Mural of 99-year-old John Dennett BEM painted in Wallasey

John Dennett BEM, from Wallasey, joined the Royal Navy when he was 17. John served with them for four and a half years and was involved in the Normandy landings in 1944.

John and his wife Joyce, moved in together in the late 1940s, and Joyce encouraged her husband to found a junior football team.

In 1949, they named the team after the street they lived on at the time – Ashville Road, in Wallasey. 74 years later, Ashville FC are still very much alive under his chairmanship and guidance.

In 2022, John received an BEM in the King's New Years Honours List for his voluntary service to Veterans.

John and the mural (Image: Paul Curtis)

He has worked for the Italy Star Association for decades, and in 2019 became the President of the Association.

As well as representing the Association, he willingly shares his knowledge by speaking with people and writing articles for their magazine so that the younger generations can learn about his experiences when he served his country.

In November 2019, he participated in the Royal British Legion's Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, in a feature about Monte Cassino and Kohima. He has also represented the Association at events hosted by the Not Forgotten Association, both in the Northwest and in London.

Paul also painted the club's badge next to John (Image: Paul Curtis)

The new mural...

To honour their founder, Ashville FC asked Liverpool mural artist, Paul Curtis, to paint a mural of John on a wall of their clubhouse.

Speaking to the Globe, Paul said: "It was nice for me to learn more about John as I didn't know much about his story.

"It's an honour to paint someone like that. I understand why people like football murals and that but sometimes people forget who really deserves them."

After three days of painting, the mural was completed for John's 99th birthday.

Paul added: "I think he was pretty moved by it.

"All the people who look after him said he was overjoyed by it. I could tell he was the day he came out for photos and he went and got his jacket on. It showed it did mean something to him."

John has played a 'key role' in football within the local community

A spokesperson for Ashville FC said: "John, a war veteran, has since 1949, when he founded Ashville Football Club on the Wirral played a key role in the running of grassroots football within the local community for both youth and adult teams, offering them a focus and an opportunity that provided a platform that enables players to engage within their community, build relationships, learn new skills and play the sport they love. John is known far and wide for the great work he does.

"To recognise this and also to celebrate his 99th birthday, all 23 Ashville Football Teams wanted to give him something that would show him just how much he means to us all and we felt this mural was a fitting tribute for a man that has done so much for both the local and wider communities."