Ashington A.F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ashington A.F.C. are an English football club from Ashington, Northumberland.
Former members of the Football League, the club are currently in the Northern League, and play their home matches at Portland Park. Their home kit is black and white stripes.
[edit] History
The club were founded in 1883, and joined the Northern Alliance at the start of the 1892/3 season. At the end of the season the club dropped out of the Alliance and joined the East Northumberland League, which they won in 1898. At the end of the 1901/2 season the club rejoined the Northern Alliance, and in 1909 moved to their current ground, Portland Park. The club won the Alliance in 1913, and moved to the North Eastern League.
In 1921, the club were elected to The Football League and became founder members of the Third Division North. They recorded their best FA Cup performance during the 1926/7 season, when they reached the 3rd round. However, they were voted out of the league in 1929, and were replaced by York City.
After a year's hiatus, the club rejoined the North Eastern League. In 1950, the club recorded its record attendance, when 13,199 saw them play Rochdale in the FA Cup. The club moved to the Midland League in 1958, but the league folded in 1960. Two seasons later the club moved back to the North Eastern League. Unfortunately the North Eastern League also folded within a couple of seasons, and the club spent a season in the North Regional League before becoming a founder member of the Northern Premier League in 1968. However, they dropped out after one season, and moved to the Northern League at the start of the 1970/1 season, where they have remained since.
Their last success of note was to reach the semi-finals of the last FA Amateur Cup competition in the 1973/4 season, before losing to eventual winners Bishop's Stortford.
[edit] Famous Players/Managers
Though Ashington have had few players of note, several famous sportsmen have links to the town. Bobby Charlton, Jack Charlton and Jackie Milburn were all born in the town, whilst the father of England Cricketer Steve Harmison played for the club in the 1970s.
