Frank Skinner look back at West Brom heroes

Hundreds of West Bromwich Albion supporters packed into Birmingham Town Hall last night to help raise money towards a lasting tribute to the club's pioneering black players. Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson became famous in the late 1970s at The Hawthorns, becoming known as The Three Degrees.

The sold-out show, hosted by the comic who was raised in Oldbury, helped raise funds towards a celebration statue depicting the trio to be erected in West Bromwich's New Square next summer.

Their teammates including Tony 'Bomber' Brown, John Wile, Ally Robertson and Willie Johnston and former boss 'Big' Ron Atkinson also joined in the nostalgia trip during the evening. Each was given a rapturous welcome during the two and a half hour show as they joined the comedian on stage to be interviewed.

Their chats were interspersed by classic clips of The Three Degrees and their teammates in the 1978-79 season when the Baggies finish third in the First Division and competed in Europe.

Highlight of the night was Regis and Batson joining Skinner on stage to talk about life at the height of their fame in a Baggies shirt. They told the story of how Atkinson invited the actual Three Degrees while they were in Birmingham to The Hawthorns to meet the players, posing in fur coats and Albion shirts.

Skinner said: "It was brilliant watching the whole team then but the three of them didn't just help change football but British society too."

It was a poignant look back as they discussed the racist abuse they encountered from the terraces at the time.

Batson, who was a towering defender in his heyday before taking a role with the Professional Footballers Association, said: "The great thing was there was never a problem in the dressing room."

It was also tinged with sadness over the passing of Cunningham who will be remembered when the statue is unveiled to mark the 25th anniversary since his death next July.