Cyrille Regis

[Filo]

Has died aged 59, a battering ram of a Centre Forward in his day

[since-1969]

How very sad a brilliant Player a legend at West Brom .

[RoversDave]

Sad news indeed. Was it Cyrille who played in the last game at Belle Vue?

[Campsall rover]

No he played for WBA

[One_Matty_Lucas]

Sad news indeed. Was it Cyrille who played in the last game at Belle Vue?

Yes it was, lovely gent. RIP.

[RoversDave]

Sad news indeed. Was it Cyrille who played in the last game at Belle Vue?

Yes it was, lovely gent. RIP.

No he played for WBA

Not the last League game CR, I'm referring  to the benefit game a few days later. He somehow appeared for the Rovers legends.

[Dr Fundlekrotch]

He played for the Legends because the game was organised by Paul Raven for his Father-in-law, Brian Makepeace, and Paul knew Cyrille from his long time spent at WBA

[Draytonian III]

Also played for WBA at Belle Vue in Willie Boyd's testimonial

[Campsall rover]

Sad news indeed. Was it Cyrille who played in the last game at Belle Vue?

Yes it was, lovely gent. RIP.

No he played for WBA

Not the last League game CR, I'm referring  to the benefit game a few days later. He somehow appeared for the Rovers legends.

Ok I forgot about the benefit game. I did think you were referring to the last league game against Nottingham Forest.
He also played for Coventry City and was a legend at both WBA and Coventry.
Finished his career at Chester played around 20 games for them including a League Cup tie against Arsenal before injury finished his career at the age of 38.
Heard that bit about Chester on Talk Sport this morning as I wasn’t aware he had played for them.
R.I.P Cyrille. One of the great strikers of the late 70’s early 80’s era. In fact probably one of the Best 2 or 3 British strikers at that time.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Great player. Lovely man. RIP.

[German Rover]

I remember him playing for Wycombe against the rovers at belle vue in the early 90s. A real gentleman

[roversdude]

Had the pleasure to meet him once lovely bloke who really had to battle through the world as it was then
RIP fella

[the vicar]

Very very sad news great strong no nonsense player, and an all round good guy

[essexrover]

Gutted to hear about Cyrille. He was one of those players who fans loved  to watch regardless of who you supported. RIP big fella 😢

[Chris Black come back]

He would have been 50 in that final league game!

Saying that, some of the team that day would have been less effective than Cyrille.

The big guy must have taken some verbal and physical shit in his day. Massive achievement to do what he did amidst all that.

[BigH]

Once heard an interview with him where he said that technical ability only amounted to 10-15% of what it took to be a professional footballer.

When you realise what he had to put up with in his career you realise why.

Unplayable on his day.

[drfchound]

Once heard an interview with him where he said that technical ability only amounted to 10-15% of what it took to be a professional footballer.

When you realise what he had to put up with in his career you realise why.

Unplayable on his day.

I bet that percentage has gone up in recent years though.
Not many players even did step overs back in Cyrilles days as a player let alone all the tricks that even lower league players are doing in the modern game.

[IDM]

I remember him playing for Wycombe against the rovers at belle vue in the early 90s. A real gentleman

I thought that too, but I think he played at Wycombe later..

My other memory of Regis was his "goal of the season" vs Norwich.  If I remember correctly, that was in the next round of the FA Cup after Norwich had beaten us..

[BigH]

Once heard an interview with him where he said that technical ability only amounted to 10-15% of what it took to be a professional footballer.

When you realise what he had to put up with in his career you realise why.

Unplayable on his day.

I bet that percentage has gone up in recent years though.
Not many players even did step overs back in Cyrilles days as a player let alone all the tricks that even lower league players are doing in the modern game.

It was in a modern day context Hound; he was saying it as an agent.

[Branton Rover]

He played in a very ugly era where black faces weren’t accepted & the hatred these players endured during their careers was nothing short of scandalous - other black footballers of that time had their careers blighted by hatred and racism in its bassist form - players like Clive Best at West Ham & Mark Walters at Villa - both these players were highly talented but their talent was high jacked by the bigotry of that particular time.

I met Cyril at Belle Vue and he was a gentleman, really nice and a pleasure to talk to - will be sadly missed by all in the game

[drfchound]

Once heard an interview with him where he said that technical ability only amounted to 10-15% of what it took to be a professional footballer.

When you realise what he had to put up with in his career you realise why.

Unplayable on his day.

I bet that percentage has gone up in recent years though.
Not many players even did step overs back in Cyrilles days as a player let alone all the tricks that even lower league players are doing in the modern game.

It was in a modern day context Hound; he was saying it as an agent.

Fair enough H, I didn’t know that.
It wasn’t clear from your previous post.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Gutted to hear about Cyrille. He was one of those players who fans loved  to watch regardless of who you supported. RIP big fella 😢

Agreed. He was a phenomen back in the late 70s and early 80s. Pace, power, goals. He had everything.

It’s hard now to remember what it must have been like for him back then when there were inadequates chanting “ain’t no black in the Union Jack” while he and Cunningham and Bateson were showing the way to the future.  I wonder how many times he’d have played for England if he’d been born 15 years later.

[Glyn_Wigley]

He played in a very ugly era where black faces weren’t accepted & the hatred these players endured during their careers was nothing short of scandalous - other black footballers of that time had their careers blighted by hatred and racism in its bassist form - players like Clive Best at West Ham & Mark Walters at Villa - both these players were highly talented but their talent was high jacked by the bigotry of that particular time.

I met Cyril at Belle Vue and he was a gentleman, really nice and a pleasure to talk to - will be sadly missed by all in the game

Unfortunately some people in these times - including some who use this forum - seem to think that any gay player who comes out should accept similar treatment as it's 'banter' and all part of football.

[Branton Rover]

Justin Fashanu faced hatred & bigotry on 2 fronts being a black footballer and openly gay too.

I remember all too well the vile abuse he received from the terraces at Belle Vue during the latter part of his career - thankfully as a society and on the terraces we have grown up, they will always be morons but I’d like to think that now we’d self police it and the idiots and bigots would be rooted out, reported and ultimately banned

[KiwiRover]

I too remember Fashanu getting some awful stick at BV.

If I'm honest, I was part of it.
In my defence I was little more than a child, copying the crowd at the time.
I wouldn't even contemplate joining in that (or pretty much any) kind of abuse anymore, and I'd be appalled at anyone who did.

Times, thankfully, move on.

Do you still get the "Gypo" chants for any player with slightly longer hair than normal? Or has that stopped now? I do hope so.

[drfchound]

The gypo chant is still alive and well mate.

[RedJ]

Robbie Savage is a gypo tbf.