ROSS?Juniors Football Club Chairman Jim Loftus has said the news of the club being awarded the FA Community Club status, "takes us to another level".

The main criteria for a football club to move from being chartered standard to a community club confirms the excellent work the club has done on and off the pitch since forming in 2004. The award acknowledges the club's recruitment and progress of players, their development plan and having a minimum of 10 teams covering mini, youth and adult football. It means the club is eligible for a range of different grants.

Ross Juniors have progressed from establishing boys' youth teams, a men's Sunday side, the creation of the girls section and re-establishing Saturday's men's football in Ross. The club has been previously recognised, in 2011, by winning the FA Chartered Standard Club of the year for the West Midlands. Now the club is delighted, due to the hard work of the committee, members and parents, to have achieved the much sought after Community Club status.The Ross Gazette will have more on this story next week.

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