Football icons Cyrille Regis and Walter Tull remembered in Sheffield

Nice one Cyrille!  A celebration of the life and times of the inspirational black footballer Cyrille Regis is taking place.

Football Unites, Racism Divides and Stand Up To Racism are organising a tribute to former West Brom and Coventry striker Cyrille Regis with an anti-racist event on Sunday February 24 - the day after the WBA v SUFC planned fixture - and just over a year since his untimely death in January.

The icon fought racism and helped changed football.

The event, at the U-Mix Centre off Bramall Lane, will take the form of three football tournaments - for young people, women and older people - followed by speeches and personal recollections about Cyrille's life. 

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The focus will be the fight against racism in football today and how we combat the growing threat from racists and fascists organising through the (Democratic) Football Lads Alliance and Tommy Robinson supporters.  

The day will kick off at 2pm and finish at 7pm.

Other activities being planned include films of Cyrille and his contemporaries, a reunion of former playing colleagues and local Caribbean and Asian football communities.

An exhibition will also be on display as well as a commemorative programm, speakers including former players and writers including Paul Rees, author of 'The Three Degrees' - Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendan Batson - the influential WBA players who changed the face of football in the 1970s and Chris Green, collaborator on Cyrille's biography 'My Story'.

Steven Kay, author of book on Sheffield United player Rab Howell, the first Romany to play for England will also speak at the event.

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To find out more or to enter a team in the tournaments, contact Howard Holmes at FURD (2587787) email [email protected], or Phil Turner on [email protected]

Meanwhile the latest comic edition in the FURD Pioneers series,'TULL'  is out.

FURD is a Sheffield-based anti-racist educational and cohesion project.

The latest edition tells the inspirational story of a young Black man from an East London orphanage who became a star footballer with Clapton FC, Tottenham Hotspur and Northampton Town, before signing for Glasgow Rangers during WW1.

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Walter Tull volunteered for the Football Battalion in the Great War and became the first Black Officer to lead White British troops into battle. He was recommended by his commanding officer for a Military Cross, which was never awarded, despite 37,000 MCs being presented to Junior Army Officers during WW1. There is an ongoing campaign to award Walter a posthumous Military Cross.

Derby County's Nick Blackman, currently on loan at Sporting Gijon said: 'This comic about Walter Tull looks great! Top work FURD and good to see @PFA supporting! It's important we continue to raise awareness of this amazing man and his achievements.'

'˜TULL' is the third comic in the FURD Pioneers series: '˜Arthur Wharton, Victorian Sporting Superstar' and '˜Albert Johanneson, the First Black Superstar', as well as '˜TULL', are available from Football Unites, Racism Divides (FURD), the U-Mix Centre, 17 Asline Road, Sheffield, Email: [email protected].