WATCH: Fitting send off as thousands turn out to celebrate Cyrille's life

By the end, it was clear there was much to celebrate.

Cyrille Regis will be remembered as a footballing icon, but even though he transcended the sport and broke down racial barriers, it became clear today that that was only one part of a rich and varied life.

Family, faith, and football were the three central tenets of Regis the man and all three were recognised in equal measure at The Hawthorns.

The day started early, and it was a crisp morning, but the cold did not deter fans from turning out.

Shortly after the sun rose they started gathering outside the East Stand, before unfurling a banner that read 'There's only one Cyrille Regis' made especially for the game at Goodison Park immediately after his passing.

Splashes of the iconic yellow and green that Cyrille has become synonymous with lit up the crowds in dark suits and coats, and it was an apt tribute to a man who brought so much colour into the lives of so many.

But there was also a sprinkling of claret and blue and the odd hint of sky blue which served as a reminder that this son of Albion was loved all over the West Midlands.

The celebration service may have been at The Hawthorns, but the afternoon wake that followed was held at Villa Park.

It's hard to think of anyone else who would be remembered at the grounds of two such fierce rivals, but Regis was a man who transcended rivalries, transcended local boundaries, and transcended football.

His impact on the game is still being felt today of course, and that was epitomised by the presence of head coach Alan Pardew the whole Albion squad, who lined up to form a guard a honour for Cyrille's funeral cortege.

Even though there was a slight delay to the procession, these multimillionaires, who many would wrongly have you believe are now detached from normality, stood still in the cold respectfully, waiting for a chance to clap off a true legend of the game they've given their lives to.

Normally these superstars would have been mobbed by their adoring public, particularly so soon after a memorable victory at Anfield. But not here.

Nobody was at The Hawthorns for them, they were there for Cyrille, and all eyes were trained on the cortege as it made its way through the car park.

Floral tributes of 'brother', 'dad', and 'husband' that flanked the coffin served as a reminder of the family man behind the footballer.

But then an impromptu chant of 'Cyrille, Cyrille, Cyrille' that sparked up among supporters conjured up memories of the joy he brought to thousands on the terraces.

That dichotomy was the overriding theme of the day. We all knew Regis was more than just a footballer, but we found out today that he was more than just an icon too.

Pioneer, hero, father, husband, charity worker, Christian, mentor, there are few out there with as many strings to their bow.

Those who waited at The Hawthorns for the service heard a glimpse of what was to come when Beverley Knight gave an empty stadium a rousing warm-up.

But nothing could prepare for the powerful outpouring of all types of emotions during the service itself.

It was joyous and celebratory at times, and the goosebumps that rose when the 4,500 people inside the East Stand started chanting his name were nothing to do with the biting cold.

But there was also sadness and grief when personal tributes to a brother, an uncle, and a pioneer poured down from the stage, sometimes punctuated by pauses for tears.

Jonathan Barnett of Stellar agency spoke eloquently about his secondary career in football.

"Time and time again young men have met Cyrille and been transformed for the better," he said.

John Homer, chairman of the Albion supporters club, gave an impassioned rendition of what he meant to Baggies fans, and former Coventry manager John Sillett delivered a tub-thumping tribute to his footballing attributes.

But it was Jason Roberts's powerful speech about his own discovery that his uncle treated every single person with the same personal touch of a family member that really struck home.

Funny, inspirational, and heart-breaking, Roberts managed to capture Cyrille's ability to have a huge impact on a number of people while making it feel personal at the exact same time.

"As an individual and a family we don't own the legacy of Cyrille Regis," he said. "Everybody here does, everybody who's been touched by him, everybody who's been motivated to stay here in the cold and listen."

Roberts also paid tribute to the black footballing royalty like John Barnes, Dwight Yorke, Don Goodman and Viv Anderson who turned out for the service, a visible signal of Cyrille's continued impact on the game.

A third of professional footballers in Britain are now black and ethnic minority (BAME) but Regis, Laurie Cunningham, and Brendon Batson paved the way for that shift.

There were plenty who made sacrifices to be there. Carlton Palmer flew in from Thailand specifically, and Brighton boss Chris Hughton took time out of preparing for tonight's crucial match with Southampton.

It wasn't just black and brown faces though. Former Albion manager Ron Atkinson, Wolves legend Steve Bull, and scores of fans were also in attendance.

Cyrille Regis will go down in Albion folklore, he will go down in West Midlands folklore, he will go down in football folklore.

But when footballers die, they become legends, when family members die, they leave an hole that will never be filled.

So just as important as the tributes from football was the powerful speech in a broad Welsh accent from Graham Daniels, of Christians in Sport.

Daniels told the story of a conversation he had with Cyrille at a separate funeral last year. Regis said: "When Laurie went I feared death, I fear death no more."

He told the congregation, many of whom were from one of Cyrille's four churches, with the idea that life on earth was merely pre-season and that, for the man who had found faith after Cunningham's death, the real season had now begun with God in the afterlife. It was a comforting thought.

Regis's impact both on and off the pitch on the game we all love is well-known.

But as large as it was, it is somehow overshadowed by the effect he had personally on those who knew him intimately, whether it was through the church, through the game, or through family.

He will be missed terribly by many, many people, but today his life - all aspects of it - was given the fitting celebration it so richly deserved.