Roly Gregoire - a night with Sunderland’s first black footballer

 

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 (28^th 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.