That concludes our rolling blog of the reaction to the death of Cyrille Regis, one of the most impressive and important men ever to played football in England. The outpouring or respect from inside and outside the game has been spectacular, and the tributes are still coming in. Keep an eye on our news story for the final word on a moving day, and read Richard Williams’s lovely comment piece for the lowdown on Regis’s monumental impact on the game. Thanks for joining, and goodbye.

Jermaine Jenas says Regis was a hero in his household when he was a boy …

Gareth Bale says Regis helped him a lot when he was making his way in the game, and even Kammy has a charity story about the great man …

West Brom fans are leaving scarves, shirts and flowers on the Jeff Astle gates at The Hawthorns. Nice top No68 …

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John Aldridge has added his name to the list for former players paying tribute to Regis …

As befitting of the man, Regis had dedicated himself to charity work in recent years, visiting a clean water project in Ethiopia in 2007. He inspired others to get behind WaterAid’s mission to ensure everyone, everywhere has access to clean water, decent toilets and hygiene. Marcus Missen, WaterAid’s director of communications and fundraising, said: “We were shocked and saddened to hear the news of the death of Cyrille Regis, who spoke of water as the foundation of life and championed our work to bring clean water and sanitation to the world’s poorest people. He will be sorely missed by everyone at WaterAid, and we send our thoughts and condolences to his family at this sad time.”

West Brom have tweeted a video tribute to Regis, entitled simply “The Man” …

One great story about Regis is that he was supposed to be called Gilbert, but the forgetfulness of a friend of his father changed the course of history. “It started when he was barely a day old,” explains The Set Pieces website. “His family lived in a tiny rural town called Maripasoula in French Guiana, where his father, Robert, prospected for gold. After Regis was born, his father asked a friend who was travelling to the capital Cayenne, a two-day trek from Maripasoula, to register Cyrille’s birth. When his father’s friend arrived in Cayenne he forgot the full name, Gilbert Cyrille Regis, only remembering Cyrille.”

Regis’s death is particularly poignant coming less than a week after the FA announced it will adopt the “Rooney rule” in an attempt to improve inclusivity in the sport. There are only five BAME coaches across the 92 clubs in English football’s top four leagues. One of those is Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink:

Chris Hughton, the only black manager in the Premier League, added: “I’m deeply saddened by this news. Cyrille was an exceptional person and a very good friend.”

Jason Roberts is nephew of Regis and a former professional footballer himself. He has tweeted …

As a player, Cyrille Regis used his strength and control to burst through the defences. As a man, he endured unspeakable abuse in order to ease the way for others. Read Richard Williams’s brilliant take on a trailblazer …

John Sillett was Coventry City manager when a team featuring Regis lifted the 1987 FA Cup. He told Sky Sports: “He was a gentle giant in many ways and a majestic player. As a man managing a side, you could not wish for a better team player than Cyrille Regis. He was a majestic player on the ball, he had great vision, good touch and strength and pace, unbelievable pace off the mark. A powerful, powerful player and he was so proud when England picked him again. He loved his country, he loved his football and he loved his team-mates. He was so popular with everybody.”

West Brom’s chairman, John Williams, said Regis was the a “crusader against bigotry” and the “ultimate hero” of Albion fans. His statement in full reads …

This is terribly shocking and upsetting news and our thoughts and condolences are with Cyrille’s family. We also know Cyrille’s passing will be felt deeply among all our supporters for whom he was the ultimate hero – a wonderful, exciting centre-forward who remained in close contact with the Club beyond his playing days. Everyone will have their precious memories of him as a family man, as a crusader against bigotry – which can never be under-estimated – and as a man who threw considerable energy into a series of worthy causes. But for me, I will never forget Cyrille the footballer – a wonderful, wonderful player who had everything and who defenders of the time would have hated facing. He will be deeply missed. Rest in peace, Cyrille.”

Regis’s widow Julia says her life has been turned upside down after losing her soulmate. In a statement via West Brom, she said:

Cyrille and I were soulmates, he was the perfect man for me and we had a wonderful life together. He was a beautiful man and a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle. Losing him has turned my whole world upside down. It is a void that will never be filled. I have been moved by the many messages of support and condolences I have received and the kind things people have said about Cyrille as a person and a professional. He came into football the hard way and never lost his passion for the game. He was a role model for so many because he always treated everyone he met with kindness and respect.”

West Brom have released a statement mourning the loss of “one of the great symbols of the fight against racism in Britain”. It reads:

West Bromwich Albion are today deeply saddened and shocked to confirm that one of our greatest players, Cyrille Regis, has passed away at the age of 59. Cyrille, the iconic figurehead of the Club’s legendary ‘Three Degrees’ team of the late 1970s, was taken ill late last night. Cyrille, who was awarded an MBE in 2008 for services to charity and football, scored 112 goals in 302 appearances and lit up The Hawthorns with his thrilling brand of forward play. He also became one of the great symbols of the fight against racism in Britain as a pioneer for black footballers across this nation and beyond. Cyrille is survived by two children Robert and Michelle and three grandchildren Jayda, Renée and Riley. The Club will be making further announcements about its plans to celebrate the life of one of Albion’s all-time greats in due course.’

In January 1979 Cyrille Regis picked a team made up entirely of black players to take on a white team picked by Len Cantello. Simon Burnton tells the story …

Around a third of the players in the Premier League are from a black or minority ethnic background these days. Many of those who have played in the top flight in the last 40 years have been quick to recognise Regis’s part in the diversification of football…

Paul Rees, whose book about the The Three Degrees shed light on the unthinkable racist abuse they suffered, has paid moving tribute to “a giant of a man” …

Cyrille Regis was brought up a Christian but had described how he re-found God after his best friend Laurie Cunningham died in a car crash in July 1989. His former team-mate’s death had a devastating impact on Cyrille as just two years earlier, the pair had been in a car accident together, which they survived.

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Kick It Out have released a statement on Regis’s death, expressing shock at the loss of a pioneer. “Kick It Out is shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of former West Bromwich Albion forward Cyrille Regis at the age of 59,” it reads. “Cyrille was a pioneer of English football, becoming one of the first iconic Black players of the professional game, alongside former Albion team-mates Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson. Following his career, Cyrille was a great supporter of the organisation’s work helping to tackle racism in the sport, kindly donating his time and efforts to Kick It Out on numerous occasions.”

Big Ron Atkinson has added his voice to the tributes:

Regis, Cunningham and Batson were named the Three Degrees by the West Brom manager Ron Atkinson. The real Three Degrees were an American girl band, and band former member Sheila Ferguson has described Regis as one of the nicest guys she had ever known, and added a picture of one of the moments when their two worlds collided …

Our tech guys have put together this video obituary, featuring some of Regis’s most memorable goals. It’s well worth a minute of your time …

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Johan Cruyff tells a nice story about Cyrille Regis in his autobiography My Turn. The Dutch legend, then manager of Ajax, wanted to sign Regis to replace Marco van Basten, who was about to leave for Milan. Regis was “a physically strong striker with charisma, who was still at the top of his game,” says Cruyff, but the board messed the deal up. They failed again after Cruyff arranged to sign Rabah Madjer, and Cruyff resigned soon after, largely because of the Regis/Madjer deals.

The tributes continue to pour in from former players, commentators and the clubs Regis graced …

Here is Regis paying tribute to fellow West Brom legend, Tony ‘Bomber’ Brown, three years ago …

Adrian Chiles told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he had been due to meet Regis and former team-mate Batson on Tuesday. The Broadcaster and West Brom fan said: “In later years I was privileged to get to know him as a friend and he just didn’t carry anger with him from that time. Ian Wright, a later generation of black players, said ‘we were like Malcolm X ... but Cyrille was like Martin Luther King’, Cyrille was always turning the other cheek. They did so much for the game and so much for the cause of black footballers. I was supposed to meet him and Brendon tomorrow to discuss a celebration we were having for the 40th anniversary of Laurie Cunningham making his debut for us, celebrating 40 years of all that’s been achieved by black footballers in the game. So I suppose that meeting will now turn into something of a wake. We are all absolutely horrified and want to do all we can to pay tribute to the greatest of footballers and the greatest of men.”

Before his England debut against Northern Ireland in 1982, Regis was sent sent a bullet by racists. How he reacted was typical of the man. “I kept it as a reminder of the evil some people had inside them,” Regis said later. “For the rest of my playing days, it was a motivation that they weren’t going to stop me.”

Cyrille Regis was the third black player to be capped for England, after his West Brom team-mate Laurie Cunningham and Viv Anderson. In what proved to be his final tweet on 1 October, Regis posted a pio9cture of Cunningham with the words of a commentator transcribed over the top and the caption: “Says it all” …

Coventry City have confirmed that the 59-year-old died on Sunday after suffering a cardiac arrest. Regis memorably won the 1987 FA Cup final with City, who said in a statement: “Cyrille was a true Sky Blues legend, a strong, powerful striker and gentleman. He was still a regular visitor to the Ricoh Arena on matchdays, always humble and taking the time to speak to supporters.” The club will pay tribute to their former striker at this Saturday’s game against Swindon Town at the Ricoh Arena. Read Coventry’s full statement here

Regis was born Maripasoula in French Guiana on 9 February 1958 and arrived in Britain with his family five years later. He grew up in London and played for non-league Hayes before securing a move to West Brom in 1977. There, with fellow black players Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson, he became one part of the Three Degrees. Having three black players in a team was unusual at the time and the trio were subjected to horrific abuse from the terraces during the late 70s. Some of the stories beggar belief …

The early indications are that Regis died of a heart attack, but that has yet to be confirmed. This morning the football world is lining up to pay tribute to a man who changed the game …

Hello, and welcome to our live blog on this sad day for football. Cyrille Regis was a wonderful footballer and a trailblazer for black players. The world will be a lesser place without him. Let me have your memories of him, on and off the pitch