Ross Emerton

Welcome to episode 79 of the Football United vs Soccer City podcast.

Firstly I would like to sincerely thank all of the interviewees, listeners and the football community of the Illawarra, Australia and around the World who download this podcast. Additionally I would like to say thank you to the brilliant people who contribute, comment and reminisce on the social media pages.

Ross Emerton is our interviewee in episode 79. Ross was born in 1947 and grew up on Wallace Road Fernhill. He had a love of football and in 1957 he joined Balgownie Junior Soccer Club. After one year at Balgownie, he then joined Tarrawanna Junior Soccer Club. This move was significant and cannot be understated as Ross is still involved today with Tarrawanna Junior Football Club and the Tarrawanna Blueys Football Club.

Across eight decades Ross has either played, coached and or been a committee member with the juniors and has played, coached and or been a committee member with the senior club (which he helped re-form in 1967 along with other great Tarrawanna people).

And in these eight decades Ross additionally played senior football with Bellambi, Fernhill and Balgownie Rangers. Plus he coached at Balgownie Rangers, was a committee member of the Illawarra Womens Soccer Association for a year, coached a women’s team at Fernhill Soccer Club in the mid-1980s and was an assistant coach with an Illawarra Women’s team who played in Sydney in the 1980s.

Ross is extremely modest about his abilities and achievements. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to his great journey and respect his energy and love for his Blueys. I would like to sincerely thank Ross for the time he gave up in recording this interview, the materials he let me scan and for allowing me into his home.

Please enjoy episode 79!