Ashville FC face EFL side Tranmere Rovers in the Cheshire Senior Cup on Thursday night as the team marks 75 years since D-Day veteran John Dennett BEM founded the club.
The non-leaguers play in the Northwest Counties First Division South but will be sharing the pitch with League Two Tranmere in a historic night for the Wallasey club.
The David v Goliath clash comes as Ashville celebrate their 75th anniversary as well as their founder John Dennett’s 100th birthday back in July.
Mr Dennett signed up when he was just 17-years-old and served at every major allied landing during WW2. He was honoured with a BEM in 2023.
The war hero founded Ashville FC with his wife Joyce in 1949, whom he met just prior to the D-Day landings.
There may be seven divisions between the two Wirral sides, but manager Steven Scott says he is hoping to provide an early birthday present to the club’s legendary founder.
Scott, who joined Ashville in May this year, said: “I think if you could have given the club one tie to play, it absolutely would have been Tranmere.
“The founder of the club John Dennett was 100-years-old in July, so it’s a great celebration for the club in terms of that.
“However, it is a game, and we want to win. Whether I’m deluded or not, is another thing, isn’t it? That’s why it’s the best game in the world because upsets happen.”
Mr Dennett’s house overlooks Ashville’s home ground, the Ray Parker Stadium, and the veteran can often be seen watching games from his window.
While hosting Rovers at the ground would be quite the sight, Scott suggested the away draw may prove to be a blessing in disguise for the 100-year-old.
“When we put the floodlights on, we have to keep an eye on John’s house because it normally trips all the electric, so we have to run up to his house and put it back on for him!”
Despite the gulf between the two sides, Ashville come into the game full of confidence having produced another upset against Marske United in the FA Vase first round last Saturday.
Scott, who earned three promotions at his previous club FC Bootle, hopes that Thursday’s game will be the first of many special occasions for Ashville over the coming years.
He said: “Since I’ve come into the club, it’s been brilliant. It has got massive potential.
“I want to win, I want to win the league, I want to win the league every year.
“If you’re not playing the game to win, why are you playing it? If you don’t set your ambitions as high as you can, you’re never going to achieve a high.”
Scott’s message to the Ashville faithful is to ‘be loud and enjoy it’ whilst he has also asked any neutrals to get behind this ‘special’ club.
“Give us a try, give us a chance because we want to get people into our club, and we want to make them feel part of it and we think we can be a winning football team.”
Whatever the result, it will surely be a good day out for the Ashville supporters.
Tickets are still available for the first-round clash at Prenton Park.
KO is at 7:45 on Thursday 24th October.
