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Trevor Ross signed professionally with Arsenal in June 1974 after
graduating from the Highbury apprentices. Seven months later, at the age
of eighteen, he came off the substitute's bench to make his Arsenal
debut in a 2-0 victory over Liverpool, replacing Alan Ball who had
scored both goals. An injury to Ball meant the industrious midfielder
kept his place in the team for the next match at Wolves. He played the
full ninety minutes, but the Gunners lost 0-1 and Ross sat out the rest
of the season. It would be nearly one year before he would make another
first team appearance. Following a timid exit from the FA Cup, 0-3 at
Wolves, he was back to give the midfield a bit of grit.
In a team
containing other stars of tomorrow Brady, O'Leary and Stapleton, he
played at Leicester City and scored his first goal for the club to put
the Londoners 1-0 up, but a late Leicester rally meant Arsenal lost 1-2.
However, Ross had done enough to retain his place and was ever present
for the last seventeen games of the 1975/76 season as the Gunners fought
a successful fight against relegation that had looked beyond them when
he first came back into the team. In the summer of 1976 Terry Neil took
over the Highbury hot seat and the new manager rewarded the hard
tackling midfielder with a place in his team. Ross went on to make
twenty-nine appearances that season as Arsenal made encouraging
progress, eventually finishing eighth with Trevor contributing four
goals.
Ominously he lost his place during an eight game losing run in
spring to another youngster, David Price, and between early March and
the end of the season made only one appearance. However, he started the
1977/78 season back in the side, but into a midfield also containing
Brady, Rix and Hudson the manager was now trying to find Price a
permanent place and Ross seemed the most expendable. So, after playing
nine of the first thirteen games, the midfielder was duly sold to
Everton for £170, 000. Price could now be accommodated and Neil could
use the money to buy Alan Sunderland from Wolves. Leaving Highbury aged
only twenty Trevor had made fifty-eight appearances for Arsenal over
three seasons and scored five goals. (David Fensome)
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