What nickname was given to West Brom's trio of Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson?

The Three Degrees: Breaking Barriers at The Hawthorns

In the late 1970s, West Bromwich Albion fielded one of the most groundbreaking forward lines English football had ever seen. Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson weren't just talented players — they were pioneers, three Black footballers playing regularly in the First Division at a time when racism on the terraces was open, ugly and routine.

The nickname came from manager Ron Atkinson, who borrowed it from the famous American female vocal group The Three Degrees, who were riding high in the charts at the time. Atkinson introduced his trio to the group at a club function, and the name stuck immediately. It was affectionate, but it also carried real weight — these three men were doing something genuinely historic.

Who Were They?

Cyrille Regis was the powerhouse centre-forward, a physically imposing and technically gifted striker who would go on to earn England caps. Laurie Cunningham was arguably the most naturally talented of the three — a winger of extraordinary grace and skill who caught the eye of Real Madrid and became one of the first Britons to play for the Spanish giants. Brendon Batson was a composed and dependable right-back, and later became a significant figure in football administration, serving as deputy chief executive of the PFA.

The Atmosphere They Played In

To understand why this matters so much, you have to picture the environment. Grounds in the late 1970s were places where Black players routinely had bananas thrown at them and endured vile chanting from opposing fans — and sometimes even their own. Regis, Cunningham and Batson faced this week in, week out, and kept performing at the highest level anyway.

West Brom finished third in the First Division in the 1978–79 season, playing attractive, attacking football that captivated neutrals across the country. Cunningham's performances that year earned him an England call-up, and he became one of the first Black players to represent the senior England team.

A Legacy That Lasts

The Three Degrees are remembered not just as footballers but as symbols of a turning point. Their visibility — three Black players in prominent roles at a top English club — helped shift attitudes, even if painfully slowly. They showed a generation of young Black British kids that there was a place for them in the game.

Laurie Cunningham passed away in a car accident in Madrid in 1989, aged just 33. Cyrille Regis died in 2018. Brendon Batson continues to be an advocate for diversity in football.

Statues and memorials now honour their contribution. But perhaps their greatest monument is simply what they did — turning up, playing brilliantly and refusing to be diminished — at one of the hardest moments to be a Black footballer in England.