Drum Magazine Issue 4 | Page 43

Drum: SPORTIVE 41

Who would be in your best ever Black English XI? Would
you favour the skills of David Rocastle in midfield over the
grit of ‘Crazy Legs’ Palmer?
LM: John Barnes
79 appearances; 11 goals

Scowly-faced former
Nottingham Forest and
Sheffield Wednesday stopper.

Shot to prominence as
arguably the most talented of
West Brom’s ‘Three Degrees’.

One of the most breathtakingly gifted players ever
to pull on an England shirt.

Walker had an unhappy ‘It was
like a foreign country’-style
interlude in Italy with Sampdoria,
but was an automatic choice for
England for 5 years. Played out of
position by the Italians, at leftback, he scowled so hard that he
ended up spending a fortnight on
the physio’s table with a selfinflicted facial injury. Perhaps.
Feted, in his prime, for his
lightning-quick pace, but now
best remembered for ‘switching
off’ against Holland in a 1993
World Cup qualifier. Marc
Overmars scored, England didn’t
go to the World Cup, no more
caps for Des.

Under the tutelage of Ron ‘lazy,
thick nigger’ Atkinson, Cunningham
became the first black player to
wear an England shirt when he
turned out for the Under-21 team
in 1977, going on to win 6 full
caps. Could mesmerise opponents
with his pace and tricks, and
earned himself a move to Real
Madrid in 1979. Never quite
fulfilled his potential in the Spanish
capital, and his career wound
down with spells at Man United,
Leicester City, and Wimbledon.
Cunningham died in a car crash
in Madrid on the morning of 15th
July, 1989, aged only 33. The
BBC did not report his death.

The scorer of perhaps the greatest
England goal of all time (against
Brazil in the Maracana). However,
was never able to reproduce his
best Liverpool form for his
country, and ended his England
career unfairly targeted as the
fans’ whipping boy. Had a bad
time as manager of Celtic, where
he presided over a cup deafeat to
Inverness Caledonian Thistle,
and had the misfortune of signing
an unknown Brazilian defender
by the name of Scheidt who was
shite. Can now be seen wearing
a permanent rabbit-in-theheadlights expression as Channel
Five’s terrified ‘face of football’.»

© Sporting Heroes Collection Ltd.

RM: Laurie Cunningham
6 appearances; 0 goals

© Sporting Heroes Collection Ltd.

CB: Des Walker
59 appearances; 0 goals