The footballer setting record straight after 46 years

Sport InsightThe footballer setting record straight after 46 yearsPublished2 minutes agoByJeff BrownWarning: This article contains details of racially offensive language and behaviour"I waited 46 years to break my silence, because I didn't think anyone would listen. I thought I'd take these stories to my maker."Rumour had it Roly Gregoire had become a bus driver, a milkman or even a DJ. But what really happened to Sunderland's first black player was too painful for him to talk about until now.His first-team debut for the club on 2 January 1978 should have been the proudest day of his life, but hours after the 19-year-old's assist in a 2-0 win over Hull City, the racist abuse started.By the time injury cut short his career two years later, he had faced so much racism that he could not bear to watch football for many years. He moved away, changed his name and until now has not felt able to share his story."Sometimes I wish I'd never played football, to tell you the truth, because some of the pain, I can still feel it," Gregoire, now 67, tells BBC Look North in an emotional interview."Talking to you, I can feel myself welling up at times but I'm trying to contain myself because I want to get this across so the supporters can understand where I'm coming from."Image source, Sunderland Echo/Sunderland Antiquarian SocietyImage caption, Roly Gregoire (holding pen) signed for Sunderland on 5 November 1977Signed from Fourth Division Halifax Town on Bonfire Night 1977, for a fee of £5,000, Roland Gregoire – a quick, direct and confident striker known to everyone as Roly - had caught the eye with a hat-trick against the Wearsiders' reserves, earlier that season.Gregoire settled into digs on the sea front in Seaburn, delighted and surprised that it was the very Sunderland suburb much loved by him and his family because of their annual Sunday School outings there from Bradford.Sunderland manager Jimmy Adamson o...