The family of former Glentoran goalkeeper and Second World War hero Thomas Pearson MM visited The BetMcLean Oval on Friday evening as special guests of the club for the Clearer Water Irish Cup tie against Larne, more than eight decades after the player lost his life serving with the Irish Guards.

Pearson’s niece Elizabeth Bryan, accompanied by her son Rupert Bryan and grandson Rory Bryan, travelled to Belfast to retrace their uncle’s footsteps and see the stadium where he once played before volunteering to serve during the war.

During their visit, the family presented Glentoran with the original letter sent by Pearson’s commanding officer to his wife Margaret, informing her of his death in April 1943. The letter will now become part of the club’s historical display honouring Pearson’s life and bravery.

Earlier in the day, the family were welcomed to The Oval by club historian Sam Robinson, who has spent many years researching Pearson’s story and tracing surviving relatives.

Robinson hosted the family for a guided tour of the stadium before showing them around Belfast, including the area close to Parkgate Avenue, where Pearson lived during his time in the city.

Sam Robinson, historian of Glentoran Football Club. said: “For more than twenty years I’ve been researching the story of Tom Pearson and trying to learn more about the man behind the name that supporters see remembered at The Oval.

“He was not only a popular Glentoran goalkeeper in the late 1930s, but a man who displayed remarkable courage during the Second World War and ultimately gave his life in service.

“To finally trace members of his family and welcome them to The Oval, to show them the memorial, the medal and the respect the club still has for Tom all these years later, was a very special and emotional moment. In many ways it felt like we had finally been able to reconnect his family with the football club that still proudly remembers him.”

Ahead of Friday night’s Irish Cup match, the family returned to the ground as guests of the club and were welcomed by Glentoran chairman Colin Jess, who showed them the club’s war memorial at the directors’ entrance.

The memorial honours members of the Glentoran family who lost their lives in military service, including Pearson, whose story has become an enduring part of the club’s history.

Speaking after meeting the family, Colin Jess, Chairman of Glentoran Football Club said: “It was a real honour for everyone at Glentoran to welcome Thomas Pearson’s family to The Oval.

“Tom was not only a popular goalkeeper here in the late 1930s, he was also a man who showed extraordinary courage in service to his country.

“His story is one that means a great deal to this football club and to generations of supporters who have learned about the bravery he showed during the war.

“To have his family here with us, and to receive the original letter sent to his wife after his death, was a very special and moving moment for the club.

“It means that Tom’s story, both as a Glentoran player and as a war hero, will continue to be remembered here at The Oval for many years to come.”

Pearson joined Glentoran at the start of the 1936/37 season after spells with Derby County and Hull City, quickly becoming a popular figure among supporters while living with his wife Margaret near The Oval on Parkgate Avenue.

After the outbreak of the Second World War, he enlisted in the Irish Guards, rising to the rank of Lance Sergeant.

In March 1943, while serving with Montgomery’s Eighth Army in Tunisia, Pearson displayed extraordinary bravery when his unit came under heavy enemy fire on Sugar Loaf Mountain. Mounting a Bren gun loaded with tracer rounds, he deliberately drew enemy fire for over an hour, allowing many of his comrades to escape.

For his actions he was awarded the Military Medal, but just weeks later, on 28 April 1943, he was fatally wounded in battle. He is buried at the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Oued Zarga in Tunisia, where a wreath laid by Glentoran marks his resting place.

Speaking about the visit, Elizabeth Bryan, Tom Pearson’s niece, said: “It has been incredibly special for us to come to Belfast and visit The Oval, the place where Tom played his football all those years ago.

“In our family he was always spoken about with enormous pride, but to see how warmly he is still remembered by Glentoran after more than 80 years has been very moving for us.

“Seeing the memorial and the medal, and hearing the stories about him from the club, has meant a great deal to our family.

“We’re honoured that the letter sent to his wife after his death will now be kept here alongside the other items that tell Tom’s story.”