The Club's changing rooms by now were above the Rams Head Inn at Stubshaw Cross. As

the Pub suffered badly from mining subsidence, the washing facilities of consisted

of one domestic sized bath which had a deep end and a shallow end!. During this time

the Club's first eleven suffered the ignominy of being involved of being involved

in a game against a Leigh Police eleven where all 22 players were dismissed from the

field by the referee. After Law and order had been restored the Ashton team were cleared

of all blame by the Lancashire FA, though a moral victory was claimed due to "Gordy"

Lyon thumping a particularly well built "bobby".

Two Ashton players, Peter Kenyon and centre half Les Walkden played on several occasions

for the LAL representative team, and during the same period the Club provided two

goalkeepers with both Les's brother Derek and Harold Lea being selected, depending

on which of them was in Ashton's first team at the time.

The Club had always enjoyed a first class relationship with the School and these were

strengthened when the School moved to it's Warrington Road site (close to the entrance

to Haydock Park Racecourse) in 1965. Use of School pitches was allowed in the early

1970's and became a permanent arrangement for the 1st and 2nd teams who played at

this ground until 1997.

Allan Pilling was hugely influential in the running of the Club, and it was no coincidence

that the most successful period of the Club followed.

In 1976 the Club purchased it's own Clubhouse on Bolton Road known as The Ashtonian

Club helped by the remainder of the proceeds from the Old Ashtonians compensation

for losing their ground to the M6.

This building became the Club's base, housing changing rooms and showers for teams

playing on the adjoining Armoury Bank ground. The Club grew to 4 and then 5 teams

in the L.A.L. and an active Social Club grew with 2 Mixed Hockey, Cricket and Mothers

& Toddlers groups all thriving.

Ashtonians Football Club

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