Desc: First Among Equals: The Laurie Cunningham Story: Directed by Ben Turner. With Brendon Batson, Laurie Cunningham, Cyrille Regis. The remarkable career of the footballer who became the first Englishman to transfer to Real Madrid and the first black player to represent England in a competitive match. Cunningham inspired a generation of black youngsters before his untimely death at the age of 33 in 1989.