Cyrille Regis: Britain's First Black Icon 40 Years On

Josh Schneider-Weiler
Aug 30, 2017
2 min read

Josh Schneider-Weiler and West Brom legend, Cyrille Regis

August 31st is the 40th Anniversary of ex-player Cyrille Regis making his debut against debut against Rotherham so I thought we talk about his incredible life story. In his 20 year career he famously played for West Brom, Coventry City, and Aston Villa. At West Brom, he was one of the first prominent black footballers in England and was part of the "Three Degrees" in the late 70's, along with black players Laurie Cunningham and Brendan Batson, becoming among the first iconic black teams ever. In 1987, he won the FA Cup with Coventry City and he has been an agent for nearly 20 years.

In 2008 Regis received a MBE from the queen for his services to sport and his work in the charity sector. This prestigious award is given to the most outstanding citizens, not just footballers.

In the interview I repeatedly refer to his autobiography, My Story, which I can honestly recommend and that if you want to learn more about him, you should check out.

In our conversation, Regis talks about: why his name actually isn't Cyrille, immigrating from French Guiana to the UK, the kind of racism he endured in the 70's and 80's and how he handled it and what he feels the current state of racism is in football, the death of his best friend Laurie Cunningham and how it changed his life, the difficulties of being a born-again Christian in football and traveling to China in the late 70s.

You can follow Regis on Twitter @cyrilleregis or learn about him on his website here.

Thank you Brotha CJ for the vocals.