Getting The Third Degree

Getting The Third Degree by Dougie Blaxland is the deeply moving story of Laurie Cunningham who came to prominence with West Bromwich Albion in the late 1970’s. Cunningham – one of the black footballing trio famously dubbed The Three Degrees – with swaggering style and dazzling skills invited favourable comparisons with the legendary Pele. The first black footballer to sign for the mighty Real Madrid and only the second to win a full cap for England, Cunningham inspired a whole generation of young black players to follow in his pioneering footsteps.

Getting The Third Degree explores how Cunningham and fellow black players - Brendon Batson and Cyrille Regis - triumphed over the racial abuse and physical threats orchestrated by The National Front through a potent combination of footballing brilliance, charismatic style and compelling dignity.

Incorporating 1970’s funk, soul and blues, contemporary commentary and political speeches, Getting The Third Degree is a provocative piece that vividly recreates a tense and troubled period in the history of football.