In the heart of the idyllic Kent countryside lies the village of Bearsted. Despite residing in the shadow of the bustling urban sprawl of Maidstone and having the ever-busy M20 flying overhead, Bearsted has managed to retain a level of calm tranquillity, with rustle of trees and the chirping of wildlife drowning out the heavy soundtrack of one of England’s primary freight corridors to Europe. Its 8,000 strong community boasts the 13thcentury Holy Cross Church, a rail connection direct to the heart of London, a local Golf Club, and Bearsted FC.
Bearsted FC reside in the Southern Counties East League (Premier Division), at the lower end of the footballing pyramid. At present they lie comfortably midtable, but they are about to welcome Corinthians to their home at Otham Sports Club. Corinthians are 4th, in the play-off spots, hoping for a chance of promotion to the Isthmian League. Today’s clash will be a tough one for Bearsted, but the home crowd are undeterred. They live in hope their local side can take a scalp against one of the higher order. And they are not alone. She might be just under 200 miles away at St Georges Park, preparing for England’s upcoming trip to Belgium, but for her, Bearsted FC will always be in her heart.
Bearsted FC is like any other side in the 9th tier of English Football. A fenced off pitch, two small stands, and what can only be described as a re-purposed shipping container to house the dressing rooms and matchday café. Here, fans and injured players gather for a pre-match brew and discuss all things football. A huge TV erected on the wall is showing the early Premier League kick-off. It’s Chelsea vs Brentford, and Chelsea’s plight isn’t getting better. Brentford have taken the lead early in the second half and look comfortable defending Chelsea’s blunt attack. The other walls a decked with pictures of Bearsted’s past. Teams of old, from the 80s, 90s and 00s, occasionally partnered with the odd trophy, hang proudly in the gallery. Yet there is one section not devoted to a former team or a trophy. Instead, it is a shrine, a monument to their local hero. An England star whose footballing career was born on the very field Bearsted and Corinthians are about to take to. Arsenal and England’s, Alessia Russo.
It was here, playing for Bearsted FC Under-10 girls and boys, that the seeds of Russo’s footballing career were planted. Such were her talents at that age, it wasn’t long before Charlton’s Centre of Excellence picked her up. But as her career progressed, her time at Bearsted was ending. It was time to fly the nest, leave those home comforts behind and fly the nest. Short spells with Chelsea and Brighton followed, before a move to the States to play for North Carolina. It was also in the USA that Russo would make her England debut. The 2020 SheBelieves Cup would prove to be then manager Phil Neville’s endgame. But it would also be the start of an England career for another. With Lucy Bronze ruled out of the tournament through injury, Russo was called up as a replacement. Suddenly she found herself on the bench as England took on the USA. England were poor, losing 2-0, and Russo didn’t get off the bench. Yet the memory of that moment lives on at Bearsted. Hung on the wall is her matchday shirt, signed with a message:
‘To Bearsted FC,
Thanks for the best start on my journey!
Best Wishes
Love Russo’
Russo’s first England cap would soon come, however. In what would prove to be Phil Neville’s final game in charge, Russo came on for Duggan as a late substitute, but couldn’t prevent England losing 1-0 to Spain. Phil Neville departed soon after, and then, so did football itself, as the world went into lockdown.
The café crowd has grown with kick-off imminent, filled with the buzz of pre-match excitement. Brentford have scored a late second against Chelsea on the counter, much to the surprise and amusement of the locals. The internal chit-chat varies, from Bearsted’s latest outing (their Under 23s had recently walloped Herne Bay 4-1), the state of the Premier League, to even Russo herself. There is a genuine sense of pride in their local hero, and it demonstrates how far the game has progressed that she is a proud known in the community, rather than a shunned unknown of Lionesses past. Of course, scoring a backheel in a European Championship does help…
It was the moment that captivated the nation. England, already 2-0 up Sweden and looking good for progression to the Euro Final, had just seen Mary Earps pull off a wonder save to deny Stina Blackstenius and route back into the contest. England needed a 3rd goal to kill the tie. England roared up the pitch, spurred on by the Bramall Lane crowd. Keira Walsh sent Frank Kirby into the box, and her cutback was perfect for Russo to tuck home, only to shoot straight at Hedvig Lindahl. But the chance wasn’t over. Chasing the rebound, Russo defied everyone’s expectations by having the audacity to backheel the ball past the defender, through Lindahl’s legs and into the net. It sealed England’s passage to the Final at Wembley, but more than that, it was a moment in time that everyone could latch onto. It was a goal that quickly went viral, and captured the imagination of the public, helping them further embrace their home tournament. Toone’s chip and Kelly’s scramble would win the Final for England, but the Russo goal is the one every still talked about. At Bearsted, the moment has been immortalised in a brilliant work of art, christening the moment ‘The Bearsted Backheel’. It may have been scored in Sheffield, but it was born in Bearsted.
It’s time for the match start. The fans make their way outside and try to find a good position to observe the game along the pitch side fence. Straight from the kick off, Bearsted FC look up for it. They’ve come into the match having lost their previous two league matches 2-1 to both Whitstable and Faversham and they look keen to end the slump. After 13 minutes they win the first corner of the match. Adam Turton whips it in, Daniel Melvin makes a clever dart to the near post to glance the header in and the 102 attendees applaud their team taking the lead. It’s a goal those who have watched Russo in the WSL will be very familiar with. Especially Arsenal fans.
19th January 2022. Arsenal are flying high at the top of the WSL and welcome Man United to Meadow Park for a Continental Cup Quarter Final clash with Manchester United. Having already won 2-0 at the LSV earlier in the season, the home fans are all hoping for a repeat result. But Man United are stubborn, neutralising the Arsenal attack with a well marshalled defence. With 5 minutes left, extra time looks inevitable, but Russo has other ideas. She makes a late break forward and a panicking Jen Beattie hauls her down. Katie Zelem whips the free kick and Russo leaps highest to thump the header home. Arsenal have no time to respond and it is Man United who go through instead.
It was a goal that sparked a love affair with Arsenal, or rather, a love affair of scoring against Arsenal. A few weeks later, Man United returned for their WSL encounter, and again, Russo headed Man United into the lead from a set piece, this time, a Katie Zelem corner. Arsenal were able to salvage a draw, but the damage had been done. The WSL title momentum was with Chelsea now, and they rode it all the way to the finishing line. Then the following season, at Emirates Stadium, with the game in injury time and in the balance, Zelem and Russo combined again for a late winner to stun the 40,000 strong home crowd. It came as no surprise, therefore, that Arsenal tried (and failed) to prise her from childhood club that winter, though it would take another 6 months (and another Russo winner), before they could finally seal the deal. Russo’s time at the club of her dreams may well be over, but the legacy of her years spent there remain on Bearstead’s wall.
Half-time. The heavens have finally opened and the players make a dash for the changing rooms. Bearsted have been good for their lead, but are lucky not be level, after a shocking open goal miss by the Corinthian’s forward on the cusp of the break. Thankfully, the weather clears for the second 45. It’s been a poor first half from Corinthians, completely at odds with their present league position, and the second is no better. They struggle to lay a glove on Bearsted whilst the home side look potent on the counter. Any hope of a comeback is ended, however, when two Corinthian players are sent off. Bearsted try to find a second goal, aided by the numerical advantage, but their efforts are thwarted by blocks, saves, the post and poor accuracy. It finishes 1-0. A good performance by The Bears and 3 hard earned points. It’s a special win for manager Kevin ‘Kev’ Stevens, for whom this was his 400th game in charge.
THANK YOU KEV! A massive thank you today to Kev for reaching 400 games now in charge of the first team. You are todays Man of the Match #BEARS #400 pic.twitter.com/QDZhRmRIxe
— Bearsted Football Club (@Bearsted_FC) October 28, 2023
For Russo and Arsenal, however, struggles in front of goal are not limited to a 45-minute spell. Anyone hoping for a free scoring start for their new number 23 will have been left disappointed. Although she was very industrious against Man United and was the hero when she scored the late winner against Aston Villa, low blocks by Liverpool and Bristol City have left her neutralised. 1 goal from 4 WSL games is not a strong enough return for a player of Russo’s calibre. But she is more than just a star signing for Arsenal, she is the embodiment of Eide-ball itself. She is the forward Jonas wants, because she is the one that most aligns with the style of football he wants Arsenal to play. Upon her rock, Jonas’ philosophy will stand or fall.
Scoring her first #BarclaysWSL goal for @ArsenalWFC!
Russo is up and running 🙌 pic.twitter.com/TXP0NbylIj
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) October 15, 2023
However, the issues at Arsenal are not limited a striker to settle in a new side. This is team still trying to piece themselves back together, physically and emotionally, after an injury ravaged season saw their star players suffer long term ACL injuries. The warning signs that the season’s start would be a struggle were there in their failed European qualification attemt. Russo scored a brace, including a 25-yard screamer, as Arsenal tried to overcome Paris FC. But they would lose on penalties, with Russo missing one of the crucial spot-kicks. But good fortune may be just around the corner. Mead and Miedema are back, and the firepower they provide has been sorely missed. The prospect of Russo being able to interlink with two of Arsenal’s best forwards is an exciting one, although Arsenal fans will have to wait a bit longer until they have the fitness required to start matches or even last the 90 minutes. Yet the cameos they both provided towards the end of their 2-1 win at Bristol City hint at the potential of better things to come.
The return of the WSL will see the Arsenal Women return home. As much as Arsenal want Emirates Stadium to become the full-time home for their women’s team, Borehamwood’s Meadow Park remains the primary residence. For Russo, it’s a stadium where she has scored in her previous two visits, and Arsenal fans will hope she can continue that form. Up against them is Manchester City, a team Russo will no doubt relish the prospect of scoring against, given her previous Derby bouts with Manchester United. The wall at Bearsted FC may detail the chapters of her past, from the little girl making her first footballing steps, to her Lioness glory with England, and her time at Manchester United. But her present chapter is absent. No tales of Arsenal have been immortalised in the Club Café. As Russo steps out at Meadow Park, this time from the home dressing room, there is a sense that her Arsenal career will truly begin. What memories she will make, what treasures shall be hung, nobody knows. But you can be sure that those in Bearsted will be watching on with a smile and with pride.
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