by Paul Rees
Articles
Till Death Us Do Part and the BBC: Racial Politics and the British Working Classes 1965-1975 by Gavin Schaffer, Journal of Contemporary History, 2010
The Express & Star newspaper archives at the Wolverhampton Archives
The Birmingham Post and Evening Mail Archives at Birmingham Central Library
All Blacks article by John Edwards, Daily Mail, 23 August 2012
Guardian article on Tony Dyce’s conviction, 17 December 2010
The Forgotten Story of Willie Johnston, the Guardian, 23 December 2008
Laurie Cunningham article by Ed Aarons, the Independent, 4 March 2013
Brendon Batson interview by Martin Swain, Express & Star, 17 September 2010
Brendon Batson interview by Chris Lepkowski, Evening Mail, 7 December 2012
Interview with Carl Bridgewater’s parents, by Anuji Varma, Evening Mail, 7 September 2008
From Jail . . . to What?, by Seth Linder, the New Statesman, 28 February 1997
Television
Laurie Cunningham: First Among Equals, ITV documentary
Enoch Powell: Rivers of Blood, BBC TV documentary
Section 1
Laurie Boys Brigade team, copyright unknown, c/o Laurie Rampling, p 1
Brendon playing for Arsenal 1972, copyright unknown, c/o Laurie Rampling, p 1
Laurie in his gangster suit at Brisbane Road, copyright Daily Mail, p 1
Laurie and Cyrille soul mates, copyright Daily Mail, p 2
Big Ron signs Brendon, by Laurie Rampling, p 2
Regis goal vs. Forest, Laurie Rampling, p 2
Players in bath after Forest game, by Laurie Rampling, p 3
Laurie and MG car, copyright unknown, c/o Laurie Rampling, p 3
Laurie shirt-pulled at Derby, by Laurie Rampling, p 3
Regis goal vs. Man City, copyright County Press, p 4
1978 team squad, copyright Express & Star, p 4
Laurie and parents, by Bob Thomas, p 5
Laurie and Cyrille in dressing room after Valencia game, copyright Birmingham Mail, p 5
Laurie in action against Valencia at the Hawthorns, copyright Birmingham Mail, p 5
Laurie vs. Bristol City in the snow, by Laurie Rampling, p 6
Regis goal vs. Norwich, by Laurie Rampling, p 6
Laurie, Cyrille and Three Degrees night out, copyright unknown, c/o Laurie Rampling, p 7
Brendon with wife Cecily, by Laurie Rampling, p 7
Cyrille Young Player of the Year, copyright Sport & General, p 7
Cyrille headed goal vs. Manchester United, Laurie Rampling, p 8
Cyrille’s All Blacks team line-up, by Laurie Rampling, p 8
Section 2
Laurie playing for England, copyright unknown, c/o Laurie Rampling, p 1
Colour Cyrille vs. Manchester United in 5-3 game, copyright unknown, c/o Laurie Rampling, pg 1
Big Ron on Great Wall of China, Laurie Rampling private collection, p 2
Brendon, Laurie and others in China, Laurie Rampling private collection, p 2
Laurie with John Gordon, copyright unknown, c/o Laurie Rampling, p 3
Laurie colour Real Madrid strip, copyright Coloursport, p 3
Laurie and Nicky Brown at the Bernabeu, copyright Daily Mail, p 4
Laurie with Bryan Robson, copyright Daily Mail, p 4
Cyrille in Wolves strip, copyright ASP, p 5
Brendon outside the PFA, copyright PFA, p 6
Three Degrees statue night with Frank Skinner, by Laurie Rampling, p 6
Cyrille colour in his WBA pomp, by Laurie Rampling, p 7
Laurie pace and grace colour at WBA, copyright unknown, c/o Laurie Rampling, p 8
Laurie Cunningham already standing out as a 13-year-old in the Regent’s Park Junior League’s representative team.
The first black player to be selected for Arsenal’s first team, Brendon Batson in action for the Gunners against West Ham in 1972.
‘He wasn’t an archetypal footballer ...’: Cunningham in his finery at Leyton Orient, 1975.
‘He kept his distance until he warmed to someone ...’: Cunningham finds a soul-mate at West Bromwich Albion in Cyrille Regis.
‘Brendon thought he was Billy Big Time. We quickly agreed he wasn’t ...’: Batson becomes Ron Atkinson’s first signing at West Brom, February 1978.
Regis scores the decisive goal against Nottingham Forest that took West Brom into the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1978.
Regis and fellow goalscorer Mick Martin (left) toast the FA Cup quarterfinal victory over Brian Clough’s Forest.
Cunningham shows off his pride and joy – his MG car.
‘He was getting hacked to pieces ...’: Cunningham was often targeted for special treatment by defenders as is shown here against Derby County.
‘He was perhaps never again so much like a force of nature ...’: Regis’ stunning goal against Manchester City, 15 April 1978.
West Bromwich Albion’s first team squad, 1978. Back row (from left): Physio George Wright, Paddy Mulligan, Ally Robertson, Ally Brown, John Osborne, Mick Martin, Tony Godden, Cunningham, Batson, Regis, Atkinson. Front row: Bryan Robson, Tony Brown, Len Cantello, John Wile, Derek Statham, John Trewick, Willie Johnston.
Cunningham with his parents Mavis and Elias after a match at the Hawthorns. The champagne was courtesy of Ron Atkinson.
Cunningham, Regis and substitute Wayne Hughes after the UEFA Cup tie in Spain with Valencia which first put Cunningham on Real Madrid’s radar.
Cunningham in action during the victorious second leg of the UEFA Cup contest with Valencia at the Hawthorns, 6 December 1978.
‘He was so good he could run on snow without leaving footprints ...’: Cunningham torments Bristol City on New Year’s Day 1979.
Regis scores the goal against Norwich City that took West Brom to the top of the First Division, 13 January 1979.
Two-thirds of West Brom’s ‘Three Degrees’ enjoy a night out in Birmingham with their pop group namesakes. The missing Batson had ‘gotten embarrassed’ by the association. ‘It was just so contrived,’ he says.
Batson with ‘my rock’, his late wife Cecily.
Regis with the only trophy won at the end of the 1978/79 season – his PFA ‘Young Footballer of the Year’ award.
Regis in excelsis – scoring a winning goal against Manchester United, 5 May 1979.
Cyrille Regis’ ‘All Blacks’ team line up for Len Cantello’s testimonial game at the Hawthorns on 16 May 1979. ‘It was anything but divisive,’ said Batson.
‘Laurie was very much aware of the significance of playing for England. He loved his bacon sandwiches and roast dinner on a Sunday.’
‘At that moment in time, we were playing above the ground ...’: Regis puts Manchester United to the sword during Albion’s famous 5–3 victory at Old Trafford.
‘Aye, he was a flash bugger ...’: Ron Atkinson on the Great Wall of China, 1978.
Cunningham, Batson and team-mates on the ground-breaking but ill-starred ‘Friendship Tour’ of China. ‘Big Ron described those three weeks as the longest three years of his life.’
Cunningham and West Brom director John Gordon en route to negotiating his transfer to Real Madrid, summer 1979.
‘That’s all he ever wanted – the world ...’: Real Madrid’s star signing is paraded at the Bernabeu.
‘It was like living in a goldfish bowl ...’: Cunningham and girlfriend Nicky Brown’s relationship didn’t survive Madrid.
With ex-West Brom team-mate Bryan Robson at Manchester United in 1983 and at the beginning of his wanderings. ‘He’d changed. He wasn’t as flamboyant,’ says Robson.
Regis in the twilight of his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers, 1994: ‘I have no regrets. Some decisions I made were right, some were wrong, but that’s the way life is.’
Forced out of the game by injury, Batson went on to become Deputy Chief Executive of the PFA and one of the game’s most respected administrators.
Regis, Batson and c
omedian Frank Skinner launch the ‘Three Degrees’ Celebration Statue, July 2013. ‘The three of us in one team, it was iconic, it was radical. We changed the face of football.’
‘He realised your dreams for you ...’: Regis in his pomp at West Brom.
‘Pace and grace and control ...’: Laurie Cunningham as he is forever freeze-framed.