Willie Cunningham (Northern Irish footballer)
Encyclopedia
William "Willie" E. Cunningham (20 February 1930 – 31 August 2007) was a former Northern Ireland
international footballer and manager.
Born in Antrim
, 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
. 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 the Northern Ireland national football team
, and was a member of their 1958 FIFA World Cup
team.
He died, aged 77, at the end of August 2007.
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
international footballer and manager.
Born in Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, he signed for St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
in 1950 and played there until 1954 when he left for Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. He joined Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
in 1960 and was a member of the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
-winning team which beat Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
2-0 in 1961. After retiring from playing, he went into management with Dunfermline Athletic and Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
. He returned to manage St. Mirren in 1972, but resigned in 1974 for personal reasons. Before leaving, he recommended Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
as his successor.
He played 30 matches for the Northern Ireland national football team
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
, and was a member of their 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
team.
He died, aged 77, at the end of August 2007.