Bernie Ross, Former Head of Production for UEFA, Missing Since Oct. 18

Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts is encouraged to contact Thames Valley Police

Bernie Ross,  the former head of production for UEFA and an Advisory Board member of SVG Europe, has been missing since Oct. 18. Anyone in our industry who hears from Ross is asked to please contact Thames Valley Police reference 43170311231. 

Bernie Ross, former head of production for UEFA and a current SVG Europe Advisory Board member, has been missing since Oct. 18.

According to the Oxford Mail, Ross left the house he shares with his wife and four children in Oxford at 11 a.m., saying that he was going to visit his sister in London. However,  his family later discovered there had been no trip arranged and he has not been seen since. His disappearance was registered with the police the next day, and the family has been informed that Interpol believes he may have entered France via Calais, but iPad tracking has not ruled out that he may still be in the UK.

Ross’s wife of 20 years, Jacinta Evans, also appealed for help, saying, “We would be so grateful if anyone can give any information about Bernie’s movements and whereabouts. Bernie has never disappeared like this before, and we are intensely worried about him as we know he is not well and was diagnosed with a bipolar disorder following the UEFA Euro 2016 football tournament last year. We would be grateful if people everywhere would spread the word and ask, if they have any information, to contact Thames Valley Police reference 43170311231.”

Ross has been battling a mental illness for nearly a year, and, earlier this year, Darren Long, director of Sky Production Services, and others helped establish a fund to support his medical costs and living expenses. It raised nearly £60,000.

Says Long, “Most people will know or have heard of Bernie Ross, the former UEFA head of production. Bernie is one of the most forward-thinking sports executives in the industry and has been responsible for some of the biggest sporting events in the world, like the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Euro 2016, along with many more events over the last 11 years. I worked with Bernie on the UEFA Champions League when Sky held the rights for this sport, and I can say that Bernie was always someone who wanted to push technology and move it forward apace and to keep innovating in sport.

“Life sometimes takes some strange and horrible paths,” he continues, “and it certainly has for Bernie and his family. During the summer of 2016 and throughout the autumn, Bernie started to feel very unwell but didn’t really know what was wrong, thinking it was a stomach problem. Unfortunately, Bernie didn’t recognize how bad his illness was, and it got progressively worse just before he left UEFA to join Discovery Networks. Bernie never did start that job at Discovery Networks. Instead, after much investigation for his possible stomach complaint at the John Radcliffe hospital and after a lot of misdiagnoses, they discovered that he was suffering from a bipolar mixed affective disorder.”

Jack Abell, media officer for Thames Valley Police, confirmed that officers are investigating the disappearance and are eager to hear from anyone with information.