The footballer setting record straight after 46 years

Warning: This article contains details of racially offensive language and behaviour

"I waited 46 years to break my silence because I didn't believe anyone would listen. I thought I would take these stories with me to my grave."

Rumors had circulated that Roly Gregoire transitioned to careers as a bus driver, milkman, or even DJ. However, the realities of what happened to Sunderland's first black player were too painful for him to discuss until now.

His first-team debut with the club on January 2, 1978, should have marked the pinnacle of his career. Yet, mere hours after assisting in a 2-0 victory over Hull City, the barrage of racist abuse began.

By the time an injury prematurely ended his career two years later, the relentless racism had left him unable to watch football for many years. He relocated, changed his name, and has only now felt ready to share his experiences.

"Sometimes, I wish I had never played football, to be honest, because the pain still lingers," reflects Gregoire, now 67, during an emotional interview with BBC Look North.

"Talking to you, I can feel myself becoming emotional, but I am trying to maintain my composure because I want the supporters to understand where I'm coming from."

Early Career and The Attack

Gregoire was signed from Fourth Division Halifax Town on Bonfire Night 1977 for a fee of £5,000. He impressed with a hat-trick against Sunderland's reserves earlier in the season, quickly becoming known as Roly, a quick, direct, and confident striker.

Settling into digs on Seaburn's sea front, he was delighted to find himself in a suburb cherished by his family due to their annual Sunday School outings from Bradford.

Sunderland manager Jimmy Adamson marked the arrival of the new year by giving him the number seven shirt for a Second Division match against Hull City. The teenager responded by assisting club legend Gary Rowell in the team’s 2-0 victory—a momentous achievement tainted by subsequent events.

"I remember after the game, while having a drink with a few supporters, one of them asked if my brothers had attended the match," Gregoire recalls. "I mentioned that five of them were there. He remarked, 'They're fast!' but before I could inquire further, he was interrupted.

"Later that evening, I called one of my brothers to ensure they made it home safely. They mentioned they had tried to find me at the club hostel but were chased off by a gang that hurled a half brick at them and shouted derogatory racial slurs.

"They were just teenagers, terrified but somehow managed to escape. It was a despicable act. Seaburn had meant so much to us, yet from that day forward, my mother never uttered a word about Sunderland until her passing."

For Gregoire, this was just the beginning of a tumultuous ordeal.

A Lonely Existence

Born in 1958 in Toxteth, Liverpool, to Windrush Generation parents from Dominica, Gregoire was raised in the multicultural environment of Bradford. In stark contrast, 1981 census data indicated that fewer than 1% of Sunderland's nearly 300,000 residents identified as African-Caribbean.

By 1978, a significant portion of the Football League's 92 clubs had yet to sign a black player, with Nottingham Forest's Viv Anderson being the first to earn a senior England cap that same year.

"I only knew one other black person in Sunderland; he was attending the polytechnic," Gregoire remembers. "Wayne Entwistle—a white striker who signed on the same day for £30,000—shared digs with me for some time and was a good guy, but the experience was quite isolating."

While he cites the club’s FA Cup-winning captain Bobby Kerr and seasoned midfielder Mick Docherty as two teammates who welcomed him, he sensed a shift in the dressing room dynamics during the summer of 1978, particularly during a pre-season tour in Kenya.

"After one match, a group of children ran onto the pitch and flocked around one of our players. Afterward, he approached me and wiped his hands on my shirt, which I found abhorrent. It seemed as though he thought those children carried some disease and wanted to pass it onto me. Why me? Was it simply because I'm black?"

Later, at a post-match reception at a local affluent white family's residence, the disparity in treatment became apparent.

"She shook hands with the players to my right, bypassed me completely, then greeted everyone else," he recounts. "Without hesitating, I calmly walked out and headed to the team bus. I would have preferred to be outside with wild animals than inside, facing insults.

"Not a single person checked on me or offered consolation. Only after they finished their meal and drinks, laughing and joking, did they return to the bus. I found that disgraceful. That woman insulted me, and by doing so, she insulted the club. I felt a lack of loyalty, a lack of integrity—I felt abandoned."

Dressing Room Racism

The omission of Gregoire from Sunderland's first-team photo for the 1978-79 season foreshadowed the challenges ahead. A particular incident in the dressing room during that campaign remains vivid for him.

While greeting teammates—a customary practice for those not on the field—he approached a player who greeted him with a racial slur.

"I responded by grabbing him by his throat against the locker, then let him go and exited," he recalls.

"The room was crowded, yet no one approached to inquire what had transpired. I began to feel increasingly marginalized; as each incident occurred, it became apparent that Sunderland did not care about me."

The Blackburn Disaster

In his injury-ridden second season, Gregoire made only one substitute appearance before receiving an unexpected call-up to start on Easter Monday in 1979. The team faced Blackburn Rovers, who were bottom of the table, while Sunderland was vying for promotion.

The match, which drew over 35,000 spectators, was anticipated to be an easy victory for the home team. However, Sunderland suffered a shocking 1-0 defeat, missing promotion to Division One (now the Premier League) by a mere point.

Caretaker manager Billy Elliott surprisingly named Gregoire to lead the attack that day. After missing an early opportunity, he endured a challenging 90 minutes, worsened by some home fans targeting him with abuse.

Veteran reporter Billy Butterfield, writing as Argus for the Sunderland Echo, described it as "a nightmare experience," noting that Gregoire "must have been absolutely shattered by the abuse and ridicule showered upon him by the crowd."

He never had another opportunity to prove himself; shortly into the next season, he suffered a severe knee injury during a reserve match at Murton CW.

"On my 21st birthday, I spent the day in a hospital, fully aware that my career was over," he reflects.

The Aftermath

Although his football career had concluded, the repercussions persisted.

Gregoire asserts that he was promised the club would "look after him" if he agreed to terminate the final 12 months of his £6,000 annual contract, yet he received only a £1,500 insurance payout.

In search of employment, he moved to London, where he exacerbated his knee injury while lifting mail bags.

For nearly four decades, he has relied on disability and industrial injury benefits.

"I challenged the club over my compensation in 1986, but they insisted they had fulfilled their obligations," Gregoire states. "I was conned. I felt deceived. It felt as if my head would explode."

When the BBC reached out to Sunderland regarding Gregoire's experiences and his compensation claims, the club responded with a statement that they were "unable to comment on historical matters relating to that period," affirming their commitment against racism and discrimination.

After his unsuccessful compensation challenge, Gregoire spent six months in Dominica residing with his grandfather in a wooden house.

"This was also where I embraced Rastafarianism, which has afforded me some peace," he adds.

Adopting the Rasta name Jabari Muata Ta Seti, he returned to Bradford, where he worked as a voluntary counselor and established the anti-drug charity Black Against Crack in the mid-1990s.

He distanced himself from the sport for an extended period.

"For about a decade, I couldn't even bring myself to watch Match of the Day because it triggered too many bad memories," he explains.

Recognition and Legacy

Over the years, Roly Gregoire has often been referenced in fan polls identifying the worst Sunderland players of all time.

Despite netting two hat-tricks for the reserve team during his brief spell at Sunderland and producing a commendable return of six wins and one goal across ten first-team league and cup appearances, many supporters solely remember the fateful match against Blackburn.

Now, nearly fifty years on, he seeks to set the record straight.

"I don't harbor hatred for Sunderland, but I despise what they put me through, and I resent the tarnished image of my legacy," he asserts.

"I feel like a punchline, a figure of ridicule. What reprehensible act did I commit? I was simply a young man trying my best. It's evident; everyone can point fingers because I'm the black player."

Sunderland supporter Bill Hern, co-author of Football's Black Pioneers, which documents the first black player for each of the 92 League clubs, is working to restore Gregoire's reputation.

"I remember watching him play, and he exhibited great potential. One can only imagine the isolation he endured in Sunderland at that time," Hern reflects. "He faced tremendous adversity, yet he paved the way for others like Gary Bennett, Darren Bent, and Jermain Defoe. For that reason, his name will remain an integral part of Sunderland AFC's history."

Bennett, former club captain and MBE for his anti-racism efforts, recognizes the groundwork laid by Gregoire.

"He was a trailblazer," Bennett says, noting that he became the club's second black player in 1984 when he signed from Cardiff City. "Roly experienced so much hardship and lacked the support systems that exist today, such as Show Racism the Red Card or Kick It Out."

Racism Today

Despite recent updates to the Premier League's No Room for Racism action plan, players like Romaine Mundle and Habib Diarra have faced hateful online attacks this season. Team-mate Lutsharel Geertruida also reported experiencing racial abuse from a Newcastle fan during the Tyne-Wear derby in March.

All three players received prompt support and guidance from the club.

Recently, Gregoire was invited back to Wearside to meet with the current squad alongside some family members. He engaged with players in the gym, complimenting the "beautiful" facilities while sharing nostalgic anecdotes, including tales of the persistent wind and the £1-per-minute fines for tardiness.

On an emotional return to Seaburn, he showed his daughter and grandson where he had lived, gazing out to sea with thankful tears and saying, "Thank you, God," while adding, "Mum, Dad, look where I am after all these years."

Gregoire also attended Sunderland’s home match against Manchester United earlier this month, where he took photos with fans and signed autographs, later joking with his daughter about their treatment as 'celebrities'.

"I'm genuinely delighted to be back," he expressed to former captain Kerr during their reunion at the Fans' Museum, where his image is displayed.

Maintaining his interest in Sunderland's performance and now enjoying episodes of Match of the Day without the emotional burden, he reflected positively on sharing his story.

"By recounting my experiences, I feel acquitted," he conveys. "I feel liberated. I'm content."

Sunderland stated, "We recognize the significant role that Roly Gregoire played in Sunderland AFC's history as the Club's first Black player and look forward to collaborating with him during the 2026-27 season to suitably honor and celebrate his contribution as a part of our club's history."

Does He Think Times Have Changed?

"The challenges they face today are quite similar," he observes. "People might be less likely to chant derogatory words, but they now transmit hate online. The positive aspect is that today’s black players have a voice—they can speak out.

"Returning to Sunderland after all this time was a truly wonderful experience. I feel purged... I feel renewed. I'm happy."