[silverbaggie]

In recent years there's always been a problem for good players outside London or Manchester Clubs getting into the England team.

As previously mentioned Bryan Robson only became an England regular AFTER he moved to Untd.

Other West Brom examples would be Bomber and Bobby Hope for Scotland.

I think the Scottish FA had a policy at that time that they would not select a player who plied his trade south of the border.

That attitude changed when Dennis Law went south.

However we were obviously regarded as a fashionable Club in the 1950's as we had no fewer than three players who were regularly selected for England:- Bobby Robson, Ronnie Allen and 'The Tank'.

+ Don Howe.

ps I saw Ray Barlow 4 times in Albion shirt, and worshipped him, but was too young to really appreciate him. By all accounts, though, he was maybe our best ever. He got 1 England cap!!

Oops indeed, How could anyone ever forget the incomparable Don Howe. He was probably the finest right back in England for several years.
He wasn't a hard tackler but a defender who jockeyed his opponents, never giving them a moments peace until, they made a mistake and Don would just whip the ball of his opponents feet almost like a magician.
A pity he wasn't just as good when managing the Baggies.

[Alouion]

I too remember Ray Barlow. He may well have been one of the greatest ever but I too was too young to appreciate him at the time.

Bobby Moore was old enough however. Growing up in the fifties, the World Cup winning captain wrote in his autobiography that Ray Barlow was both the greatest and his favourite player. He modelled himself on him.

[betterthanbaird]

Only Man Utd player at the time in the England squad was Ray Wilkins
Only Man Citeh player  at the time in the England squad was Joe Corrigan
Robson made his debut in 1980 as a WBA player, went to the Euro champs as a WBA player, only him and Wilkins were Man Utd players in 1982 WC, my absolute hero growing up

Greenwood did have a leaning towards Liverpool players though, be very easy to say Venables and Southgate have some sort of Spurs Bromance!

WBA if I recall correctly came 3rd in 80-81, Man Utd a very poor 10th, a very organized yet workmanlike Aston Villa won the league yet I write here as a football romantic how good those Ipswich (2nd) and WBA side`s (With Peter Barnes replacing Laurie) were

Any links BetterthanBaird? That sounds worth seeing!

At 25:30 on here, though all of it is watching if anyone hasn't seen it before, https://youtu.be/bWZvFTpyRdE

[Bierzo Baggie]

At 25:30 on here, though all of it is watching if anyone hasn't seen it before, https://youtu.be/bWZvFTpyRdE

Great thread.

The excellent “First Amongst Equals” documentary has plenty of images from Laurie’s Madrid days that I’d never seen before.
First class selection of interviews too. Vicente Del Bosque speaks very well and I like how he compares Cunningham to an early version of Cristiano Ronaldo.

You’ll also see Laurie’s son Sergio who was on Atletico Madrid’s books a few years ago. Never worked out unfortunately, he runs a restaurant in Madrid now.

The guy from Valencia who was supposed to give Laurie a hard time in that UEFA game was Carrete. Carrete went on to manage my local team Ponferradina for a while and had a well earned reputation as one of the dirtiest players in Spain.

I do think the Real Madrid move was a case of being in the right place at the wrong time. Players were not protected as the likes of Messi are now and the Spanish league could be a dangerous place for an “outsider” in those days. Diego Maradona got kicked about horrendously during his short spell at Barcelona for example. At one point in the documentary Laurie rolls up his trouser leg to reveal an ugly selection of scars. There’s little doubt that he had been targeted in a cynical way… even by his own players. The Madrid dressing room was full of “personalities” at that time, Camacho, Juanito, Santillana… Cunningham may not have fitted in with some and his bad experiences with the very influential Madrileño sporting press may have had something to do with this.

His first serious knee injury was caused by one of his teammates in training.  Laurie’s brother seems to think that it had been a deliberate attempt to injure him. I don’t know about that but I do know that they didn’t like some of his fancy tricks when they were at the end of them …Camacho especially.

The tragedy was that Laurie Cunningham was at least 20 years ahead of his time and didn't achieve his full potential as a result.

[drewks]

"The guy from Valencia who was supposed to give Laurie a hard time in that UEFA game was Carrete. Carrete went on to manage my local team Ponferradina for a while and had a well earned reputation as one of the dirtiest players in Spain."

Great post, Bierzo!

I remember so clearly how unbelievably good Laurie was that night. As you say, ball players had little protection compared to nowadays, and that full back was being made to look a real clown, Laurie was basically taking the p*ss in the end. Carrete several times tried to chop him down around knee height...... and just couldn't touch him!
Laurie's performance that night was the best I've ever seen in one match. Phenomenal!

[Bierzo Baggie]

I remember so clearly how unbelievably good Laurie was that night.  As you say, ball players had little protection compared to nowadays, and that full back was being made to look a real clown,  Laurie was basically taking the p*ss in the end. Carrete several times tried to chop him down around knee height...... and just couldn't touch him!
Laurie's performance that night was the best I've ever seen in one match. Phenomenal!

Here's another interesting fact. In 1982 Jose Carrete was chosen to man-mark Diego Maradona in the Argentinian's very first game in Spain after signing for Barcelona. Valencia won the game and Carrete fared much better marking Maradona than he did against Laurie in the UEFA Cup!
Previously he'd been chosen to give Johan Cruyff "individual attention" too, so he was something of a specialist in cancelling out skillful playmakers. Reckon that night against Albion he met his most difficult opponent.

Just showed how good Laurie Cunningham was eh?

[turkeydinner]

Watching the Man Utd 3 WBA 5 game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Llxoa_E9TLw

This is `traditional` English football? on par with anything in Europe easily, the talent on display with both sides is sublime, Mcqueen was about the UK most expensive players and one of the highest rated CB`s in Europe
Even as a Man Utd fan that is an awesome match to come second in! Even after Robson left he had tremendous respect for WBA and particularly John Wile

Couple of days ago Football365 did a Heaven XI, Laurie didn't get mentioned or Johan Cryuff! Wondering where they get their writers from

[drewks]

Watching the Man Utd 3 WBA 5 game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Llxoa_E9TLw

This is `traditional` English football?  on par with anything in Europe easily, the talent on display with both sides is sublime, Mcqueen was about the UK most expensive players and one of the highest rated CB`s in Europe
Even as a Man Utd fan that is an awesome match to come second in!  Even after Robson left he had tremendous respect for WBA and particularly John Wile

Couple of days ago Football365 did a Heaven XI, Laurie didn't get mentioned or Johan Cryuff! Wondering where they get their writers from

Haven't watched for a while, but I remember LC, socks down and looking as casual as 'eck, gliding past Stewart Houston like he wasn't there, with the ball seemingly glued to his feet