Comment: I was privileged to be there the night a star was born

In August 1977, a raw young striker had been signed by West Bromwich Albion from a non-league side on the recommendation of another Albion legend, Ronnie Allen, who, it is said, was prepared to stump up the signing on cash, so confident was he of the ability of this powerful young player.

Cyrille Regis was raw, built like a boxer had the speed of a sprinter and could leap like a salmon. He was also black, joining that other Albion legend Laurie Cunningham and soon to join Brendon Batson, who became pioneers for a black footballing revolution and would forever be known as The Three Degrees.

But could Cyrille make the leap from non-league to the then First Division? Yes he could with two goals and a rapport with the crowd that made him an instant hero.

It was more than 40 years ago and Albion fans flocked to a midweek second-round League Cup tie against Rotherham in the days when the League Cup still really meant something. I was among a group of youngish Baggies fans, looking for a good cup run with a side which was still very much a work in progress.

A side which had recently won promotion under the guidance of Johnny Giles was coming together with a combination of old heads and younger blood, notably in the form of fellow star Cunningham. So expectations were high, but when Cyrille was named in the line-up, most fans were unaware of this new kid on the block. Not for long, however. The centre-backs from the third tier side also got to know him up close and personal, and had a torrid time against his power, blistering pace and will to win.

We warmed to him instantly, even though his rawness meant first-half chances were spurned. That all changed in the second half when he scored the first of what would be many goals for the Baggies. The crowd went wild and later in the match when we were awarded penalty, the crowd, almost to a man, woman and child were chanting ‘Cyrille, Cyrille’ for him to take the spot-kick. He duly dispatched it to round off a comfortable 4-0 victory.

The Hawthorns had a new star and he was lauded off the pitch as a new hero. He followed this up with a wonder goal in the next league game and the transformation from non-league novice to superstar striker was under way. The rest, as they say, is history. But that work in progress became a work of art in footballing terms. When Giles left, Ronnie Allen took over the reins before Ron Atkinson took the helm and finally polished a team into potential champions.

When Atkinson signed Batson in 1978, it was like the final piece of a jigsaw. The team now featured talents such as John Wile and Alistair Robertson, the mercurial talent of Willie Johnston, England legend Bryan Robson, goalscoring hero Tony Brown and the best left-back I have ever seen, Derek Statham.

Add to this the sublime skills of Cunningham and the now formidable Regis and it was a team that should have won the title.

It looked promising when they sat the the top of the league in 1978, but a winter freeze saw games cancelled for weeks, and their form dipped when they saw action again, finally finishing third behind Liverpool.

Regis was prolific during this period notably starring with Cunningham in a memorable 5-3 away victory at Manchester United.

Having met the big man in later years, I found him to be a true gentleman who always had time for the fans. Many a centre-back would wish he had showed them this gentle side.

RIP Cyrille, a true footballing legend. I was privileged to watch his first game at The Hawthorns.