London: Cyrille Regis, a pioneer for black football players in England who endured racist abuse while forging a career with West Bromwich Albion and playing for England, has died. He was 59.
The death was announced on the Twitter accounts of the Professional Footballers’ Association and the West Brom Former Players’ Association, which said he died Sunday after a heart attack.
The PFA tweeted that Regis was “a true gentleman and legend, he will be deeply missed”.
Along with Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson, Regis was part of a trio of black players at West Brom nicknamed by manager Ron Atkinson as “The Three Degrees” — after an American singing group of three black women — at a time when English soccer was blighted by racism.
A statute of the trio called “The Celebration” was unveiled at West Brom four years ago. Regis told the BBC in 2013: “We were part of that first generation of black players in this country.”
He was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year in 1978. Regis made his England debut in 1982 and went on to make five appearances.
—AP
