Ashton United F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Ashton United


fullname = Ashton United Football Club
nickname = The Robins
founded = 1878 (as Hurst FC)
ground = Hurst Cross,Surrey Street Ashton-under-Lyne
capacity = 4,000
chairman = David Aspinall
manager = Danny Johnson
league = NPL Premier Division
season = 2007-08
position = NPL Premier Division, 10th
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Ashton United Football Club is an English football club, based in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester. The club was originally founded in 1878 as Hurst F.C. and Hurst club's earliest match report dates back to March 1879 when the club were playing at Hurst Cross, their current ground. This makes their home one of the oldest football grounds in the world. The club first entered the FA Cup in 1883, reaching the 2nd round at their first attempt. In 1885 Hurst beat Newton Heath (forerunners of Manchester United) 3-0 in the inaugural Manchester Senior Cup Final. The club's first league was the Ashton & District League and in 1909 Hurst joined the Manchester League, winning the Championship in 1912 and joining the Lancashire Combination the following season. The club switched leagues again in 1923, joining the Cheshire County League.

Just prior to World War Two Hurst signed one of the star players of the period, Dixie Dean but the outbreak of hostilities ended his spell at the club. The club resumed playing after the war and changed their name to Ashton United in 1946 before joining the Lancashire Combination in 1947. The 1950's brought success in various cup competitions with four Manchester Challenge Cup wins and a Manchester Intermediate Cup triumph allied to two appearances in the first round of the FA Cup in 1952 and 1955. In 1959 a young Alan Ball made his Ashton debut at the start of a long and glorious career. The club won the Lancashire Combination Second Division in 1961 before moving to the Midland League in 1964 then back to the Lancashire Combination in 1966. Ashton returned to the Cheshire County League in 1968 and remained members until the league folded after the foundation of the North West Counties League in 1982. In 1988 Ashton won the 2nd Division of the North West Counties League and in 1992 lifted the Championship of the 1st Division, earning a place in the Northern Premier League (1st division) for the first time in the club's history. After a decade of near misses Ashton finally won promotion to the Premier Division of the NPL in 2002 - in the same season Ashton's Gareth Morris scored the fastest FA Cup goal, registered at four seconds against Skelmersdale United. In 2004 Ashton scraped into the final available place for the restructured Conference North, but their stay lasted just one season before returning to the Northern Premier League in 2005. Danny Johnson was appointed manager in April 2007 and led the club to a 10th place finish in 2008, ensuring the club celebrated the 130th anniversary of the founding of the original Hurst FC with their highest-ever finish in the NPL.

History

*1912-13 - Joined Lancashire Combination Division Two. Promoted to Division One
*1914-15 - Lancashire Combination runner-up
*1915 - Left Lancashire Combination
*1923-24 - Joined Cheshire County League
*1946 - Changed name from Hurst to Ashton United
*1948-49 - Joined Lancashire Combination Division One
*1961 - Relegated to Division Two, despite finishing 12th of 22
*1961-62 - Lancashire Combination Division Two Champions; promoted to Division One
*1964-65 - Joined Midland League
*1966-67 - Rejoined Lancashire Combination Division Two
*1968-69 - Rejoined Cheshire County League
*1982-83 - Founder members of North West Counties League
*1983-84 - Four points deducted, leading to relegation to Division Two
*1985-86 - One point deducted
*1987-88 - North West Counties League Division Two Champions; promoted to Division One
*1988-89 - Two points deducted
*1991-92 - North West Counties League Champions
*1992-93 - Joined Northern Premier League Division One
*1995-96 - Four points deducted
*2001-02 - Promoted to Premier Division after play-offs
*2004-05 - Joined Conference in newly-formed Northern Division
*2004-05 - Relegated to Northern Premier League

* Best league position: 14th in Northern Premier League, Premier Division (then level 6), 2003-04
* Best FA Cup performance: 2nd Round, 1883-84 and 1885 -86
* Best FA Trophy performance: quarter-final, 1996-97
* Best FA Vase performance: 4th round, 1992-93

Source: fchd|id=ASHTONU|name=Ashton United