Laurie Cumming
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Laurence "Laurie" Cumming (born 1907 in Derry, Ireland) was a former professional footballer and journalist, who played for Queens Park St George, Southampton, Alloa Athletic, Huddersfield Town, Oldham Athletic, Queen of the South & St Mirren. His position was Inside Right.
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[edit] Club Footballer
Inside Right Laurie Cumming's sand dancing, clever ball control and finishing ability made him a great attraction wherever he played. To quote one newspaper report: "His pirouetting, Charlie Chaplin swagger and complete control of the ball.... left us longing to see ten of his kind."[1]
Laurie Cumming signed in 1933 for Dumfries side Queen of the South for Queens' first ever season in the then top flight Scottish First Division. In their first-ever game in the top division Queens condemned Celtic to a 3 - 2 defeat (the first of many they would inflict on Celtic over the next 18 leagues seasons when played). Cumming scored 24 goals that season helping the club to a still best ever 4th place top division finish.[2]
Laurie Cumming was a member of the Queens team which toured France and Algiers at the end of 1935/36 season. Cumming scored regularly on the tour (including against Reims and Montpellier). The tour included competing in an 4 team invitational tournament in Algiers. Algiers side Racing Universitaire (for whom philosopher Albert Camus had played for their junior team) had already won both the North African Champions Cup and the North African Cup in the 30s (they would win each twice by the decade's end). Queens booked a place in the invitational tournament final with a 2 - 1 victory against them. In the final Queens faced a Racing de Santander side who had just finished 4th in Spain's La Liga. A 1 - 0 scoreline seen Queens victorious. The trophy can still be seen in the club museum today.[3]
On 30 January 1937 with Laurie Cumming playing, Queen of the South condemned Rangers to a 1 - 0 first round Scottish Cup exit.
Laurie Cumming was at Queens until March 1937 making 105 appearances and scoring 55 goals. Queens stayed in the top division throughout Cumming's stay at the club (as they would excluding war time interruption for most of the next 3 decades).
[edit] International footballer
Laurie Cumming was capped 3 times for 
Republic of Ireland[4]
| # | Year | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1929 |  Wales |
| 2 | 1929 |  Scotland |
| 3 | 1930 |  England |
[edit] Journalist
After hanging up his boots Cumming worked as a newspaper reporter. He wrote for the Daily Express, Scottish edition for many years. Cumming was a founder member of Scottish Football Writers' Association (SFWA).
To quote:-
"the names of the members who formed the first committee: Willie Allison (Sunday Mail), Laurie Cumming (Daily Express), Bill Heeps (Evening Dispatch), Tommy Muirhead (Daily Express), Andrew Wallace (Daily Mail) and Norman MacDonald (Press & Journal). Cyril Horne (Glasgow Herald) and James Aitken (Evening Citizen) assumed the roles of treasurer and secretary respectively."[5]
Laurie Cumming passed away in 1980.
[edit] References
- ^ The Queens - Season 1934-35 - W. Jardine.
- ^ Official Queen of the South Site
- ^ Official Queen of the South Site
- ^ Queen of the South FC forum from footymad.net
- ^ Taken from article in the Sunday Herald
- 99 Years & Counting - Stats & Stories - Huddersfield Town History
