Dan Cunliffe
Encyclopedia
Daniel "Dan" Cunliffe was an English footballer who had a rather nomadic career in which he played as an inside forward
for several clubs, including Liverpool
as well as making one appearance for England
in 1900.
and played for several Lancashire clubs, including Little Lever, Middleton Borough and Oldham County before joining First Division
Liverpool
in 1897.
He made 14 First Division appearances for Liverpool during the 1897–98 season, scoring five times, including two against Stoke at Anfield
on 9 October 1897. Numerous changes were made to the club's forward-line during that season and Cunliffe only featured three times during the second-half of the season. He also played in four FA Cup
ties for Liverpool, scoring the winner in their 2–1 second round replay with Newton Heath
on 16 February 1898.
Cunliffe spent the 1898–99 season with New Brighton Tower
in the Second Division
. He made thirty league appearances, scoring 15 goals in a forward line which included former England international Alf Milward
.
In the summer of 1899, he joined Portsmouth
who had been founded a year earlier and were elected as members of an expanded Southern League
for the 1899–00 season. Cunliffe made his Fratton Park
debut on 6 September 1899 in a friendly match against local rivals
Southampton
, when he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 victory. Cunliffe scored again in the first Southern League derby
match against Southampton at The Dell on 14 April 1900 as Pompey ended their inaugural professional season
as runners-up. He also scored Portsmouth's first goal in the FA Cup
proper in a 1–1 draw with Blackburn Rovers
on 1 February 1900; Portsmouth lost the replay 5–0.
Cunliffe's form earned him selection for England
against Ireland in 1900. For the match, played at Lansdowne Road
, Dublin on 17 March 1900, the England team were confidently expecting an easy match after five successive victories, including winning 13–2 the previous year. The England selectors chose five debutantes, including Cunliffe, who made his solitary England appearance at inside right, with his Portsmouth team-mate Matt Reilly
in goal for the Irish. In the event, the game was far more difficult than expected, with England only managing a 2–0 victory, with goals from Charlie Sagar and Harry Johnson
, who were also both making their international debut.
For the next season, Cunliffe returned to New Brighton Tower, where he made a further 28 league appearances with nine goals. He scored all three goals in an FA Cup intermediate round match at Port Vale
on 5 January 1901. Despite finishing fourth in the league, the cost of maintaining a professional football club became too high for the Tower's
owners, and the club was disbanded in the summer of 1901.
Following the folding of the New Tower club, Cunliffe returned to Portsmouth for the 1901–02 season
, in which he helped the south coast team take the Southern League title for the first time, by a margin of five points over Tottenham Hotspur
, as well as retaining their Western League
title.
Cunliffe remained at Portsmouth until May 1906, when he signed for New Brompton. He spent one season with the Kent
-based club, finishing as top scorer with 15 goals, before moving on. He later played for Millwall Athletic and Heywood
before finishing his career at Rochdale in 1914.
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
for several clubs, including Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
as well as making one appearance for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in 1900.
Career
Cunliffe was born in BoltonBolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
and played for several Lancashire clubs, including Little Lever, Middleton Borough and Oldham County before joining First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in 1897.
He made 14 First Division appearances for Liverpool during the 1897–98 season, scoring five times, including two against Stoke at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
on 9 October 1897. Numerous changes were made to the club's forward-line during that season and Cunliffe only featured three times during the second-half of the season. He also played in four FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
ties for Liverpool, scoring the winner in their 2–1 second round replay with Newton Heath
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 16 February 1898.
Cunliffe spent the 1898–99 season with New Brighton Tower
New Brighton Tower F.C.
New Brighton Tower F.C. was a short-lived English football club based in New Brighton, Merseyside. Established in 1896, the club spent three seasons in the Football League before folding in 1901. They played at the 80,000-capacity Tower Athletic Grounds....
in the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. He made thirty league appearances, scoring 15 goals in a forward line which included former England international Alf Milward
Alf Milward
Alfred Weatherell Milward was a professional footballer who played in the 1893 and 1897 FA Cup Finals for Everton and in the 1900 FA Cup Final for Southampton.-Playing career:...
.
In the summer of 1899, he joined Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
who had been founded a year earlier and were elected as members of an expanded Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
for the 1899–00 season. Cunliffe made his Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
debut on 6 September 1899 in a friendly match against local rivals
South Coast derby
The South Coast Derby, or Hampshire Derby, are terms used to describe football matches played between Portsmouth Football Club and Southampton Football Club.The two clubs are the largest on the southern coast of England, and lie only 17 miles apart...
Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, when he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 victory. Cunliffe scored again in the first Southern League derby
Local derby
In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby means a sporting fixture between two, generally local, rivals, particularly in association football...
match against Southampton at The Dell on 14 April 1900 as Pompey ended their inaugural professional season
Southern Football League 1899-00
The 1898-99 season was the fifth in the history of the Southern League. Tottenham Hotspur were Division One champions, but no Southern League clubs applied for election to the Football League.-Division One:Division One featured four new clubs:...
as runners-up. He also scored Portsmouth's first goal in the FA Cup
FA Cup 1899–1900
The FA Cup 1899–1900 was the 29th staging of the world's oldest association football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup , and the last to be held fully in the 19th Century...
proper in a 1–1 draw with Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
on 1 February 1900; Portsmouth lost the replay 5–0.
Cunliffe's form earned him selection for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
against Ireland in 1900. For the match, played at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
, Dublin on 17 March 1900, the England team were confidently expecting an easy match after five successive victories, including winning 13–2 the previous year. The England selectors chose five debutantes, including Cunliffe, who made his solitary England appearance at inside right, with his Portsmouth team-mate Matt Reilly
Matt Reilly (footballer)
Matthew Michael "Matt" Reilly was an Irish international goalkeeper who played most of his career with Portsmouth in the Southern League. He also had spells with Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur in the Southern League, with Notts County in the Football League, with Dundee in the Scottish Football...
in goal for the Irish. In the event, the game was far more difficult than expected, with England only managing a 2–0 victory, with goals from Charlie Sagar and Harry Johnson
Harry Johnson (footballer born 1876)
William Harrison Johnson was an English professional footballer. His son, of the same name, also became a renowned footballer for the Blades.-Club career:Johnson played for Ecclesfield Church before joining Sheffield United....
, who were also both making their international debut.
For the next season, Cunliffe returned to New Brighton Tower, where he made a further 28 league appearances with nine goals. He scored all three goals in an FA Cup intermediate round match at Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
on 5 January 1901. Despite finishing fourth in the league, the cost of maintaining a professional football club became too high for the Tower's
New Brighton Tower
New Brighton Tower was a lattice-steel observation tower at New Brighton on the Wirral Peninsula in England. The 1,000 tonne tower, which stood at high, became the tallest building in Great Britain when it opened in 1900...
owners, and the club was disbanded in the summer of 1901.
Following the folding of the New Tower club, Cunliffe returned to Portsmouth for the 1901–02 season
Southern Football League 1901-02
The 1901-02 season was the eighth in the history of the Southern League. Portsmouth were Division One champions for the first time. No clubs applied for election to the Football League.-Division One:Division One featured three new clubs:...
, in which he helped the south coast team take the Southern League title for the first time, by a margin of five points over Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, as well as retaining their Western League
Western Football League
The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales...
title.
Cunliffe remained at Portsmouth until May 1906, when he signed for New Brompton. He spent one season with the Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
-based club, finishing as top scorer with 15 goals, before moving on. He later played for Millwall Athletic and Heywood
Heywood F.C.
Heywood F.C. was an English association football club based in Heywood, Lancashire. The club was a founder member of the Lancashire League in 1889. In the 1891–92 season, Heywood made their first appearance in the FA Cup, reaching the Second Qualifying Round. They left the Lancashire League in 1892...
before finishing his career at Rochdale in 1914.
Honours
PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
- Southern LeagueSouthern Football LeagueThe Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
champions: 1901–02Southern Football League 1901-02The 1901-02 season was the eighth in the history of the Southern League. Portsmouth were Division One champions for the first time. No clubs applied for election to the Football League.-Division One:Division One featured three new clubs:...