Former England striker Cole and 1980s cult hero Cunningham will be on the pitch ahead of Newcastle’s Premier League game with Bournemouth as part of the Show Racism The Red Card campaign’s 30th anniversary.
The anti-racism campaign was launched thanks to a donation from former Newcastle keeper Shaka Hislop - himself part of the club’s ‘First Black XI’ who will be commemorated with specially-made flags around the ground ahead of Saturday’s game thanks to Wor Flags and the Newcastle United Supporters Trust. The heritage project also has additional support from the Professional Footballers’ Association and the Football Association.
Cole will be joined on the pitch by Cunningham, who is also honoured in the Magpies exhibition. He became the second black player to represent Newcastle and the first to sign permanently when he was signed by Jack Charlton in 1985.
He followed trailblazer Howard Gayle, who is also in Sunderland's 'First Black XI' and who made his debut on loan at Newcastle three years earlier. Gayle was also his home-town club Liverpool’s first black player.
Newcastle are the eighth club to acknowledge their black players through the ‘First Black XI’ initiative, joining Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Liverpool, Arsenal, Brentford, QPR and Derby County, plus the Lionesses. An exhibition featuring England men’s players is currently in the planning stages.
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Ged Grebby, Show Racism The Red Card founder and chief executive, said: “As part of our 30th anniversary, what better way to commemorate such a milestone, than by celebrating UK’s Black History in football?
“The ‘First 11 Black Players Exhibition’ highlights the achievements of the first eleven Black footballers to represent their clubs at senior level.
“From the early trailblazers who broke barriers, to more recent stars who have inspired on and off the pitch, this exhibition provides a look at how football’s history is intertwined with the wider narrative of diversity and inclusion.
“Newcastle are the eighth in a series of similar events with top English clubs, featuring 11 banners that showcase each player’s respective contribution to the club, whilst paying respects to their cultural roots.
“We are delighted Newcastle United are taking part in this exciting project and it is great to have the support of the club, Wor Flags and the Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust.”
Hislop came up with the idea to establish an organisation aimed at educating young people about racism when he was abused by a young group of Newcastle fans at a petrol station opposite St James’ Park.
Weeks later, after approaching Grebby - a Newcastle fan and then recognised as a leading anti-racism activist across European football - he held the first talk-in with pupils at a school in Gosforth.
In the 30 years since, the organisation have engaged with more than one million people and hundreds of high-profile footballers, managers and personalities have supported the educational workshops delivered to more than 50,000 individuals a years in schools, workplaces and events in football stadiums.