Football mourns Regis the trailblazer

TRIBUTES poured in yesterday for Cyrille Regis, the footballer who blazed a trail for black players in Britain.

The former forward, who made his name at West Brom in the 1980s and won the FA Cup with Coventry, has died aged 59.

Regis won five caps for England between 1982 and 1987, having starred in a West Brom side that also featured Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson.

The trio, nicknamed the Three Degrees, helped to break down barriers in an era when racism was rife.

While Regis was a powerhouse player, he was described as a gentleman off the field. Former manager Ron Atkinson said he was ‘not only the best centre-forward I ever worked with, he was an even better bloke than he was a player’.

Regis is survived by wife Julia and two children from his first marriage, along with three grandchildren. His widow said in a statement: ‘He was a role model for so many because he always treated everyone he met with kindness and respect.’ Born in French Guiana, Regis’s family moved to west London when he was five. He came late to professional football after being spotted in non-league games.

He was awarded an MBE in 2008 for services to charity and football.

Current West Brom chairman John Williams said: ‘Everyone will have their precious memories of him as a family man, as a crusader against bigotry – which can never be underestimated – and as a man who threw considerable energy into a series of worthy causes.’

FA chairman Greg Clarke said Regis paved the way for a generation of black players.