis was still playing top flight football until 1993 whilst Batson spent 18 years as the deputy chief executive of the PFA. Kavanagh provides a thoughtful and detailed account of Cunningham’s career and the social context that it took place within.
The book follows the chronology of Cunningham’s progress as a player, from his release as a youth at Arsenal, into his more stellar years at WBA and Real Madrid. The book does a good job of explaining just how unusual Cunningham’s transfer to Madrid was, and how short-sighted his exclusion from the 1980 England Euro squad turned out to be. There’s plenty of political and social detail – imagine holding a testimonial game today where a team of white players take on a team of blacks. Cunningham played for Real at the same time Kevin Keegan was at FC Hamburg, and whilst I clearly recalled the latter, I had no memory of the former.
Cunningham the man is a less well documented in the book. Despite the depth of research it all feels a little distant and it’s possible that his introverted, loner nature contributed to this. Cunningham’s love of clothes and dance are explored at length. Yet his split from long term partner Nikki Hare-Brown – something that must have had a huge impact on him – comes and goes in just a couple of paragraphs. It signalled Cunningham’s loss of anyone he trusted to manage his financial and personal affairs, and the passing references to the chaos of his personal life get little further exploration. Younger brother Keith’s girlfriend and 2 daughters are tragically murdered whilst Keith is in Spain with Laurie, something that must have been devastating for the whole family but other than mentioning that the culprit was not caught until 25 years later there’s no further insight as to the circumstances or the impact on the Cunninghams.
Despite this, Cunningham’s prowess on the ball comes alive and it’s clear what an inspiration he has been to a variety of black players and the naked racism he endured both on and off the pitch. A life sadly cut short at just age 33.
“White players attack the ball. Black players caress it” – Laurie Cunningham.
September 9, 2021
t’s a book of two halves. Brian.
Whilst music fans might remember The Three Degrees as Prince Charles favourite singers, football fans will recall the Ron Atkinson version applied to Cunningham, Brendan Batson and Cyrille Regis, West Bromwich Albion’s three black players.
Newsworthy at the time (the late 70’s) – this was only the second time an English professional team had fielded 3 black guys (note for pub quizzers – West Ham did it first in 1972), this book puts into context just how remarkable Cunningham’s achievements were at the time.
Of the 3, Cunningham was the player I knew least about. Regis was still playing top flight football until 1993 whilst Batson spent 18 years as the deputy chief executive of the PFA. Kavanagh provides a thoughtful and detailed account of Cunningham’s career and the social context that it took place within.
The book follows the chronology of Cunningham’s progress as a player, from his release as a youth at Arsenal, into his more stellar years at WBA and Real Madrid. The book does a good job of explaining just how unusual Cunningham’s transfer to Madrid was, and how short-sighted his exclusion from the 1980 England Euro squad turned out to be. There’s plenty of political and social detail – imagine holding a testimonial game today where a team of white players take on a team of blacks. Cunningham played for Real at the same time Kevin Keegan was at FC Hamburg, and whilst I clearly recalled the latter, I had no memory of the former.
Cunningham the man is a less well documented in the book. Despite the depth of research it all feels a little distant and it’s possible that his introverted, loner nature contributed to this. Cunningham’s love of clothes and dance are explored at length. Yet his split from long term partner Nikki Hare-Brown – something that must have had a huge impact on him – comes and goes in just a couple of paragraphs. It signalled Cunningham’s loss of anyone he trusted to manage his financial and personal affairs, and the passing references to the chaos of his personal life get little further exploration. Younger brother Keith’s girlfriend and 2 daughters are tragically murdered whilst Keith is in Spain with Laurie, something that must have been devastating for the whole family but other than mentioning that the culprit was not caught until 25 years later there’s no further insight as to the circumstances or the impact on the Cunninghams.
Despite this, Cunningham’s prowess on the ball comes alive and it’s clear what an inspiration he has been to a variety of black players and the naked racism he endured both on and off the pitch. A life sadly cut short at just age 33.
“White players attack the ball. Black players caress it” – Laurie Cunningham.
Whilst music fans might remember The Three Degrees as Prince Charles favourite singers, football fans will recall the Ron Atkinson version applied to Cunningham, Brendan Batson and Cyrille Regis, West Bromwich Albion’s three black players.
Newsworthy at the time (the late 70’s) – this was only the second time an English professional team had fielded 3 black guys (note for pub quizzers – West Ham did it first in 1972), this book puts into context just how remarkable Cunningham’s achievements were at the time.
Of the 3, Cunningham was the player I knew least about. Regis was still playing top flight football until 1993 whilst Batson spent 18 years as the deputy chief executive of the PFA. Kavanagh provides a thoughtful and detailed account of Cunningham’s career and the social context that it took place within.
The book follows the chronology of Cunningham’s progress as a player, from his release as a youth at Arsenal, into his more stellar years at WBA and Real Madrid. The book does a good job of explaining just how unusual Cunningham’s transfer to Madrid was, and how short-sighted his exclusion from the 1980 England Euro squad turned out to be. There’s plenty of political and social detail – imagine holding a testimonial game today where a team of white players take on a team of blacks. Cunningham played for Real at the same time Kevin Keegan was at FC Hamburg, and whilst I clearly recalled the latter, I had no memory of the former.
Cunningham the man is a less well documented in the book. Despite the depth of research it all feels a little distant and it’s possible that his introverted, loner nature contributed to this. Cunningham’s love of clothes and dance are explored at length. Yet his split from long term partner Nikki Hare-Brown – something that must have had a huge impact on him – comes and goes in just a couple of paragraphs. It signalled Cunningham’s loss of anyone he trusted to manage his financial and personal affairs, and the passing references to the chaos of his personal life get little further exploration. Younger brother Keith’s girlfriend and 2 daughters are tragically murdered whilst Keith is in Spain with Laurie, something that must have been devastating for the whole family but other than mentioning that the culprit was not caught until 25 years later there’s no further insight as to the circumstances or the impact on the Cunninghams.
Despite this, Cunningham’s prowess on the ball comes alive and it’s clear what an inspiration he has been to a variety of black players and the naked racism he endured both on and off the pitch. A life sadly cut short at just age 33.
“White players attack the ball. Black players caress it” – Laurie Cunningham.
August 10, 2019
Really good book
History of post war London is brought vividly to life. The description of football in the 60s and 70s was fascinating. Fashion, music and culture from a completely different lens. Length was just right, did justice to the subject. I have recommended this book to those who might not be interested in football.
History of post war London is brought vividly to life. The description of football in the 60s and 70s was fascinating. Fashion, music and culture from a completely different lens. Length was just right, did justice to the subject. I have recommended this book to those who might not be interested in football.
November 29, 2021
Really interesting, inspirational and at times emotional to read of an unsung football hero who left us all too soon!
June 2, 2023
La historia de Laurie Cunningham es apasionante. Muy buen libro. En mi canal lo comento con detalle: https://youtu.be/VBnS_MIclZw
November 2, 2017
The best part of the internet is that you can pretty much find footage of anything. So go to Youtube a type in Laurie Cunningham so that you can view his footwork and passing skills.
I'll wait.
Now that you have a bit of an idea of who Laurie Cunningham was on the pitch, it is a smart move to delve into Dermot Kavanagh's fast paced biography of Cunningham. The fact that he was the first footballer of color to play for England makes his story important, not just because of his skills but because of the barriers that he broke. This book focuses on the way he was received, the struggles he had to go through, and brings up the questions of if he had more injuries because he was black and was fouled harder and more frequently because the referees did not always catch the foul that was perpetrated. I was afraid that the story of Laurie Cunningham was going to be overshadowed by the story of him breaking color barriers, or vice versa, but Kavanagh does a very good job balancing the two aspects. His biography is tight paced, fast, and telling the story of Cunningham and of the racial climates of the places he played in a very good way.
As a sidenote, I watched England win the U17 World Cup this past week, and their striker and the winner of the Golden Boot of the tournament with eight goals was Rhian Brewster, a black kid playing for Liverpool. I had a feeling that somewhere Laurie Cunningham was watching as the team piled onto the pitch after they won, smiling with the knowledge that the hardships he had to carry were not carried in vain.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'll wait.
Now that you have a bit of an idea of who Laurie Cunningham was on the pitch, it is a smart move to delve into Dermot Kavanagh's fast paced biography of Cunningham. The fact that he was the first footballer of color to play for England makes his story important, not just because of his skills but because of the barriers that he broke. This book focuses on the way he was received, the struggles he had to go through, and brings up the questions of if he had more injuries because he was black and was fouled harder and more frequently because the referees did not always catch the foul that was perpetrated. I was afraid that the story of Laurie Cunningham was going to be overshadowed by the story of him breaking color barriers, or vice versa, but Kavanagh does a very good job balancing the two aspects. His biography is tight paced, fast, and telling the story of Cunningham and of the racial climates of the places he played in a very good way.
As a sidenote, I watched England win the U17 World Cup this past week, and their striker and the winner of the Golden Boot of the tournament with eight goals was Rhian Brewster, a black kid playing for Liverpool. I had a feeling that somewhere Laurie Cunningham was watching as the team piled onto the pitch after they won, smiling with the knowledge that the hardships he had to carry were not carried in vain.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews