CYRILLE REGIS (1958-2018)
A flood of tributes has greeted the sad and shocking news that Cyrille Regis, the former West Brom and England striker, has died aged 59. Regis, who passed away following a cardiac arrest on Sunday, won the last of what should have been far more than five international caps in 1987, the year in which he also won the FA Cup with Coventry City. It was with Coventry and West Brom with whom Regis spent the lion’s share of a career that began with the striker earning £5-a-week at Surrey side Molesey to supplement the £20 he earned on building sites working as an apprentice electrician. Making sure to secure his ticket to work as a full-time “spark”, Regis promptly abandoned his trade to embark on a far more exciting one as a full-time professional footballer with Hayes, West Brom, Coventry, Aston Villa, Wolves, Wycombe and Chester City. His most prolific time as a striker was with West Brom, for whom he scored 112 goals in 297 appearances. He was awarded an MBE in 2008.
Born in the rural town of Maripasoula in French Guiana, Regis would have made his way through life known as Gilbert were it not for the forgetfulness of a family friend. Regis’s father, a gold prospector at the time, had intended for his son to be named Gilbert Cyrille Regis, but in what can only be described as a classic you-had-one-job moment, the pal who he tasked with registering his son’s birth on a visit to the Guianan capital of Cayenne came up one name short. Described by West Brom on Monday as “the iconic figurehead of the club’s legendary ‘Three Degrees’ team of the late 1970s” who “lit up the Hawthorns with his thrilling brand of forward play”, it seems scarcely credible that at one stage during Regis’s West Brom career, he and the other two degrees, Brendon Batson and Laurie Cunningham, were three of only four black footballers playing in the English top flight at the time. Nottingham Forest’s Viv Anderson was the fourth and as they went about their business, they were subjected to no end of unspeakable racist abuse from the terraces. Regis once received a bullet in the post, which he kept as a constant reminder not to let the banana-chucking bigots win.
“He also became one of the great symbols of the fight against racism in Britain as a pioneer for black footballers across this nation and beyond,” added West Brom in their warm tribute to a popular club servant whose outstanding qualities as a quite brilliant footballer were often overshadowed by his status as a dignified and more-than-willing role model for other black players trying to make their way in the game. Former Manchester United striker Andy “Andrew” Cole today described Regis as “my hero, my pioneer, the man behind the reason I wanted to play football”. Cole was just one of dozens of footballers, past and present, of every stripe and shade to pay tribute to a man many revered as a hero.
A lapsed Christian whose life derailed before he returned to religion following the death of his friend Cunningham in a car crash, Regis leaves two children, Robert and Michelle, behind from his first marriage and three grandchildren, Jayda, Renée and Riley. “Cyrille and I were soulmates, he was the perfect man for me and we had a wonderful life together,” said his widow, Julia. “He was a beautiful man and a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle. Losing him has turned my whole world upside down, it is a void that will never be filled.” Regis also leaves behind a treasure trove of memories – and younger readers who have never seen him in action ought to get a load of this.
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Party pooper Georginio Wijnaldum has said that, rather than utilise the angry swarm of bees tactics they used in beating Manchester City, Liverpool should learn to kill off games. “That is the biggest thing we have to change if we want to compete with teams like City,” he parped.
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Ambitious Paul Lambert has been given the Stoke job after Quique Sánchez Flores, Gary Rowett, Nerdish Genius Martin O’Neill, Granny Fiver and Wee Jimmy Krankie all turned down the chance to succeed Ailsa from Home and Away. “Paul has been successful in management at clubs with a strong and stable background and with local ownership,” parped vice-chief suit John Coates.
Perhaps after assuring the FAW that he will turn up for meaningless friendlies, Ryan Giggs has been appointed Wales manager. “I am so proud to have been given the honour of managing the national team,” cheered Giggs, who has signed a four-year deal. “I can’t wait to start working.”
League One’s bottom club, Bury, have bundled Chris Lucketti through the door marked Do One after 54 days. “The desire to keep the club in League One is paramount and with 57 points still to play for the board feel that this is still achievable,” sighed a Shakers suit.
It’s fair to say that Barcelona haven’t really got value for money out of £135m signing Ousmane Dembélé. The forward has played seven games, scored no goals and is out for another month with hamstring-twang. “The player has suffered a hamstring injury of the semitendinosus muscle,” blathered a medical bod
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STILL WANT MORE?
Cyrille Regis was a pioneer on the pitch and the leader of a generation. Richard Williams pays tribute to the former West Brom and England striker.
Ten talking points from the weekend’s Premier League action, including Arsenal hitting an all-time low under Arsène Wenger, why the hell Chelsea might be interested in big Andy Carroll and the Big Sam-effect wearing off at Everton.
Liverpool’s gegenpressing was so furious it turned Manchester City’s defence into soup, writes floating football brain a jar, without the soup reference.
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Son Heung-min’s star turn sums up Tottenham’s Wembley comforts, cheers Nick Ames.
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