D
David Instone
Guest
Friendly Foes In Opposition On The Course
A host of players from Cyrille Regis’s clubs have gathered to play in a golf competition in the late striker’s memory.
Two days before the Wolves v Villa clash at Molineux, stars of yesteryear displayed an altogether friendlier rivalry for the Regis Trophy.
Wolves were represented by the quartet of John Richards, Kenny Hibbitt, Steve Daley and Robbie Dennison, supported by director John Gough and Sky Sports reporter Johnny Phillips.
Among those striding along the fairways for Villa were Allan Evans, Gary Shaw, Colin Gibson, Alan McInally, Pat Heard and Gordon Cowans, the last of whom also had a mid-1990s spell at Molineux.
At Walmley near Sutton Coldfield in what can only be described as ‘Villa territory’, there was no away win.
“We finished a creditable third,” was Richards’s cheery take on the outcome, with the former players associations at the three clubs benefitting from the proceeds.
Victory went by two points to Albion, who had a large player representation including Ray Wilson, Joe Mayo, Nicky Cross, Micky Fudge, Mark Grew, Kevin Summerfield, Dave Butler and Peter Odemwingie.
It was their second win in two stagings of the event and came a few days after another airing on TV of the 1977-78 First Division game at The Hawthorns between Albion and Wolves.
“I’m sure we all remember Cyrille as a talented, powerful striker but he was also kind and unassuming, a lovely man,” Richards added.
Hibbitt, the star golfer among the Wolves group, had two mid-1980s years as a Coventry team-mate of Regis, who spent the 1993-94 season at Molineux towards the end of his career.
“You couldn’t have met a nicer guy,” he said. “I was coming towards the end of my playing years then but have only happy memories of being a colleague of his. I was certainly happier playing in the same side than against him!”
Hibbitt tuned in early to today’s momentous national events, declaring himself a proud royalist. He met Prince Charles while managing Cardiff and added: “I have a nice photo of us shaking hands. I had the bragging rights in our house for a while but then my wife and daughter met him as well in my absence when he visited our village some time later.”
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