Eight years ago I walked through the gates at Stoke Lane for the first time in many years. As i was being greeted by the members of Carlton Town Football Club along came a well-dressed and pleasant gentleman to see who the new guy was.’Hello,Brian Dennett, Commercial manager’ were the first words that i received as my introductions were being made.Little was i to know at the time how such a good friendship would evolve over the years from a man that wanted to be involved with everything about the football club.
Brian was a man with so much knowledge and at an age of seventy-two was still active and keen to be making a difference where a lot of people at his time of life would be quite content to see their days pass by. He was a man that was a constant threat to everybody’s pocket with his endeavour to raise whatever funds he could to aid the progress of the club. His only intention was to be seen to be making money to help everybody involved have an opportunity for he knew that without his efforts the personnel involved wouldn’t have such a good football club.
Over the last few years myself and Brian would travel together to fixtures home and away with Brian driving to the home games and myself to the away ones. He was a very knowledgeable man who knew everything about every town or village that we passed through. Every trip that we had together was always like an adventure and each time it was always an interesting drive to say the least.
In his latter years Brian would struggle with illness but this wouldn’t deter him getting up on a Saturday morning or getting out in mid-week to support a club that was dear to his heart. He would still be active and still be plugging away to do his bit even at the age of seventy-nine with his constant requests of people for money for the club to keep us all afloat.
Sadly Brian passed away on Wednesday 24th February at 8PM and even in his final week from his hospital bed whilst struggling for his life was still fund-raising for the club. I have no doubt now that he will be up there at the Pearly Gates trying to convince St Peter to empty his pockets for sponsorship for the benefit of the club and that once he is through those gates be going to the big man himself.
God bless you Brian, thank-you for everything that you did for us all at the club and thank-you personally for the last eight years.
R.I.P Brian Dennett 3rd February 1942 – 24th February 2021
Article by Phil Jennings