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Life of Cyrille Regis to be honoured at Premier League matches

His best mate says he probably wouldn't have wanted it, but the life and times of the former striker Cyrille Regis will be honoured over the 24th round of Premier League games with one minute of applause before matches. Players will also wear black armbands.

There will be one minute of applause before every Premier League match over the weekend to honour the life of the former player Cyrille Regis who died at the age of 59.
There will be one minute of applause before every Premier League match over the weekend to honour the life of the former player Cyrille Regis who died at the age of 59. Reuters/Action Images
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The Premier League announced the accolade for Regis on Friday following five days of tributes from the world of football and race equality campaigners.

Regis died of a heart attack on 14 January at the age of 59. During his career he turned out for West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"Being quite a modest man, he wouldn't want all this, you know," Dave Bennett, who played with Regis at Coventry City and was his friend for more than 30 years, told RFI. "He'd take a little bit of it but he wouldn't want all this fuss about him.

"He would have said: 'Alright, yeah, yeah and right, let's go home now.' That's the measure of the man. It would have been: 'Let's go home now. It's finished. It's done.'

Racist abuse

"The Premier League recognises the important career of Cyrille Regis and his special role as a trailblazer for black players in modern English football," the Premier League said in a statement.

"The League embraces requests from clubs and stakeholders to celebrate the lives of people who have made a unique contribution to the sport."

Regis certainly did that. He came to prominence as the focal point of a West Bromwich Albion side managed by Ron Atkinson. Along with the black defender Brendon Batson and the black winger Laurie Cunningham, the trio were regular starters in a team that challenged for major domestic honours.

They faced frequent racist abuse from opposing fans at a time when insults and barbs were deemed acceptable by the footballing authorities.

Regis scored 112 goals in 297 appearances for West Bromwich Albion before moving on to Coventry where he won the FA Cup in 1987.

"Magnificent gentleman"

It was while he was at Coventry that he cemented his friendship with Bennett.

"I knew of Cyrille because he was at West Brom," Bennett remembers. "But when he came to Coventry the bond grew. I played up front with him during that run to the FA Cup. It was brilliant winning the FA Cup, scoring in the final and winning it with your best mate."

Bennett added: "He deserves respect and he deserves the accolades that he is going to get because he was a magnificent man, a magnificent gentleman and a brilliant friend to me."

Regis was born in French Guiana in February 1958 but moved to London with his family at the age of five. He was spotted playing Sunday morning football in Regent's Park in London by the chairman of the non-league club Hayes.

Trained as electrician

He trained as an electrician and was playing for Hayes when he attracted the attention of the West Brom scout Ronnie Allen, a former England striker. The West Midlands club dithered until Allen famously offered to put up his own money to sign the teenager.

Allen's faith was repaid when the 19-year-old scored twice on his debut in the League Cup in August 1977. A few days later he made his league debut in a 2–1 victory over Middlesbrough. The youngster's first league goal would become his trademark.

He picked up ball at the halfway line, sped to the penalty area before unleashing a right-foot drive. In all there would be 158 goals in 614 senior appearances.

Five caps for England also followed.

"The way Cyrille Regis conducted himself on the pitch and in his post-playing career as a campaigner and role model, had a hugely positive impact on English football," Premier League chief Richard Scudamore said. "Everyone involved in the game owes him a debt of gratitude."

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