Samba in the Smethwick End

In the early 1980s, West Bromwich Albion had the most exciting team in English football. At its heart were Laurie Cunningham, Cyrille Regis and Brendon Batson, three players not only spearheading Albion's championship challenge, but also showing that black Britons had a role to play in the national game. Though Cunningham's life was tragically cut short, Regis and Batson have continued to break new ground, Regis as coach and Batson as an administrator with the PFA. While Regis and Batson have prospered, their sporting home has floundered. From the high watermark of the early 1980s when Albion, Villa, Wolves and Birmingham all occupied the top flight, the subsequent years have seen West Midlands football in turmoil. This book explores the lives and legacy of the footballing "Three Degrees" and the rise and fall of the region that gave them their fame.