Cunningham: George P. (George)

1910-1913 (Leeds City Player Details)

Outside Right

Born: Belfast: Unknown

Debut: v Blackpool (a): 03-09-1910

5’7 1/2” 11st 0lb (1910)

There were great expectations for Cunningham when he joined City along with Shelbourne team-mates, Joe Enright and Mick Foley in May 1910, as he came together with rave reviews from the press. While at Shelbourne he had represented the Irish League in games against the Scottish League and the Football League and was widely tipped to gain full International honours. The Irish Sporting Illustrated forecast that he was "destined to attain greater fame". It went on: "He is ideally set up for a winger. A good turn of speed, a fine command of the ball, a gentlemanly player as well, he proves adept in outwitting an opponent. But it is his deadly accuracy in placing the ball in the centre that has brought him so prominently as one of our best." Unfortunately, while Enright and Foley went on to better things, Cunningham was a sad disappointment at Elland Road. He made his debut on the opening day, in a 1-2 home defeat to Blackpool on 3rd September 1910. He did little, but retained his place for the following game at Glossop, another defeat 1-2 on 10th September 1910; it was reported that "Foley and Cunningham were a very weak pair. Cunningham, though well served for the most part, did nothing whatever to justify his reputation." He was dropped for the next game and only played once more for City, on 7th January 1911 in the return fixture against Glossop at Elland Road, another defeat, this time by 0-2. He remained at Elland Road for another two seasons without figuring in the first team and moved on to Crewe Alexandra, then of the Central League, at the end of the 1912-13 season.