Len Cantello Testimonial Match

The Len Cantello Testimonial Match, (West Bromwich Albion XI v Cyrille Regis & Laurie Cunningham XI), was a testimonial football match that took place in May 1979 to celebrate West Bromwich Albion player Len Cantello, who played for the club over 300 times between 1968 and 1979. The teams were selected based on the colour of the players' skin. The West Bromwich Albion XI was composed of White British and Irish players while the Cyrille Regis & Laurie Cunningham XI was composed of Black British players.[1]

Len Cantello Testimonial Match
  • West Bromwich Albion XI v Cyrille Regis & Laurie Cunningham XI
  • Whites vs. Blacks
West Bromwich Albion XI Cyrille Regis & Laurie Cunningham XI
2 3
Date15 May 1979 (1979-05-15)
VenueThe Hawthorns, West Bromwich, Sandwell, England
RefereeJohn D. Hough
Attendance7,023

The West Brom XI team featured Tony Godden, Paddy Mulligan, Derek Statham, Tony Brown, John Wile, Bryan Robson, Johnny Giles, John Trewick, Alistair Brown, Len Cantello, David Mills, David Stewart, Martyn Bennett and Kevin Summerfield.

The Cyrille Regis & Laurie Cunningham XI featured Ian Benjamin (Sheffield United), Vernon Hodgson (West Bromwich Albion – a trialist[2]), Brendon Batson (West Bromwich Albion), Derek Richardson (QPR), Stewart Phillips (Hereford United), George Berry (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Bob Hazell (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Garth Crooks (Stoke City), Winston White (Hereford Utd), Cyrille Regis (West Bromwich Albion), Laurie Cunningham (West Bromwich Albion), Remi Moses (West Bromwich Albion), Valmore Thomas (Hereford United). Benjamin, Phillips, Crooks and White would go on to sign for West Bromwich Albion later during their playing career. Roger Palmer was expected to play but was not available.

Match details

Line up according to the match programme.

West Bromwich XI2–3Cyrille Regis & Laurie Cunningham XI
Robson
Al. Brown 		Cunningham
Crooks
Phillips
The Hawthorns
Attendance: 7,023[3]
Referee: John D. Hough (Macclesfield)
GKEngland Tony Godden
RBRepublic of Ireland Paddy Mulligan
CBEngland John Wile
LBEngland Derek Statham
RMEngland Tony Brown
MFEngland Len Cantello (c)
MFEngland Bryan Robson
MFRepublic of Ireland Johnny Giles
LMEngland John Trewick
CFScotland Alistair Brown
CFEngland David Mills
Substitute:
GKScotland David Stewart
CBEngland Martyn Bennett
CFEngland Kevin Summerfield
GKEngland Derek Richardson
RBEngland Brendon Batson
CBWales George Berry
CBEngland Larry May
LBEngland Bob Hazell
RMEngland Winston White
CMEngland Remi Moses
CMEngland Vernon Hodgson[4]
LMEngland Laurie Cunningham
CFEngland Garth Crooks
CFEngland Cyrille Regis (c)
Substitute:
DFEngland Valmore Thomas[4]
CFEngland Ian Benjamin[4]
CFEngland Stewart Phillips[1]

Documentary

The match was the basis of a BBC documentary entitled Whites Vs Blacks: How Football Changed A Nation.[5] The documentary was aired on BBC Two on 27 November 2016.[1]

References
  1. "The match that pitted white players against black players". BBC News. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  2. "The story behind the Blacks vs Whites West Brom game « Express & Star". www.expressandstar.com. 19 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  3. Burnton, Simon (November 24, 2016). "The West Brom testimonial when black players took on a team of white players | Simon Burnton" – via www.theguardian.com.
  4. Paul Rees. The Three Degrees: The Men Who Changed British Football Forever. pp. 188–89.
  5. "Premiere documentary screening of 'Whites Vs Blacks' – featured as part of BBC Black and British Season". Mac Birmingham. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
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