Roly
Gregoire - a night with Sunderland’s first black footballer
Footballer Roland (Roly) Gregoire, the first black
footballer to play for Sunderland AFC, and film maker Jeff Brown last night
spoke to a 50-strong capacity crowd inside the Dominica Association on
Worthington Street, Bradford, Roly’s hometown. They were warmly received and
were later joined on stage by Bradford City heroes Cec Podd and Joe Cooke, the
first black footballer at Oxford United.
Also in attendance was experienced striker Ray Entwistle, a
team mate of Roly’s during his time at Roker Park. Johnny Meynell, historian
for Halifax Town, from whom Sunderland signed Roly on Guy Fawkes Day 1977, was
also present to show support and as was writer Bill Hern, co-author of
Football’s Black Pioneers – the stories of the first black pioneers to
represent the 92 league clubs.
The occasion helped highlight the launch of the Roly
Gregoire Foundation and was the result of the release of Jeff Brown’s highly
acclaimed BBC documentary film Whatever Happened to Roly Gregoire? Sunderland’s
first black player. This has already
proved a major success with over 750,000 people having watched the footage as
of Thursday (28th May) evening.
It was Jeff’s determination to find Roly that made the film
possible and it was clear at last night’s occasion that Roly – and his friends
and family – are delighted he did so. Roly told the audience “He felt a lot
happier in myself.” Well done to everyone concerned and especially Jeff, who
said he had been inundated by an overwhelming number of positive comments on
the release of his work.
I was personally delighted to tell the ex-player that I
remember watching his single first team goal for Sunderland at the ramshackle
Kenilworth Road in a 3-1 victory there in April 1978. It as a neat close-range
finish to complete the scoring not long after he had come on as a substitute. He
also played very well soon after in a 3-2 win at White Hart Lane where he did
not look out of touch when up against stars such as Glenn Hoddle or Steve
Perryman.
I was also present when Roly was very badly racially abused
in the match against Blackburn Rovers a year later. Much of this abuse came
from supporters in the Roker End and in the hours before I set off to Bradford
last night I spoke to Alan, who amazingly is in the film footage of the crowd
that attended the game at the Stadium of Light that Roly also attended, and
told him I was attending. He spoke of how he, unlike myself, had been with his
mates in the Roker End and found himself isolated on hearing the abuse as his
mates would not also speak up. It appears the incident largely ended his
relationship with these friends.
Roly had a bad game and was made the scapegoat for a defeat
for promotion chasing Sunderland against relegation bound Blackburn Rovers. His
record though with SAFC was a good one, six wins and four losses, one of which
was at the Old Den where Millwall’s team contained one its first black players
in Trevor Lee.
The ex-player spoke about this racist abuse in the film plus
an incident during a club tour of Kenya where he was deliberately ignored by
the hostess when the players visited the house of a wealthy couple. Leaving to
sit on the bus outside he was forced to wait whilst the rest of the players
enjoyed an evening of food and drink. The film also showed Roly visiting
Sunderland AFC for the first time since the late 70s. He was, especially by FA
Cup winning captain Bobby Kerr, warmly received and his daughter Akili also
approached the SAFC club owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfuss to introduce her dad to
him. Roly won’t be waiting over 46 years to revisit the club. Which is great.
Following a short presentation by Brown, the film was shown
to the audience. On its conclusion Roly spoke about how proud he was about the
work. He was also joined on stage by Cooke and Podd, who were cheered by those
present. Disappointment was expressed at how few black footballers have gone on
to be given the chance to manage top class teams.
Entwistle, Hern and Meynell all spoke briefly as did I to
praise the film whilst I also pointed out that not so long ago, SAFC appointed
a fascist as their manager in Di Canio. I suggested that once the Foundation
was up and running it should consider erecting a plaque to Willie Clarke,
Bradford City’s first black footballer and who, earlier during his time at
Aston Villa became the first black footballer to score a goal in top flight
football.
Roly did tell another few stories that are worth repeating.
The first goes back to the end of season tour in Kenya in 1978 when he starred
in the 5-0 victory against Mwenge, watched by 15,000 spectators.
The enthusiasm of the black youngsters present meant they
dashed on to the pitch at the end to mob and shake hands with the Sunderland
players. One of these was not best pleased and rubbed his hands on Roly as if
that would mean he could ger rid of the stain of having been touched by black
people. Roly did not name the player concerned. Roly was afterwards offered a
lucrative contract to play in Kenya but was tied to playing for SAFC.
Then at the end of one game at Roker Park in which he was
not playing he joined other players in a similar situation and entered the
first team dressing room to congratulate the successful side. Amongst the
victors one player was not best pleased to see him and refused his hand and called
him a black b…..d. Roly pinned him up against the locker and then left straight
after. But the incident made Roly look unhinged. The racist player was not
named. Roly criticised the directors of SAFC from the time for doing little to
challenge racism. His operation on his damaged leg that ultimately ended his promising
career very early on was also badly performed by the SAFC doctor.
Then on one occasion when the squad was training on Seaburn
Beach there was an incident when one player was picked out by the rest of the
squad for some ‘banter’ and he started chasing Roly. “He started chasing me.
Why was he chasing me, all the players and coaching staff were laughing.” He
did not catch Roly, who was probably Sunderland’s fastest player at the time. “He
knew he couldn’t catch me, if he’d chased another player he might have.”
Although by no means putting aside his past experiences,
Roly also spoke of how there were also many supporters who were supportive of
him at Sunderland back in the 70s. “I did enjoy the supporters, they were very
nice to me,” plus of how the film had given him some measure of comfort. “Three
quarters of a million, maybe more than a million now. On me! I am overwhelmed,
“ said a smiling Roly Gregoire.
The Roly Gregoire Foundation @RolyGregoireFoundation
https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Roly-Gregoire-Foundation/61590241798742/
Copyright – Mark Metcalf.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
