Alan Ashman

Allan Ashman
Personal information
Full nameGeorge Alan Ashman
Date of birth30 May 1928
Place of birthRotherham, England
Date of death30 November 2002 (aged 74)
Place of deathWalsall, England
Playing positionCentre forward
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
Sheffield United
–Nottingham Forest
1951–1957Carlisle United214(98)
Teams managed
1963–1967Carlisle United
1967–1971West Bromwich Albion
1971–1972Olympiacos
1972–1975Carlisle United
1975–1977Workington
(n/a)Walsall
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

George Alan Ashman (30 May 1928 – 30 November 2002) was an English association footballer, best remembered for some notable managerial successes.

Playing career

Born in Rotherham, Ashman had an undistinguished amateur playing career with Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest during the ad hoc competitions of World War II.

In 1951, he signed for Carlisle United for whom he made 207 appearances, scoring 98 goals.[1] In 1958, suffering from cartilage damage, he retired from playing to manage the poultry farm of one of the club's directors. As a recreation, he managed amateur team Penrith and when Third Division Carlisle found themselves in need of a manager in February 1963, the club offered Ashman the job. During his playing career he played cricket for Cumberland in the 1956 Minor Counties Championship.[2]

In 2009 Ashman was named at 18th in a list of Carlisle United's top 100 players, compiled by local newspaper the News and Star.[1]

Management career

Ashman was too late to prevent that season's relegation but the following season saw a bounce back, and the season after that, the Third Division championship. Leading Division Two for much of the 1965–66 season, the club was disappointed to miss out on promotion by finishing third.

Ashman's exploits had not gone unnoticed and, in 1967, he joined West Bromwich Albion, leading them in a series of exciting cup runs, crowned by victory in the 1968 FA Cup. His new club was, however, impatient for further trophies and he was dismissed in 1971, hearing of the news from a waiter while on holiday in Greece.

Somewhat ironically, he went on to manage Olympiakos before returning to Carlisle in August 1972, leading the club to the First Division and a brief spell at the top of the entire English league.

The heights were short-lived and Ashman left the club to manage Workington A.F.C. from 1975 to 1977 and Walsall F.C. before settling for junior coaching and scouting roles at Derby County F.C., Hereford United F.C. and Swallows of Walsall. He died in 2002 in Walsall. A minute's silence was held in his honour prior to West Bromwich Albion's home match against Sunderland.[3]

Honours

Managerial

Carlisle United (1963–1967) & (1972–1975)
West Bromwich Albion (1967–1971)
Olympiacos (1971–1972)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Carlisle Utd's top 100 players". Carlisle united F.C. 23 October 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  2. ↑ "Player profile: Alan Ashman". CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "WBA vs Sunderland". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 21 December 2002. Retrieved 6 November 2008.

External links