//Laurie Cunningham in bespoke suit and tie of his own design aged 17, 1973. Photo courtesy Dermot Kavanagh//

I’m not a football fan; I loved playing when I was in my 20s and 30s and as a kid followed Liverpool FC avidly but my interests have long lain elsewhere.

But there is one football book that deserves publication in my view: Dermot Kavanagh’s Different Class, which explores the life and cultural significance of Laurie Cunningham, one of England’s first professional black soccer players.

//Another country. The cover story on Cunningham in The Sunday Times Magazine, March 1976//

Cunningham’s life was cut short at the age of 33 in 1989 by a car crash on the outskirts of Madrid.

By that time he had notched up a series of sporting firsts which resonated through the wider culture: a teenage signing to east London team Leyton Orient, Cunningham was the first black player to represent England (in 1977 as an under-21, scoring a winning goal against Scotland) and the first Englishman to play for Spanish giants Real Madrid (in 1979).

The subject of a mid-70s Sunday Times Magazine cover story, Cunningham was also an early example of the pop culture footballer, a north London soul boy interested in highly stylised personal presentation and fully engaged with London’s emerging club scene.

Born in inner-city Archway to Jamaican immigrant parents, like his hero Fred Astaire Cunningham delighted in dancing, winning cash prizes for his moves out on the floor, and was keen on bespoke tailoring (accessorised with hats and shoes bought in Camden Market). He was also subject to the sport’s endemic racism.

Kavanagh, who works for the Sunday Times, has dedicated himself to building awareness of Cunningham’s importance with a series of events over recent years, including exhibitions and youth initiatives in the areas where the footballer grew up.

Now Kavanagh is going the crowd-funding route for publication of his book Different Class: Fashion, Football & Funk – The Story Of Laurie Cunningham.

Having seen the synopsis and the impressive research material Kavanagh has gathered, including stunning and previously unpublished photography of Cunningham and his style-conscious crew, I’ve already pledged.

For those of us interested in British racial and social history, celebrity, street fashion, popular culture and soccer, Different Class looks to be a must-read.

Pledge here or click on the image below:

Tags: Dermot Kavanagh, Different Class, Laurie Cunningham, Leyton Orient, Real Madrid, Sunday Times Magazine