Junior club chairman in Jude Bellingham's Black Country hometown creates eye-catching mural for star
A football coach and the chairman of a junior club will be hoping for a great performance by Jude Bellingham after painting a mural inspired by the star Stourbridge-born midfielder on his front lawn.
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Bryn Nicholls is a massive football fan, a former coach and the chairman of Forest Falcons Juniors. In over 30 years at the Stourbridge-based club he has seen players such as Lee Sharpe and Lee Hughes come through the ranks.
But his eyes will be on the 21-year-old midfielder who was born in the town, brought up in Hagley and has already scored two goals in England's Euro 2024 campaign as they have gone through to the semi finals. They will kick off against the Netherlands in Dortmund in less than two hours for a place in the final against Spain.
Mr Nicholls, aged 66, is retired from the post office and has previously painted his lawn for important events and football games since 2006, including the London Olympics and the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
The designs are created with marking paint, and Mr Nicholls used to mark out pitches for Kinver cricket club, building up his experience.
He said: "I don't know Jude or the family but they are from the town and the whole of Stourbridge and the Black Country is behind them.
"At Forest Falcons, we see boys and girls wanting to play football from a young age which is what Jude did in the same area. Someone like him can acts as an inspiration to them."
The lifelong Wolves fans said he is confident England will win tonight and said England have the players in the likes of Bellingham and Phil Foden to 'win convincingly.'
He said: "They have the potential to give someone a thrashing and I think it could be tonight. They are through the group stages where it can be a bit cagey and it is win or bust, but I am confident they will go on and get to the final."
