Ashington
Formed 1883
Founder member of Division Three (North) 1921. Failed re-election 1929.
Kit History
Ashington Rising Star
1883
1883 f
Ashington
1888?
Formerly Ashington Rising Star
1890-1891 k
1891-1892 k
1892-1898
1898-1899 c
1899-1902
1902-1903 h
1903-1914
1914-1920 a c e
1922-1923 c g i
1923-1924 c d e g j
1924-1927 a c g
1928-1929 b c
Background
The coal mining town of Ashington
is famous for the great footballers it produced, including "Wor"
Jackie Milburn and the Charlton brothers, Bobby and Jack. Legend has it that whenever Newcastle United needed a new player, the directors would shout the position required down the pit and a miner would emerge.
Ashington FC is one of the oldest clubs in the county, having been formed in 1883. Despite their minor status, they were ambitious and entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1887.
Although the club takes its official date of formation as 1883, it is interesting to note that the modern club crest gives 1888 as the year they were established. Joannou & Candlish state that the modern Ashington FC was "formed out of the (original) Rising Star" so it is likely that the original club went out of business and was reformed at that time.
The Colliers joined the Northern Alliance in 1892 but found competition too stiff and dropped down to the East Northumberland League where they remained until 1902 when they returned to the Northern Alliance. After being runners-up for three consecutive seasons, Ashington won the League title in 1914 and spent the following season in the North-Eastern League, the highest level of regional competition.
Records of their colours before 1914 are sketchy but in 1902-03 they were registered as green and black with the Northern Alliance and it seems reasonable to assume that this is what appears in the team photograph shown here.
After one more season in the North-Eastern League following the Great War, Ashington became founder members of the new Third Division (North) in 1921. Ashington’s first game in the Football League attracted 10,000 people and saw Dickinson give the Colliers a 1-0 victory. Sadly their Football League adventure lasted only 8 years during which the club never finished above mid table before a disastrous campaign in 1928-29 saw them finish bottom in the midst of the miners' strike. With no money coming in, the community could no longer afford to support the club and attendances collapsed. It came as no surprise that the club was not re-elected, York City taking their place.
The club returned to the North Eastern League and survives to this day.
Sources
- (a) Ashington: A History in Pictures
- (b) Rejected FC (Dave Twydell 1989) - information provided by Greger Lindberg.
- (c) Ashington FC official Site
- (d) Trevor Johnson
- (e) Keith Ellis (HFK Research Associate)
- (f) Pioneers of the North (Paul Joannou & Alan Candlish, Breedon Books 2009)
- (g) Simon Monks
- (h) Athletic News (3 November 1902) submitted by Kingsley (Wrexham FC)
- (i) Athletic News (19 February 1923) submitted by Kingsley (Wrexham FC)
- (j) Lancashire Evening Post (5 July 1924) submitted by Richard Essen
- (k) Charles Alcock's Football Annuals 1869-1891 researched by Robin Horton