JOHN'S TRIBUTE IS JUST TON-DERFUL

ONE of my highlights during the past season was visiting Ashville FC on the day of their 75th anniversary celebrations where 100-year-old club founder John Dennett delivered an emotional speech.

- TONY INCENZO

Dennett originally launched Ashville with his wife Joyce in 1949 as a junior football outfit. The team’s name was adopted from the street they lived on back then — Ashville Road in Wallasey - and the aim was to give local boys somewhere to play.

Nowadays, Ashville possess 23 teams of all ages. Filling their club president duties, Dennett must surely be the oldest serving official in Non-League circles. Significantly, his input has been recognised by a giant mural depicting him on the clubhouse outer wall.

After I saw Ashville defeat Alsager Town 2-1 in the North West Counties League First Division South, a party was held in the clubhouse. An array of guests were invited along for 75th anniversary commemorations and the room fell silent when centenarian Dennett took to the microphone.