Willie Cunningham (Northern Irish footballer)
William Edward Cunningham (20 February 1930 – 31 August 2007) was a Northern Ireland international footballer and manager.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Edward Cunningham[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 17 May 1930 | ||
| Place of birth | Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 31 August 2007 (aged 77) | ||
| Place of death | Dunfermline, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Ardrossan Winton Rovers | |||
| 1950–1954 | St Mirren | 61 | (1) |
| 1954–1960 | Leicester City | 127 | (4) |
| 1960–1963 | Dunfermline Athletic | 70 | (4) |
| Total | 258 | (9) | |
| National team | |||
| 1951–1962 | Northern Ireland | 30 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1964–1967 | Dunfermline Athletic | ||
| 1968–1972 | Falkirk | ||
| 1973–1974 | St Mirren | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Born in County Antrim but raised in Scotland from a young age, he signed for St Mirren in 1950 and played there until 1954 when he left for Leicester City. He joined Dunfermline Athletic in 1960 and was a member of the Scottish Cup-winning team which beat Celtic 2–0 in 1961. After retiring from playing, he went into management with Dunfermline Athletic and Falkirk.[2] He returned to manage St Mirren in 1972, but resigned in 1974 for personal reasons. Before leaving, he recommended Alex Ferguson as his successor.
He played 30 matches for Northern Ireland, and was a member of their 1958 FIFA World Cup team.
He died, aged 77, on 31 August 2007.
References
- "Willie Cunningham". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- Falkirk FC Managers
External links
- Willie Cunningham at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
