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Loved watching him at the Villa. Only 59 too, RIP
[paste from the closed / merged post]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42687285
I'm going to admit it - I grew up a privileged white kid in a little village and as a kid had no idea what these pioneers of british football faced on a daily basis. If I'm honest having never faced it i still don't, and it's only as i got older I came to even see it. Back then as a kid they were 'just' great footballers and (when i wasn't trying to stop them) I wanted to be able to head a ball like Cyrille Regis or tackle like Viv Anderson. In an era now when we are still getting players reported and clearly have further to go - how much worse would we be if people like Cyrille hadn't started to turn the tide with their ability and resilience.
It's not just WBA, or black footballers, or even football that should mourn today, it's all of our loss. Yeah, football is just a game, but sometimes it's so much more than that.
Great player. He used to be known as Cyrille fall down before scoring Regis in our house.
Had his autograph somewhere after he visited Catshill school!! He was a true great.
Great player and great example to others.
What Jonv said +1
Known as a football player but so much more than that.
Must have had some guts to play in the face of hatred and racist aggression.
Brave man.
There was a documentary a few years ago, with him and some of his contemporaries about the racism in football then, it beggars belief that was in my lifetime. I remember it being worse then than now, but the reality of how bad it was, was staggering. they even had an England black against white football match and thought that was progress.
I saw him score a goal against us(City)at Maine Rd in 1978 that was even better than the one above but in those days MOTD usually only covered 2 or 3 games so there's probably no footage.We had a corner and he waited just inside the centre circle near the half way line with two City defenders.The ball was crossed over and hoofed away high in the air by a WBA defender and was heading out for a City throwin at the Kippax side.He sprinted to the touchline and leapt about 5 feet into the air and brought the ball immaculately under control on his chest,turning in the air and wrong footing one City defender at the same time.He then pushed the ball forward and made a bee line for the box outpacing Kenny Clements( I think) before unleashing a thunderbolt shot like the one above.The whole ground was stunned by his individual brilliance. My most memorable moment in football.He was athletic,strong, quick ,skilful and good in the air.I really wanted us to sign him.Thirty years later I was lucky enough to meet him at a PFA sponsored art exhibiton in Manchester about black Britons but I was a bit worse for wear-free wine-and recounted the above story.He was most gracious.He has charming, handsome and immaculately dressed and my girlfriend was well and truly smitten.
My absolute favourite player when I was a kid. Very sad when I heard this today. Very sad.