Reds legend set for Oakwell return at hospice fundraiser

Taggart made 250 appearances for the Reds in the 1990s, impressing fans with his defending skills during five years at Barnsley and breaking into the Northern Ireland national team too.

Gerry will be joined by former referee and fellow Irishman Dermot Gallagher, who took charge of over 900 Premier League games across his 17-year career.

The pair will speak at the hospice’s Sporting Dinner, held in the Legends Suite at the Oakwell Stadium on Friday 16th March. Tickets cost £35 per person, which includes a three-course meal.

Proceeds from the dinner will help the hospice care for patients and families affected by life-limiting illnesses. The charity has to raise £2.2m a year, in addition to £1.6m funding from the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Martyn Hughes, events fundraiser at Barnsley Hospice, said: “We’re really excited to welcome Gerry and Dermot as our special guest speakers. They were both involved in football for many years but from completely different perspectives, so it will be fascinating to hear their stories. We can guarantee a night of great food and plenty of laughs and we’re confident that guests will leave with a few secrets they’ve never heard before.”

The Barnsley Hospice Sporting Dinner is sponsored by Fenton Roofing, Mr M Stothard and Smart Door Solutions Ltd. Tickets are available from www.barnsleyhospice.org or by calling 01226 244244.