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Willie E Cunningham
Date of Birth: 20-02-1930
Position: Full Back
Joined: 01-10-1960
Appearances: 105
Substitute Appearances:
Goals: 5
Nationality: Northern Irish
Previous Clubs: St Mirren, Leicester City,
Subsequent Clubs:
Died: 2007
Born at Mallusk, Northern Ireland,
Debut game against St Mirren. SL1
Last game against Aberdeen. SC
Born in Mallusk, County Antrim on 20th February 1930, Willie moved to Scotland as a teenager and played junior football at Ardrossan Winton Rovers, before St. Mirren signed him in October 1948.
He became a first-team regular and earned the first of thirty caps for Northern Ireland in March 1951. His defensive abilities attracted the attention of Leicester City, who signed him in December 1954 for a fee of £4,750. He made 127 league appearances for Leicester scoring four goals between 1954 and 1959.
He stayed there until he was signed by Jock Stein in September 1960 for £1,850. Willie made 105 appearances for the Pars, scoring 5 goals. He made his first team debut in September 1960, against Stirling Albion in a Penman Cup tie.
Signed as a replacement for Harry Colville, Willie played in both the right and left full back positions, and in the home Inter City Fairs Cup tie against Everton, Jock Stein deployed Willie in the sweepers role. This was possibly the first time that a sweeper had been used in British football.
He made his international debut for Northern Ireland against Wales in 1951. Whilst at East End Park, Willie was awarded three of the thirty Northern Ireland caps he gained during his career.
As a result of recurring injuries, he gave up playing at the end of season 63/64, and when Jock Stein left Dunfermline to manage Hibs, Willie Cunningham was seen as his natural successor. He was manager for three years until 1967, leading the club to their most successful season in 1964/1965, when Dunfermline reached the Scottish Cup final, the Quarter Final of the League Cup and finished third in Division One, having missed out on the championship by just one point.
Willie played in 7 of the 8 1961 Scottish cup ties, only missing out on the Quarter Final against Alloa.
When injury ended his career he stayed with the club as coach, then as manager where he enjoyed considerable success. Manager of Dunfermline Athletic after Jock Stein, he also managed Falkirk and had the distinction of being offered the Scottish International team manager`s post.
In season 1964-1965 his Dunfermline side reached the quarter final of the League Cup, the final of the Scottish Cup and finished third in the League with 49 points, only one point behind the eventual champions Kilmarnock.
Although the team had suffered the disappointment of losing the Scottish Cup Final 3-2 to Celtic and being pipped by one point for the League Championship, it had still been the club`s most successful season on record.
Willie Cunningham continued to manage the side until 1967 when he initially retired from the game for a period following ill health and apparent disillusionment with football. He returned, however, two years later to manage Falkirk for a period. A measure of his success was reflected in the approach made to him to manage the Scottish side, the only non Scot to have been asked to do so.
His final act in Scottish football was to take over the managerial reins of his old club St Mirren in 1972. He remained at Paisley for two years but, unable to see them escape the Second Division, he made way for a man embarking on his managerial career, Alex Ferguson. He has always lived with his family in Dunfermline and more recently fans were accustomed to seeing him as manager of the Intersport Shop in town.
His time at Dunfermline as both player and manager coincided with one of the most successful periods in the club`s history and his contribution to that is fondly remembered by all who have Dunfermline`s interests at heart.
Position: Full Back
Joined: 01-10-1960
Appearances: 105
Substitute Appearances:
Goals: 5
Nationality: Northern Irish
Previous Clubs: St Mirren, Leicester City,
Subsequent Clubs:
Died: 2007
Born at Mallusk, Northern Ireland,
Debut game against St Mirren. SL1
Last game against Aberdeen. SC
Born in Mallusk, County Antrim on 20th February 1930, Willie moved to Scotland as a teenager and played junior football at Ardrossan Winton Rovers, before St. Mirren signed him in October 1948.
He became a first-team regular and earned the first of thirty caps for Northern Ireland in March 1951. His defensive abilities attracted the attention of Leicester City, who signed him in December 1954 for a fee of £4,750. He made 127 league appearances for Leicester scoring four goals between 1954 and 1959.
He stayed there until he was signed by Jock Stein in September 1960 for £1,850. Willie made 105 appearances for the Pars, scoring 5 goals. He made his first team debut in September 1960, against Stirling Albion in a Penman Cup tie.
Signed as a replacement for Harry Colville, Willie played in both the right and left full back positions, and in the home Inter City Fairs Cup tie against Everton, Jock Stein deployed Willie in the sweepers role. This was possibly the first time that a sweeper had been used in British football.
He made his international debut for Northern Ireland against Wales in 1951. Whilst at East End Park, Willie was awarded three of the thirty Northern Ireland caps he gained during his career.
As a result of recurring injuries, he gave up playing at the end of season 63/64, and when Jock Stein left Dunfermline to manage Hibs, Willie Cunningham was seen as his natural successor. He was manager for three years until 1967, leading the club to their most successful season in 1964/1965, when Dunfermline reached the Scottish Cup final, the Quarter Final of the League Cup and finished third in Division One, having missed out on the championship by just one point.
Willie played in 7 of the 8 1961 Scottish cup ties, only missing out on the Quarter Final against Alloa.
When injury ended his career he stayed with the club as coach, then as manager where he enjoyed considerable success. Manager of Dunfermline Athletic after Jock Stein, he also managed Falkirk and had the distinction of being offered the Scottish International team manager`s post.
In season 1964-1965 his Dunfermline side reached the quarter final of the League Cup, the final of the Scottish Cup and finished third in the League with 49 points, only one point behind the eventual champions Kilmarnock.
Although the team had suffered the disappointment of losing the Scottish Cup Final 3-2 to Celtic and being pipped by one point for the League Championship, it had still been the club`s most successful season on record.
Willie Cunningham continued to manage the side until 1967 when he initially retired from the game for a period following ill health and apparent disillusionment with football. He returned, however, two years later to manage Falkirk for a period. A measure of his success was reflected in the approach made to him to manage the Scottish side, the only non Scot to have been asked to do so.
His final act in Scottish football was to take over the managerial reins of his old club St Mirren in 1972. He remained at Paisley for two years but, unable to see them escape the Second Division, he made way for a man embarking on his managerial career, Alex Ferguson. He has always lived with his family in Dunfermline and more recently fans were accustomed to seeing him as manager of the Intersport Shop in town.
His time at Dunfermline as both player and manager coincided with one of the most successful periods in the club`s history and his contribution to that is fondly remembered by all who have Dunfermline`s interests at heart.
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