LET’S FINISH IT!
Move to complete Regis Three Degrees’ statue
Follow us on Twitter: @peoplesport A CROWDFUNDING page is being set up to complete a statue in tribute of the late Cyrille Regis that is currently lying in pieces on an east London factory floor.
Fundraisers have been left £38,000 short of their £220k target – meaning that a monument to the former West Brom striker with Baggies favourites Brendon Batson and Laurie Cunningham has been left gathering dust.
Collectively the trio were known as the ‘Three Degrees’ and a site was earmarked in West Bromwich town centre to honour them on the 40th anniversary of their finest hour together at Albion.
Regis, who died last Sunday, had given his blessing to the bronze cast and had even showed the clay model to Martin Luther King III – eldest son of the American civil rights leader.
But pledges have since dried up, so the clay cast has not yet been turned into bronze, although it has been broken up prior to moulding.
Sculptor Graham Ibbeson will take those parts and weld them together before unveiling the finished work. But that can only happen once the cash is f orthcoming on a project that has taken over five years so far.
The project has been given sharp focus after Regis, 59, died after a suspected heart attack.
Organiser Jim Cadman said: “There’s been a tremendous coming together of the football family to recognise the achievements of Cyrille, Laurie and Brendon in combating racism and to mark the unique place they hold in the hearts of West Brom supporters. I was devastated when I heard the news about Cyrille, and have read the vast majority of the tributes to him in the last few days.
“I’m not surprised there wasn’t one bad word in them – because he was one of the most genuine guys you could ever wish to meet. My heart goes out to his family, especially his wife Julia.
“Obviously, Cyrille was part of the project and he was firmly behind it.
Trailblazer
“I’ve been speaking to Brendon and I’m hoping we can now raise the remainder of the money that will see the statue erected.”
The Premier League saluted Big Cyrille’s special contribution to the game at yesterday’s matches, calling him a “trailblazer for black players”.
Black armbands were worn and there was a minute’s applause before each match kicked off.
Regis won five England caps and the FA intends to honour the forward’s memory during the next international break in March.