As part of the Bluebirds’ forever-growing presence in the community the Barrovian in our team Newby visited his old High School for a Q&A session with some current pupils.
Speaking about returning to his old school Newby said: “I really enjoyed going back to the school and seeing some of my old teachers. The school hasn’t changed too much and going back there felt strange after not returning in over 10 years, but it was a real privilege to be able to do so.”
He added: “It was great to answer questions from the kids and give them an insight into what type of life professional athletes live and how the professional football world works. Hopefully, some of them can see that there is a route in Barrow to play football professionally and they can be inspired to work toward their goals by putting in the hard work now.”
The school’s Assistant Headmaster Martin Pearce was really pleased to welcome Elliot back after all these years and in the process, help inspire the new generation to work hard towards their goals.
He said: “We were delighted to welcome former student Elliot Newby back to St Bernard's for what was a much-anticipated visit for the many avid Bluebirds fans in our school, and hopefully some new ones, too!”
“Elliot spoke eloquently about his football journey, which of course began during his time as a pupil and has led him full circle back to Holker Street. He is living proof of where hard work and resilience can take you, as well as being 'one of our own', making him an excellent role model for our young people at St Bernard's.”
Talking about the Q&A session with the enthusiastic students, the Assistant Headmaster, added: “He was certainly put through his paces by our inquisitive students in the Q&A session, and gladly stayed behind at the end for pictures and autographs with many of the nearly 200 young people present. Thankfully, he still had the energy to put in a Man Of The Match display against AFC Wimbledon the following day.”
Pearce finished by saying: “We are proud to call Elliot one of our alumni, and extremely grateful to the club for making this happen, and for all they do in the community. This was a great reward for our pupils' efforts this half-term.”
