Ross Juniors Football Club enjoyed a celebratory evening of fun, food, and football talk on Saturday, May 25th with former England and Liverpool star, John Barnes MBE.

John, who is an ambassador for Liverpool Football Club, had successful periods with Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 90s, and won 79 caps for England.

Sponsored by Complete Financial Planning Limited, the club were celebrating their 15th anniversary. In 2004, Ross Juniors FC began with just four junior teams. Now they are proud to have 30 teams, including adult and children, male and female, and even teams for walkers, veterans, and the less abled. 

Club President, Martin Hudson, kicked off the evening by talking about the club’s history and how far they have come.John Barnes, who was born in Jamaica and moved to London when he was 12, talked about his life growing up, the challenges he faced, and his football career. He gave an insight into the life of a professional footballer and detailed memories and funny stories under the club ownership of Elton John at Watford Football Club and the management of Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool Football Club. He explained how the infamous England rap of 1990 was born, and answered questions about former and current teams, how he became a professional, and comparisons between football now compared to the past.

Lifelong Liverpool fan, Matthew Pickett, told the Ross Gazette: “It was amazing to meet a sportsman like John Barnes – truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Towards the end of the evening, an auction gave football fans the chance to bid on goods like an England 1990 World Cup replica shirt signed by Chris Waddle, a boot signed by Wayne Rooney, and signed photos of some of Liverpool’s best-known stars, including Mo Salah. Perhaps the most exciting moment of the auction was when John put forward the offer of two corporate tickets to watch any upcoming Liverpool game with an inclusive meal and hotel. This surprise was auctioned off for almost £2500.

The night raised an amazing £7000 for Ross Juniors - a huge boost for a club built solely on the efforts of volunteers that receive no central funding.

John said: “I have to congratulate Ross Juniors; what they have done is incredible. It is so good to see such an inclusive and broad selection of teams, and the Sports Centre is a wonderful place.”See the full story in this week’s edition of the Ross Gazette, or subscribe to our online edition here