SAF: Eternally Grateful
Belfast Telegraph: Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has paid a magnificent tribute to Willie Cunningham, one of Northern Ireland’s 1958 World Cup heroes who has died in Dunfermline. He was 77.
Fergie said: “He helped shaped my destiny as a manager and I am eternally grateful to him.”
Cunningham signed Ferguson as a player for Falkirk and when he retired as the St Mirren manager in 1974, he recommended Fergie as his successor.
Born in Mallusk but taken by his parents to Paisley as a youngster, Cunningham, a full-back with St Mirren and Leicester City, was shrewdly switched by legendary Northern Ireland manager Peter Doherty before the World Cup finals in Sweden as a replacement for Jackie Blanchflower, seriously injured in the Manchester United air crash which prematurely ended his career.
Cunningham fitted perfectly into the role, playing a major part in the small squad which astonishingly reached the quarter-finals, losing eventually to France.
Leicester paid St Mirren £4,750 for him in 1954 but after a turbulent few seasons he moved back and joined Dunfermline Athletic, then managed by Jock Stein, winning a Scottish Cup medal in 1961 when they defeated Celtic 2-0 after a replay.
Stein moved on to Hibs and Cunningham took over as the Pars manager, steering them to the 1965 Scottish Cup Final, unfortunately losing 3-2 to Celtic, by then managed by Stein.
Cunningham was much under-rated as a player but certainly not by Doherty who quickly realised his ability and leadership qualities.
Fact File: Played for St Mirren 1950-54, Leicester City 1954-60, Dunfermline 1960-64, capped 30 times for Northern Ireland 1951-62, managed Dunfermline 1964-68, Falkirk 1968-72 and St Mirren 1972-74.
