Cunningham Joey Image 1 Queen’s Park Rangers 1930

Description

Lochee, Dundee born goalkeeper Joel “Joey” Cunningham began his football career with Dundee Logie and Lochee United from where he signed for Scottish League club Aberdeen as understudy to Harry Blackwell in October 1923, making his Scottish League debut at Hibernian in November 1924 when Blackwell had flu, but this proved his only appearance fir The Dons before he joined Third Division (South) club Newport County in the 1925 close season. Understudy at Somerton Park to Jimmy Maidment, he made his Football League debut against Southend United in November 1925 and played the following week in a defeat at Plymouth Argyle, the only matches Maidment missed that season, and he again moved on at the end of the season, joining Queen’s Park Rangers in June 1926.

Initially understudy to ex Leicester City goalkeeper George Hebden, he broke into the team at the end of October and from March 1927 he was Rangers’ principal goalkeeper until he lost his place to Tommy Pickett in March 1931 and kept goal as Rangers finished third in the Third Division (South) in 1929-30, to that time their best League finish. With Pickett established, Cunningham played only 8 more matches in 1931-32 before moving to Walsall in May 1932 after 174 appearances for Queen’s Park Rangers, and he was an ever present in The Saddlers’ 1932-33 campaign as they finished fifth in the Third Division (South) before losing the gloves to Peter McSevich after 6 matches in September 1933, making only one more appearance for The Saddlers before joining York City in August 1934 after 53 matches for Walsall.

Cunningham was an ever present in The Minstermen’s 1934-35 campaign making 48 appearances but it proved his final season in League football, with Southern League club Dartford in 1935. With Cunningham in goal Dartford gained a reputation nationally by becoming the first club outside the Football League to reach the FA Cup Third Round Proper in successive seasons. In 1935-36 Dartford lost 3-2 to a star-studded Derby County (then second in the First Division) at The Baseball Ground having at one time led by 2-0. The following season saw Dartford lose 1-0 at home to Darlington at the same stage although by then Cunningham had been supplanted by former Watford, West Ham United and Swindon Town goalkeeper Jack Rutherford. He joined Folkestone in 1937 but returned to Dartford in 1938 before his career was ended by the outbreak of the Second World War.