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Ashville Football Club

John Dennett Was Born on 23rd July 1924 in Bramham, Yorkshire but soon moved to Somerset with his parents as a child. John grew up in a town called Melksham and spent most of his youth there. Upon leaving school he was not one to sit around and with the outbreak of the Second World War he enlisted to join the Royal Navy, even though he was only aged 17 this did not prevent him from joining the allied forces. Photo is S/M John Dennett Founder of Ashville Football Club

John Dennett served on board LST 322 (a Landing Ship, Tank). Before D-Day both he and the ship had already participated in the landings at Sicily, Salerno and Anzio in Italy. They loaded tanks and Lorries in the Portsmouth area, and then waited in the Solent. The LST landed her troops on Sword Beach in the late morning of D-Day. After 6 June, LST 322 made another estimated 15 trips to pick up more Allied troops from Portsmouth, Southampton or Tilbury. They often carried wounded men on the return journey, and there was a temporary operating theatre set up on board. After the end of the war John moved to Wallasey where he met Joyce and they later married. Just four years after the end of the war came the birth of Ashville Football Club.

Ashville Football Club was founded in 1949 by John and Joyce Dennett, (Pictured Below) from 25 Ashville Road Wallasey. From that humble beginning they had immediate success in the Wallasey Youth league, before progressing to the Bebington league in 1951. After winning the championship, Ashville moved to the Wirral Combination and won the league for three consecutive seasons.

In the 1955-56 season Ashville were voted into the West Cheshire League Division Two, and in their first season won both the championship and the West Cheshire Bowl. In the following season they were promoted to Division One, and amongst the honours collected at their Wallacre Park ground were the Wirral Amateur and Wirral Senior Cups. In 1962, Ashville moved to their present ground ‘Villa Park’, where they have had some success, notably the First division championship in the 1967-68 season and more recently, 1997/98 season, winning the coveted ‘Cheshire Amateur Cup’ whilst finishing a creditable, Runner-Up in the Division One championship.

The picture above is from 1995, many of the players stayed for the majority of their careers, but one man didn’t. Gary Jones, just a young lad on the photograph, went on to play for professional football with teams such as Rochdale, Barnsley and later Bradford City. Gary Jones seen below also bottom right.

In the season 2002/03 having been re-instated in Division One after finishing in a relegation place the season before, Ashville went on to win the Pyke Cup for the first time In 2009/2010, Ashville Reserves defied the odds to win the Auto Focus Challenge Shield 1-0 under the guidance of manager Mike Melling.

In 2010/11 came a new era at Ashville Football Club with the appointment of Joint Managers Steve Platt & Jason Aldcroft bringing in a new batch of players and exciting football. Ashville stormed to victory in the West Cheshire League Division 2 title as well as winning the prestigious Cheshire Amateur Cup for the second time in the clubs history. Ashville also won the Howarth & Gallagher Bowl and suffered defeat in the final of the Wirral Senior Cup. Ashville Reserves also secured promotion from Division 3 into Division 2.

In 2011/12 Season, Ashville had returned to Division 1 and finally secured the First Division title for the first time in 44 years. Ashville also went on to win the Wirral Senior Cup along with the Bill Weight Trophy. Ashville Reserves also secured silverware with manager John Graham leading them to victory in the Wirral Amateur Cup as well as becoming runners up on goal difference in West Cheshire Division 2.

Ashville have been part of the Wallasey Community for over 60 years and have had long and new serving senior members who have helped make Ashville the Club it’s today such as The four Trustees John Dennett, Joe Mallon, Ken Baker, Josie Baker, President Dave Walton, Chairman Bill Graham, Vice Chairman Ray Reid and Secretary John Lawrenson. There is that many people that have been part of the club to mention, nearly every family in Wallasey has had somebody connected to Ashville. Ashville are always looking for new members to get involved in the club. Ashville offers youth football for all ages as well as boasting 2 successful senior sides.

The picture above is the Ashville Committee receiving the trophy haul of 2010/11 season at the West Cheshire Awards night. The Cheshire Amateur Cup seen above is the most Prestigious trophy to be won in the North West of England, Ashville have won the competition on two occasions.

Another lifelong servant of Ashville is Joe Mallon who played in his younger years and later became the clubs grounds man and is now a club trustee and still attends the games.

Ashville continues to serve the community of Wallasey and Wirral,