An Evening With Joe Royle at Goodison Park
An Evening With Joe Royle at Goodison Park.
Everton legend Joe Royle was the guest of honour as Ormskirk FC raised more than £2,500 towards funding their club’s new junior teams.
The Goodison Park favourite was the star attraction at last Saturday’s “An Evening with Joe Royle” gala event, which was attended by almost 200 people.
Royle, who scored 119 in 273 games for the club as a player, before returning to steer Everton to FA Cup glory as manager in 1995, said he was “delighted” to be able to help out the local amateur side.
Goodison, the ground Royle graced as both player and manager with the Blues, was the venue for the event, with all money raised going towards the funding and running of Ormskirk FC’s new junior sides.
This will include the purchase of kits, equipment and training accessories, as well as league fees, pitch fees and the essential day-to-day running costs.
Organiser Kevin Duffy said: “Big Joe was more than happy to shake hands, stand for photographs and sign autographs all night and he made sure he took the time to speak to everyone in the room. He was a true gentlemen.
“The evening has been hailed as a massive success by all who attended, raising over £2500 for the club, which is absolutely fantastic for us.
“I honestly can’t thank Joe enough for coming along and sharing his stories with us all, he was fantastic to be around and kept the room entertained, telling his tales from his time as a player and manager at Everton. It was a fantastic evening.”
The club, formed in 1997 by first manager Peter Wearden, intends to host another similar evening later this year - this time with a Liverpool theme.
Former Reds star Jan Molby, a stalwart of the club’s all-conquering side of the 1980s, will appear as the club hosts another event at Anfield. Again, all proceeds will be reinvested into the club.
The date for the next fundraising event is Saturday May 12th.