As part of the Jason Roberts Foundation’s (JRF) Inspire to Achieve (I2A) Heritage Project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Cyrille Regis Legacy Cup and Fun day was held at Bridgestone Arena, in the heart of the Stonebridge Estate on the day of the UEFA Women’s Euros 2022 Final.
A big turnout from the local community were treated to an appearance from special guests Robert and Michelle – son and daughter of the late Brent hero and footballing icon, Cyrille Regis MBE.
The trip to Stonebridge brought back fond memories for Robert and Michelle as their time as children was split between homes in Birmingham where their father played for West Bromwich Albion, and Stonebridge in Brent.
Robert recalled he doesn’t remember the number of the flat they lived in as their door was “always open” and their home “was always full of people”. He remembered how he envied his cousin Jason (Roberts) as he had one grandparent living upstairs and another grandparent living downstairs and that seemed “unreal” to him, and the “honour (he) felt walking with my cousins to Rockies Chip Shop”.
Michelle said Stonebridge was where they got their grounding as children. They were taught to say, ‘good morning, good afternoon, or good evening’ – “never just hello” and how their father would be there waiting for them, with his cap on at a tilt on his head and his bent arms and chin resting on the balcony ledge. They both agreed they had “the best times” and loved returning to Stonebridge as there was such a feeling of community and everyone seemed to know each other.
The Foundation’s I2A Heritage project was inspired by the sporting legacies left by the Footballers who Paved the Way in the borough of Brent, and Cyrille Regis MBE ”became the talisman for breaking through the bigotry of a different era and encouraging diversity during his seven-year spell between 1977-1984.” Ref: https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2020/april/legend-days-cyrille-regis
Thanks to National Lottery players, local people attending the event enjoyed a host of activities including football matches, face painting for the children, interviews, and heritage awareness of the iconic footballers from the past that grace the borough and performed on the international stage.
Also in attendance was the Mayor of the London Borough of Brent, Councillor Abdi Aden and WBA Photographer Laurie Rampling who first snapped Robert aged 2 and he was reunited with the son of his great friend Cyrille.
As part of the Jason Roberts Foundation’s (JRF) Inspire to Achieve (I2A) Heritage Project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Cyrille Regis Legacy Cup and Fun day was held at Bridgestone Arena, in the heart of the Stonebridge Estate on the day of the UEFA Women’s Euros 2022 Final.
The event was supported by the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) with former player Riz Rehman attending alongside the JRF’s Inspire to Achieve Heritage project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Young Brent Foundation, and Connect Stars.
Former professional players, Zesh Rehman, Mikele Leigertwood, Colin Barnes, Jerome Thomas, Marcus Bean, Mark Stein, Edwin Stein, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Richard Langley, Justin Cochrane, DJ Campbell, Junior Lewis, and Phil Ifil all came together and delivered a number of sessions, looking at practical coaching and delivery, skill sharing, and personal history sessions to help educate people from the local community and surrounding areas.
The initiative which has taken several months to plan really did come Full Circle on the day of the event, with the name reflecting the individual journey of each of the players who attended, and their contribution on the day, helping to inspire future generations.
With the ongoing partnership between JRF and local Football & Sports Business University, UCFB, a small team of students who are studying different degree courses, are supporting JRF events such as the Full Circle initiative.
The students – Joshua Hall and Matt Jessup who are studying Football Business and Media, Daniel Marshall who is studying Multimedia Sports Journalism, and Alex Hardy who is studying Football Business and Broadcasting, used their collective skills on the day to interview players and other participants, and film and edit a video of the event for JRF. The experience and skills they demonstrated will be used as credits for their degree coursework.
Otis Roberts, CEO of the Foundation commented: “These players were, and still are, an integral part of the community. We felt that an initiative such as this really epitomizes the valuable contribution these individuals can offer, by sharing their stories – their upbringing, playing careers as well as their subsequent careers in football, and their knowledge and expertise. The event enabled participants to have a up close and personal experience and discover key elements of the game and associated careers that will help their development and understanding, allowing them to take their next individual step in the game.
Our first Full Circle event has been a huge success and something that we will certainly look to deliver again in the future.”
Due to the popularity of the event, JRF have organised some follow-on sessions where some participants will visit some of the coaches in their place of work helping to develop community partnerships and employment opportunities for young people.
Sunday the 12th of June saw several ex-professional and current footballers descend on the Bridgestone Arena turf to celebrate the achievements of former players that went before as part of the JRF’s Inspire to Achieve project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.
The 200 strong crowd were treated to a Festival of Sports with a host of special appearances including a team from East London which consisted of some well-known names including Henry Hughton and former Reading legend Michael Gilkes, alongside the Stein brothers, Dominican International Richard Paquette and Jefferson Louis and another footballing family – the trio of Grenadian international players Byron, Alvin and Bradley Bubb.
The colourful event brought out authentic stories of players reconnecting with their countries of heritage, recollections of the Windrush journey the players’ parents and grandparents experienced were shared, and memories of the journeys each of the players have lived through and the collective impact they have had on the modern game were told.
The memorable afternoon culminated in a celebration of flags, music, and reunion.
Algie who organised the East London team commented; “Today was inspirational in so many ways. Coming to Brent and seeing so many youngsters enjoy the day, and of course catching up with old friends. The reunion, reminiscing on our stories, and celebrating our past was sensational.”
On Wednesday 17th November JRF launched the new Inspire to Achieve Heritage project: Uncovering the Histories of the Footballers who Paved the Way in the borough of Brent including Paul Merson, Dave Beasant, Rachel Yankey, Richard Langley, the Stein brothers – Mark, Edwin and Brian Stein, Jason Roberts, Luther Blissett, Phillip Ifil, Jerel Ifil, Dale Banton, Dave Regis, Ricky Hill, Gary Waddock, Darren Currie, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Jerome Thomas, Junior Lewis, Eartha Pond, and the family of the late Cyrille Regis MBE.
The Inspire to Achieve Launch Event was held at Bridgestone Arena against the backdrop of the home of English football, the iconic Wembley Stadium.
Guests enjoyed hearing from Patricia Lichst, Engagement Manager for the National Lottery Heritage Fund, New PFA Chief Executive Maheta Molango, along with UCFB’s President of GIS Sharona Friedman, representatives from The Rise Trust, Brent Schools – who will represent a key link in the project, and Youth Ambassadors from JRF.
Thanks to National Lottery players, the exciting new project will uncover the untold stories of 18 footballers from Brent who paved the way for future sportspeople, and will produce exhibitions, talks, and memory cafes along the way.
An emotional Mark and Brian Stein paid tribute to their late father, while Jamaica international Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Eartha Pond, and Jerome Thomas hailed the need for such history to be uncovered.
Young people from Brent will benefit from the Inspire to Achieve project by honing their media, presenting, and production skills and will have the opportunity to meet and interview the former players as part of the collation of their oral histories.
Visits to the areas these former footballers lived, to the schools they attended when they were young, the parks and green spaces across the Borough where they may have first kicked a ball, and observing their views on the changes that have taken place through the regeneration of the area, will play a massive part in uncovering the authentic stories that will stay will us and be recorded and archived in our museums and libraries.
Otis Roberts, CEO of the Foundation commented, “JRF would like to thank the National Lottery Heritage Fund for believing in the project. Thanks to National Lottery players they have provided the opportunity for us to uncover these authentic stories from some of the unsung heroes of the game, some of whom arrived in Brent from distant shores and who achieved so much. These untold stories will be preserved for current and future generations, and we hope they too will be Inspired to Achieve their dreams and goals.”
He went on to say, “Brent is the home of Wembley Stadium which hosts major football matches, but the borough does not have a professional club in the area. It’s fitting that this project remembers and celebrates the players that paved the way for the likes of Raheem Sterling and Yannick Bolasie who were both raised in this wonderful borough.”
Teams competed for the Climate Cup, a free Football Tournament for 14 – 21-year-olds, and off the pitch they had the opportunity to learn more about climate change and the small, everyday things we can all do to try to try to halt it.
Climate change and environmental sustainability are subjects that the young people of Brent have shown a keen interest in. During the round-table discussions they demonstrated a good knowledge of the issues we all face in the fight to stop further damage to our planet, understanding the impact this would have on them and future generations.
During the evening refreshments were provided and prizes were given to some of the deserving competitors by Robert Regis, son of Cyrille Regis MBE.
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