All Roads Lead To Rovers
David Fearnhead speaks to Blackburn Rovers Ladies’ latest signing, Erica Cunningham, who comes from California. Image courtesy: Shannon McLoughlan
Sometime in September 1965 a young American was sitting at a railway station in Widnes. It could have been Warrington or Wigan. In this ‘tour of one-night stands’ it didn’t really matter. For every northern town looked the same to him, just more iron-brick factories and endless rows of Victorian terraced houses. His mind turned to home.
Though there was something about his current surroundings which resonated with him. The Greenwich Village folk crowd had been conspicuously disinterested in his music, but in England they listened. And in that moment of melancholy on the platform of some northern train station he found the lyrics to a tune he’d been working on.
Over a half-century later another young American is sitting in a Preston cafe hoping to realise her own aspirations. Erica Cunningham has come a long way to get here, logistically and emotionally. Her bright-eyed enthusiasm and gentle American accent offer a warmth that is in contrast with the ominous grey skies gathering outside. It will take more than Storm Eunice to knock her off course. Her resilience in forging a football career has required sacrifices few would be prepared to make.
“It’s been difficult being overseas and being away from my family because so much has happened. You miss birthday parties. You miss weddings. You miss everything, but they’ve been nothing but extremely strong and supportive because they know it’s an opportunity for me to go and do what I love whilst I can,” says the 28-year-old Californian.
There is no naivety here, and that becomes clear when her bright-eyes flash with sadness.
“Last autumn I lost my sister and then I lost my brother too. I wasn’t able to attend my sister’s funeral because I was in-season. I was going to go home, but my mom and dad were saying, ‘No, you stay over there and we’ll take care of everything here’. I love playing football and I love my family too, and they’ve helped me to stay over in Europe with their emotional support.”
Erica is from Sonoma County. It’s a patch of paradise north of San Francisco where California produces its famed wines. It’s no accident she’s come to Lancashire, though the fact she’s playing professional football might not have happened at all.
“I was burnt out in college and I quit playing. I was trying to figure out who I was without football in my life.”
An invitation to coach for two weeks at an international soccer school in Barcelona changed that. Whilst there she also heard a few former team mates from junior college were now playing professionally in Europe. Erica had been out of the game for three years, but something told her this was the right path. She returned to California and quit her job at a video gaming company. That great leap of faith paid off. After a successful trial she signed with Lugano, later transferring to Zurich. Life was good. Then changes in the rules to protect homegrown players meant she and many of her American teammates were denied visas.
“I had to come back home and wait on getting an Irish passport through family. It was hard because I felt like I was so on track with Zurich and then I got thrown back.”
Stuck back home with no club, and still no visa, she found a career lifeline to go to SC Sand in the German Bundesliga. Only to be thrown back again when they couldn’t obtain a visa for her either. Eventually whilst playing in Sweden her Irish passport arrived. It allowed her to complete the move she’s been wanting to make.
“I always knew I wanted to play in England. I think the style of play suits me. I love how seriously it [women’s football] is taken here. They are pouring investment into it and I want to be a part of that.”
Thanks to her father, she’s already clued up on her new club. “My Dad is a huge fan of English football, so I knew of Blackburn Rovers as it’s a very historic club. It’s been 10 years out of the Premier League and I’d love to see them get back. It would be great for the women’s team too as that success could trickle down.”
Blackburn Rovers Ladies competes in the second tier of Women’s Football in England and play their home games at Bamber Bridge.
“I’m excited to have Gemma [Donnelly] as my coach. She’s been very loyal to the club and I think that goes along with investing in her players and wanting to see them succeed. So, for me I’m enjoying it, and I’m learning about the new environment.”
Paul Simon returned to America in late 1965 and, with Art Garfunkel, became one of the biggest selling artists of all-time. Homeward Bound proved one of their most requested songs.
Erica Cunningham has no plans to head home anytime soon.
