A STATUE by Barnsley sculptor Graham Ibbeson honouring pioneering footballer Cyrille Regis who died this week will hopefully be unveiled in April.
Graham last year issued an appeal for someone with ‘deep pockets’ to help bring forward the long-delayed £220,000 project in tribute to the so-called Three Degrees - trailblazing black footballers Laurie Cunningham, Brendon Batson and Cyrille Regis - so named by West Brom manager at the time Ron Atkinson.
They were credited with paving the way for the following generation of black players who might once have been prevented from breaking through.
Last year Graham said another £50,000 needed to be raised before his work, mostly complete, could be installed. This week reports said that figure now stood at £38,000. Organisers hope it can be in place by April.
Cyrille Regis died on Sunday aged 59. He was the older brother of Dave Regis, a striker who played for Barnsley during the promotion-winning season of 1996 to 97.
