Cherry was born in Huddersfield. He played for Huddersfield Town, Leeds United and Bradford City. He made a total of 27 international caps for the England national team. He was the third England international to be shown a red card. He later managed Bradford City from 1982 to 1987. While he was manager, Valley Parade, Bradford's home ground, was the scene of a fire. 56 people died, with at least 265 injured.