INKBERROW Football Club enjoyed a Once in a Lifetime occasion when ex-England manager and soccer legend Sir Bobby Robson visited the club last week.

The event was the most prestigious in a series of fund-raising initiatives that the club is staging in an effort to find £50,000 to support the development of new grass pitches.

The club has enjoyed phenomenal growth in recent years and boasts 12 junior teams, four senior teams, a development squad for children aged five and six and a development squad for girls aged eight, nine and ten.

Unfortunately, its one full-sized pitch and two mini-soccer pitches has meant that match days have become a test of careful planning, cooperation and tolerance as all games are crammed into tight time schedules.

The club, which has developed a reputation for the quality of its coaching and its standards of behaviour, is an FA Charter Standard Community Club and was Regional and County Charter Standard Club of the Year in 2004 and 2007.

The club has been awarded a grant of approximately £100,000 from the Football Foundation for its development project and this "Once in a Lifetime" event went some way to raising much needed funds for its continued development.

Eighty five invited guests enjoyed a three course lunch in the Inkberrow Village Hall and this was followed by a sparkling question and answer session with Sir Bobby who belied his 75 years with his quick wit and showed that he has lost none of his passion and enthusiasm for the game.

After the lunch, over 100 children from the club's junior teams took part in a coaching demonstration led by the club's coaches and had their photographs taken with Sir Bobby who addressed them at the end with some awe-inspiring and encouraging words.

Chairman and club coach John Oxley was delighted with the event.

He said: "We are incredibly fortunate to have such a legendary figure as Sir Bobby Robson visit us here. We feel we are building something very special and we really couldn't have found anyone better than Sir Bobby whose approach to the game epitomizes the values that we are trying to promote throughout the club."

If anyone would like to find out more about the club, or get involved, please contact John on 07785 296202.