MARIO LEMINA
managed Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson – West Brom’s Three Degrees – was among those who had gathered to pay their respects, as was Batson.
Other big names from West Brom’s past and friends of Regis, including Bryan Robson, Len Cantello, Viv Anderson, Andrew Cole and Ian Wright, were also pitch side before the game. So, too, was Jason Roberts, another ex-baggie and Regis’s nephew, who paid his own moving tribute.
They saw Hegazi put West Brom ahead from Chris Brunt’s corner but soon Southampton were the better side and they scored twice in the space of four minutes just before the interval.
The impressive Lemina drove home from 25 yards before Stephens’ clever WEST BROM SOUTHAMPTON back-header looped over Ben Foster for his third goal in three games.
Sofiane Boufal threw a strop when Ward-prowse refused to let him take a 20-yard free-kick after 55 minutes but did see the funny side in the celebration which followed his team-mate wrongfooting Foster.
Rondon’s goal from Ryan Bertrand’s cross went in off a shoulder, looping over Alex Mccarthy, but it couldn’t quite inspire a West Brom fightback.
Asked if his side felt an extra pressure to win given the emotions of the day, Pardew said: “I don’t think we’re going to lean on that. It was only a little bit in the warm-up.
“Our early goal affected us more – it made us defend it at times.”
New Zealand’s Martin Crowe and Andrew Jones set what was then a highest-ever Test partnership of 467 for the third wicket in a total of 671-4 v Sri Lanka. Crowe was out off the last ball of the day for 299.
Newcastle signed 18-year-old midfielder Jermaine Jenas from Nottingham Forest for £5million, then a British record fee for a teenager.