And Hyndman on Cunningham
October 21st, 2009 . 11:52 pm .
By: Buzz Carrick
You may have noticed the little blurb yesterday linking Reading FC to FCD’s Jeff Cunningham. These kinds of links pop up all the time in the soccer press. Sometimes they are real, sometimes it’s one party or another trying to stir the contract pot, occasionally it’s someone taking “I’m going to Greece [for vacation],” and making it a story about said player signing in Greece. Yes that one really happened. One of our intrepid contributors caught up with Cunningham. (Hey, it’s what we do.)
FYI, Jeff Carlisle quotes Hitchcock as saying Cunningham’s current contract “doesn’t end after this season.”
Catching up with Jeff Cunningham
Can you talk about the report on Reading being interested in you?
I don’t know anything about it. That’s news to me, man. I’d love an opportunity.
I feel like I’ve done well over the years and never really got a good shot or a fair shot. I never really got that opportunity. So I’d love to get a chance. If not, I’d like to play out my career here. I feel like I’ve done well with what I was given and where it started. I’d like to get a shot but if it doesn’t work out, I’d like an opportunity to finish it off here.
This is news to me. You’re really telling me something. I’ve never even been to England. I know where it is. Please Reading, I’d like to come here. I know I can bang in some goals for you guys. I’m not saying I don’t like Dallas. I like it here, but give me a shot. I’d love that opportunity.
Cunningham seems genuinely surprised by the info, but also quickly embraces the opportunity to sell himself. One can’t help but wonder if it’s real.
Catching up with Schellas Hyndman
Can you tell us about the Reading’s alleged interest in Jeff Cunningham?
I got a call from Jeff Carlisle. He mentioned it to me yesterday. I didn’t know anything about it. It wouldn’t surprise me because he’s doing so well. And it wouldn’t surprise me with Reading because they are desperately looking for a goal scorer. That’s the team that Jeff [Carlisle] mentioned to me. They’ve had relationships with American players in the past. So that’s all I really know.
What’s Cunningham’s contract status with FCD?
I think he’s still our property.
Do you think there’s a chance you could lose Cunningham this winter?
You never know. Just like Kenny [Cooper], we planned on keeping Kenny. But if it’s the right deal and something Jeff [Cunningham] wants, I know he just bought a house in the area. For him to get up and say, ‘I’m going to go to England for a year or two years,” that’s his choice. I can’t get involved in that, but I think we still have his rights.
So stay tuned.
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I think it would be great for Jeff if this could happen. I know the team would miss him but it is a chance to make some money before he retires in a few years.
We’d miss his goals, but I say go for it if you can. The man deserves it.
Duh, how would be get a work permit given he’s not in the Nat’s picture much does he have the 75% cap requirement. This is an impossible story. Very surprised Buzz & Charlisle didn’t pock holes in this one immediately.
Tony,
Jeff is also a Jamaican citizen….Jamaica is a former English Commonwealth…he might have a residency claim that would circumvent the Work Permit rules.
A close friend of mine is a soccer journalist that covers Reading FC for one of the local papers and he says he’s not heard anything about it. It aint happening.
Plus, having grown up 15 mins from Reading I konw that JC9 doesn’t want to be moving there. Dreary, cold, expensive and nothing to do
As opposed to Dallas which is flat, hot, expensive with nothing to do.
Compared to the South East of England Dallas is cheap as chips (fries). Apart from bloody healthcare – costs a fortune out here!
Tony,
As a Canadian and member fo the Commonwealth, i can say with utmost certainty, that unless Jeff has a grandparent born in the UK, he can’t get a work visa to play football without having made 75% of his available appearances for his national team. I don’t see him going to England any time soon.
Tex,
you also have to be a FIFA top 70 ranked country, where is Jamaca?
oh and how many caps does he have for jamaca?
Born in Jamaica, but has 10 US National Team caps, last time in ‘05.
US Nats FIFA ranked #11
Dreary cold and nothing to do? Whats that got to do with playing football at a higher level?
I signed up with these guys – http://www.liveustv.com
Best games are shown on Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta – got fed up with the lack of decent quality P2P streams that were ‘here today and gone tomorrow’. I can also watch the Saturday afternoon Premier League games not shown in the UK. I have a SlingCatcher, so I can watch the stream on my 37″LCD TV at a very watchable resolution. Keeps the wife and son quiet too, she gets all her Lost and Desperate Housewives long before they are shown here and he gets all his MLB and NFL games. Saves me forking out for an ESPN/NASN subscription!