Today brings with it the sad news of the death of Former England footballer Cyrille Regis, who was a sports icon that changed the face of the game by paving his way in the field as a leading black footballer in his era.
The inspirational sports figure was a successful star back in the 70s and 80s because he acted as a pioneer for black footballers in Britain at this time where racial equality was still being unjustifiably challenged.
Cyrille was subjected to racial abuse by opposing fans on several occasions but he continued with drive and determination, playing alongside Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson during his time at the Hawthorns and getting his name acknowledged for his talents.
The ambitious and hard-working footballer was the third black player to be capped by England, following in the footsteps of Viv Anderson and Laurie Cunningham. In 2008 he was awarded an MBE, and then his career saw him be appointed as West Brom coach and football agent.
In his football career he made a total of 297 appearances for West Brom before joining Coventry, Aston Villa, Wolves, Wycombe and Chester. During this time the legendary sports star scored 112 goals whilst also of course paving the way for black footballers to be taken seriously and treated fairly in the game.
The former England forward has died from a suspected heart attack aged 59, but his memory and iconic status will live on in history.
> Hannah Montgomery
