Ashton United

Ashton United FC is a non-league club from Ashton under Lyne, a town east of Manchester. They were formed in 1878 as Hurst FC. The club initially played at Holebottom on Smallshaw Lane, then Rosehill, which were both close to Hurst Cross where they moved to in 1890.

The Robins' started out life playing local football and then the Manchester League prior to becoming members of the Lancashire Combination, winning promotion to Division One in their 1912-13 debut season. They were runners-up in the competition in 1914-15 before becoming members of the Cheshire County League in 1923. 

A downloaded image of the previous Main Stand at Hurst Cross

In 1940 the Everton legend Dixie Dean made a couple of appearances for Hurst. In 1946 the club took on its current name and a year later they moved back into the Lancashire Combination. They remained in its topflight before being relegated in 1960-61 but quickly regained their status by being crowned as Division Two champions twelve months later.

A move to the Midland League followed for the start of the 1964-65 season, before returning to the Lancashire Combination for a season before playing football in the Cheshire League as they rejoined for the commencement of the 1968-69 campaign. 

In 1982 Ashton became founder members of the North West Counties League which heralded the beginning of a successful era for the club one the disappointment to Division Two in 1983-84 was overcome. The Division Two title was won in 1987-88 before Ashton won the NWCL title in 1991-92.

United were promoted to the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League in 2001-02 with Gerry Quinn in charge of team affairs when Spennymoor United and then Bamber Bridge were defeated in the play-offs. 

The club rose to the newly formed Conference North for the 2004-05 season but found the elevation too steep as they dropped back down to the Northern Premier League after just one term as Danny Johnson was appointed manager.

In February 2010, the club faced liquidation after one of their players was found guilty of injury to Altrincham player Marcus Hallows. Hallows was awarded £32,000 at a court hearing plus costs, a sum that United could not afford. An appeal failed so an out of court settlement for an undisclosed fee was agreed upon to save Ashton from liquidation. 

New joint-managers Paul Phillips and Steve Halford were appointed prior to United reaching the play-offs in 2013-14, defeating FC United of Manchester before being defeated on penalties in the final against AFC Fylde. 2014-15 saw the season extended once again, this time local rivals Curzon Ashton winning a play-off clash.

Once again, the play-offs were reached in 2015-16. This time Salford City proved too strong in their semi-final encounter. Jody Banim and Will Haining became joint managers from September 2016 before Banim went it alone.

The 2017-18 campaign ended in promotion following a league runners-up spot, after wins over Farsley Celtic and Grantham Town in the play-offs. Former Manchester United starlet Michael Clegg arrived as the new manager of the Robins in November 2019, but could not help his team save themselves from relegation a few months later.

A couple of abandoned seasons followed owing to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, which was followed by a disappointing campaign, which saw a change of managers, with Steve Cunningham taking the job in January 2023.

Ashton United FC will compete in the Northern Premier League Premier Division for the 2023-24 season.

My visits

Tuesday 20th July 2010

I was in the Manchester area for three days to see sights, visit excellent new pubs by night and football clubs by day. I was in the Tameside area and had just visited United’s local neighbours Curzon Ashton before embarking on a longer walk than I envisaged to Hurst Cross.

I got to the ground to see it locked but some form of life in the social club. I managed to attract the attention of the barman through the locked door, but he couldn’t get me access inside the ground as the club was built outside it. However, he did tell me of a door in the wall further down that was likely to be unlocked.

He was accurate and I was soon inside and attracting the attention of the groundsman who was cutting the pitch. I couldn’t believe it. It was the same man who gave me permission to wander about at Cheadle Town the previous day! He looked after both clubs.

Hurst Cross was a lovely old traditional ground. There was plentiful concreted terracing all around complete with crush barriers. The Sid Sykes Stand contained seating down the side where I entered with the Popular Stand opposite catering for covered standing.

I left and had a look at the Hurst Cross in the middle of the road on a traffic island before walking down the hill to catch the bus to Mossley.

Ashton United 4 Kendal Town 1 (Wednesday 27th February 2013) Northern Premier League Premier Division (att: 107)

My first visit for a game to Hurst Cross was a trifle fortunate. Following an overnight stay in Blackpool to go to the Fleetwood Town v Cheltenham Town match I headed to Manchester for another night in a hotel. Some weeks previously I had booked a room at the Arena Travelodge for just £19 before knowing which games were on. 

Heavy frost had led to Ashton's game being postponed the previous Saturday and the quick re-arrangement suited me perfectly. The day started superbly with a jog and bowl on Blackpool beach with the sun shining. After a shower I was soon on the train to Manchester where I had three hours to kill before I could check in at the hotel. I had some great ways to fill in my time.

I visited the venue of NWCFL newcomers West Didsbury & Chorlton for photos, by tram before returning for a swift pint in the superb Circus Tavern on Portland Street, which I thought was necessary for fans of football nostalgia and proper pubs to call into. After sitting out in the glorious sun to enjoy some lunch in Piccadilly Gardens I headed to the National Football Museum, where admission was free. 

I spent a worthwhile ninety-minutes perusing before heading to book into my room and then walking to Salford to visit the fine Kings Head ale house owned by Paul Heaton of Beautiful South fame. A couple of train rides took me to Ashton-Under-Lyne an hour before kick-off.

I'd been to Hurst Cross one summers day to take photos, but my bearings were more difficult in the dark. I arrived around twenty-five minutes later, and after finding no hand pumps working in either pub outside, I had a pint of keg Sam Smiths in the clubhouse with music of the 70's blaring out before going into the ground, where I paid £9 admission plus £2 for the A4 sized programme.

Hurst Cross was as I suspected an excellent venue to watch football, with a decent Main Stand, cover opposite and plenty of terracing and crush barriers. It also had a club shop and a top rate food hut where the pie chips & gravy was a lot cheaper than at Fleetwood the previous evening and just as tasty.

Ashton looked the better side, and it was no surprise when (a) they went one up, and (b) they waited until I was behind the stand on a walk round the ground to do so as Aaron Burns netted from close in on twenty-six minutes. 

He doubled the advantage eleven minutes later before early substitute Dennis Sherriff made it three a couple of minutes after that. Kendal keeper Craig Dootson blew several fuses, much to the delight of the home faithful who wound him up with gusto. 

He returned out onto the pitch before his Mintmen teammates for the second half, no doubt to cool down and keep out of the way of some of those who may have considered to have been lacklustre in their endeavours. 

Sherriff made it four within sixty seconds of the restart, but to the credit to Kendal and their young side, they kept going. They were rewarded when they pulled one back just past the hour mark through Maison McGeechan and then enjoyed a spell of pressure, but normal service was soon resumed. 

It was getting extremely cold up in the hills and not even a Bovril had too much effect, so I wasn't upset at full time having seen a reasonable game that I could have a good walk back down the hill to the station. As luck would have it the train was fifteen minutes late, meaning a late arrival back to Victoria. 

The walk uphill on Rochdale Road in Manchester on my return to sample the fine ales in the Marble Arch was restricted to just the one pint, before enjoying a night cap in The Angel to round off a quality day. 

The following morning, I headed to see my dad and spend a few days in Scarborough and the surrounding countryside.