Cyrille Regis MBE

When Cyrille Regis MBE passed away in 2018, a lifetime of talent and leadership was celebrated.

Tributes poured in from across the nation and beyond, sharing a common sentiment: That from the moment Cyrille made his professional debut in 1977, the game was never the same.

EARLY LIFE

Born in Maripasoula, French Guiana in 1958, Cyrille moved with his family to London in the 1960s, eventually settling in Stonebridge, Brent, just three miles from Wembley Stadium. It was a move that would later prove instrumental in linking the Caribbean diaspora to English football.

As a young boy, Cyrille attended Kensal Rise Primary School on Harvest Road alongside his younger brother, Dave Regis. A promising sportsman, it was cricket that captured Cyrille’s early enthusiasm, as was common in most Caribbean households at the time. It wasn’t until age 11, as a pupil at Cardinal Hinsley High School, that the scales tipped in favour of football. Cyrille didn’t come through the youth ranks of a professional club. Rather, he represented the Borough of Brent Boys’ Football Team, now known as the Brent Boys’ Football Association, and spent his Sundays playing at the Welsh Harp.

Career highlights

West Bromwich Albion’s Chief Scout, Ronnie Allen, spotted Cyrille playing for Hayes st 19 years old in the Isthmian League of Greater London. A deal was reached in may 1977 in which Cyrille signed with WBA for £5,000. From this point forward, his rise as a powerful striker and pioneer was utterly cinematic.

At WBA, Cyrille linked up with Laurie Cunningham and defender Brendan Batson, marking just the second time that three black players had featured in a First Division starting XI. Collectively, they shattered the prevalent stereotypes of the time — that black players couldn’t handle the physicality of the game or perform in colder weather. Cyrille scored 112 times in 297 appearances for WBA, before moving to Coventry where he won the FA Cup three years later, playing on home ground at Wembley Stadium.

With eligibility to represent both France and England on the international playing field, Cyrille selected his home country, making him only the third black England international when he debuted in 1982. He went on to receive five England caps in as many years, playing his final match at Wembley, in an emphatic 8-0 win over Turkey.

Rarely is a footballer remembered as fondly for their contributions on the pitch as they are for their social impact off of it. Cyrille is the exception. While his passing was premature, he lived to see his legacy; a new generation of black footballers, the rise of athletes as advocates, and football as a tool for inclusivity and community cohesion.