By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Karl Ross – honoured to lead the Ashington side out in the absence of injured skipper Nathan Buddle – thought the Colliers were tremendous as they blew away visitors Carlton Town at Woodhorn Lane on Saturday after a convincing 4-0 victory.

The 25 year old said afterwards: “Obviously it was a big occasion with it being Remembrance Day. We started well and went 2-0 up then the injuries started to hit us towards the middle of the half – and it did disrupt us. If they (Carlton) had got one back, 2-1 is a tricky score line and it could have turned into a difficult game. However, the third goal shortly after half time calmed all our nerves and the result was never in doubt. We just dominated – and I thought the lads were tremendous today.”

Cramlington-based Ross believes Ashington – who were promoted from the Ebac Northern League’s first division at the end of last season to the Pitching In Northern Premier League East Division – are ‘finding their feet’ following the step up: “Adapting to a new league takes time,” he said, “We are coming up against a different type of football but in the last few games we have started to find our feet and are coming on strong.” Ross is delighted to wear the captain’s armband for his home town club: “It’s my fifth year here and I love it,” he added, “We’ve got a great dressing room and whilst Nathan (Buddle) is out, it’s a great honour to lead the lads out in my role as vice skipper.”

By Brian Bennett

A delighted Ian Skinner emerged from a happy Ashington dressing room on Saturday night after his outfit had demolished Carlton Town by a 4-0 score line at Woodhorn Lane.

And the boss – who labelled his sides display as being ‘magnificent’ – added that the performance was one of the best of the season.

Skinner’s team were rampant from the off and sailed into an early two goals lead through Connor Thomson and Dan Maguire. At the start of the second period, substitute Oli Thompson and Connor Thomson were both on target and the Colliers should have added more to their tally.

“The lads deserve full credit – each and every one of them including the couple of lads who didn’t get onto the pitch today,” said Skinner afterwards, “We knew beforehand that it was going to be a tough game. However, from the information we had gathered on Carlton, we had a plan which we thought could cause them some problems – and all credit to the players who I just thought were ‘at it’ and brilliant from the first whistle. We talked about how we have made a couple of long journeys this season including last week when we went down to Grantham and how difficult it can be regardless of how early you arrive at the ground and how vigorous the warm up is to get the journey out of your system. So we spoke about being at home; being on the front foot; starting really positively and playing at pace – and I think we did all of those things and raced into a 2-0 lead, with two very good goals to be honest.”

Skinner then bumped into an unusual on-field situation – one which he reckons he has never had to face before: “There was a crazy little period in the game where we lost three players to injury,” he added, “I’ve lost a left centre back (Darren Lough) and a left back (Jordan Summerly) so we’ve had to shuffle the pack then one of the subs we brought on (Cam Gascoigne) has also gone off injured and I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in a game where I’ve had to make three substitutions in the first half hour. But again credit to the lads because it meant two or three reshuffles and slight tweaks to how we had originally lined up and I thought we dominated the game if the truth be known. Carlton had a couple of threats from set plays; long throws; a couple of corners and free-kicks where our ‘keeper Karl Dryden has either claimed the ball or we have defended the box really well but I thought we looked a constant threat on the break.”

He continued: “To be honest, it was nice to get in at half time so we could just settle on a few things and get some real clarity into what shape we were playing. We managed to do that and we talked about looking to keep the ball and make them (Carlton) have to chase and come towards us. We thought we could really hurt them on the counter attack – and we scored two brilliant counter-attacking goals at the start of the second half. Carlton just couldn’t cope with the pace; the movement and the power we had up front today. We’ve won 4-0 and scored four very good goals and should had a few more but listen, the players were magnificent – every single one of them. I think it’s up there as being one of our best performances of the season and I told the lads in the dressing room to go and enjoy the rest of the weekend because they deserve it.”

On Saturday (November 18), Ashington go to North Ferriby and Skinner concluded: “They are a good footballing side – so it should be a cracking game.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner spoke of his frustration and disappointment after his side drew 2-2 against Grantham Town on Saturday.

The boss said: “My initial reaction is one of frustration and disappointment if I’m honest. I thought we started the game really bright and really quick. We moved the ball really well and could have scored in the opening minute then we got a penalty on five minutes to go 1-0 up. I’ll watch the veo recording back but I don’t think Grantham touched the ball many times in the opening five minutes prior to that goal and I thought we were really going to be ‘at it’ today. However sometimes we’ve got this little knack whereby if things are working really well for us, we start and over complicate matters. We try and make it more difficult for ourselves – and we allowed Grantham to come back into the game a little bit.”

He continued: “There were two teams on the park today with contrasting styles but there’s more than one way to play football. In Sam Muggleton, Grantham had a very potent weapon in their side. His long throws from the half way line were reaching the back post but I thought first half we defended it really, really well. We had a massive chance to go 2-0 up with again a fantastic move and fantastic football, Wilson Kneeshaw got in down the side and cut it (the ball) back to Connor Thomson six yards out and he just had to put the ball in the net. I don’t know if Connor has tried to hit it too hard but he’s put it over the bar and I think if we’d scored that would have been game over. We came in holding a 1-0 lead and if I had been in the opposition dugout, I would have been delighted to get in only a single goal behind.”

He went on: “Second half we started super bright and within the first minute we put together a great move. Connor Thomson got in behind and Wilson Kneeshaw has played it to Craig Spooner who cuts inside and hits the post. The goalkeeper is looking to see if the ball has gone in the net and it lands in his hands! If we score to go 2-0 up, I think we make it a comfortable afternoon. Then we concede from a long throw – albeit we’ve defended them really, really well. Jordan Summerly has chested the ball at the back post – I’m not sure what else he could have done – then turned into their player who has smashed the ball into the roof of the net to make it 1-1. But what a reaction as we scored direct from kick off. It was another good move featuring good passing out wide, a cross into the box and they (Grantham) have turned the ball into their own net although we had two or three players waiting to tap it in.”

He added: “Grantham’s threat was set plays and throw ins and again I just thought we could have been a little bit better with the ball. We put one and two passes together but I thought we went too long too early at times. Albeit we were having a little bit of joy with the ball in behind because of the pace we had upfront. Then the game changes a little bit on a tackle on the edge of the box and I’m not sure for me if it was a red. That was my initial reaction but it’s a challenge which Paul Van-Zandvliet didn’t need to make. Having said that, it was a tackle that was no different to two or three other challenges in the game.”

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Skinner applauded the efforts from his players: “I was disappointed with the second goal we conceded because we haven’t cleared our lines on the edge of the box,” he said, “but despite being down to ten (players) we went for it. I left two up top because I thought if we could continue to string passes together we would cause them all sorts of problems – and we did. To be fair there were a couple of little scrambles in the box but if you had walked into the stadium and been told one side were playing with ten men, you wouldn’t have picked us. In injury time we probably had two or three good half chances, so on reflection it was quite an eventful afternoon. Some of our play today was excellent where we have created chances but missed them at the crucial time to go 2-0 up. We hit the post which would probably have killed the game off but I’ve got to give the lads great credit for the resilience which they showed after Paul Van-Zandvliet had been sent off. I would have hated to be in our back four today to be honest having to deal with the long throws for 90 minutes but the lads defended manfully except for two little lapses in concentration with half mistakes which have cost us goals.”

He concluded: “Nevertheless the result keeps our little unbeaten run going which is good. We’ll train twice this week and look towards a tough game on Saturday at home against Carlton Town who are doing really well.”

Ashington AFC is delighted to announce some recent changes implemented in our club management. 

Drew Tinsley and David Fish will be joining Ashington FC’s board, contributing and volunteering their time and expertise to our continued growth, both on and off the field.

Drew, with a professional background in construction and experience leading a large, successful engineering business unit, currently resides in the United Arab Emirates. David is an experienced finance professional, having worked in this area and beyond during his career.

Our Chairman, Brian Shotton “We reached out to Drew and David earlier in the year, knowing of their love for the club, the town, and the interest they have shown over the years. Drew brings a fresh perspective with his experience gained in his career and his connections both inside and outside of the North East. David, an experienced finance professional, will be key to ensuring our decision making is calculated and sustainable. Their areas of focus will be strategizing interest in the club, supporting investment, and making ground improvements, in addition to our charitable efforts in the community.”

Drew added, “I am honoured to accept my appointment as a board member of Ashington Football Club, a team that holds a special place in my heart as my hometown football club. This opportunity has been under discussion between the club and myself for some time, and I am pleased to transition from a lifelong supporter to a more active role within the club. For those who know me and my passion for football and all things Ashington, it’s no surprise that this decision was an easy one to make. My love for Ashington, in all its aspects, runs deep. Our town boasts a remarkable sporting legacy, a narrative that I firmly believe ranks among the most inspiring stories in sport. From legends like Newcastle’s Jackie Milburn to the World Cup-winning Charlton brothers with their record-breaking achievements playing for England, Leeds, and Manchester United, to our more recent Ashes and Cricket World Cup champions, Ashington has consistently been home to many sports heroes.”

He continued “I am committed to contributing to the impressive work achieved by the club since Brian’s appointment as Chairman in 2018. Together, with the support of our community and fans, we will continue to build a more robust and sustainable future for our beloved football club. This is an exciting journey, and I’m both ready and eager to play my part in carrying on Ashington’s proud legacy.”

David added “The club has come a long way both on and off the pitch since Brian’s appointment in 2018 and I am looking forward to supporting and contributing towards the future development of the Club.”

If you feel you can contribute your skills or profession to the club, we would welcome further assistance, particularly in the commercial sales and marketing sectors, to assist in growing the club’s revenue. Contact brian.shotton@ashingtonafc.com if you feel you can help us on our journey.

By Brian Bennett

On the upstairs wall inside the clubhouse at Ashington Football Club, a mural depicting three all time greats from the area – Jackie Milburn, Jackie Charlton and his brother Sir Bobby Charlton – is prominently displayed.

After hearing of the passing of Sir Bobby, Ashington chairman Brian Shotton opened the doors at Woodhorn Lane and stood poignantly viewing the mural.

“Three years ago when we had the mural installed, one of them (Jackie Milburn) had already passed,” said Brian “Now sadly, all three have left us – but the mural will serve as a lasting legacy and I’m proud to acknowledge that we do pay tribute to ‘football icons’ at this football club.”

Ahead of Ashington’s clash against Pontefract Collieries on Saturday, a book of condolence was opened for Sir Bobby; a minute’s applause was held before kick-off and apart from asking supporters to wear something red, the Ashington team played in red tops.

Secretary and programme editor Gav Perry collated a superb Sir Bobby tribute programme with a cover photo of the great man himself kicking a football in the back streets of Ashington whilst their were tributes from Brian Shotton, manager Ian Skinner and former England and Durham cricketer Steve Harmison.

“Sir Bobby was from Ashington and everyone knows the area which we live in,” added Brian, “Even though I never actually met him (Sir Bobby), it was an emotional week. On Sunday we discussed a few things including how we were going to pay tribute to Sir Bobby and to be fair it was an idea by Ian Skinner that we should change our strips. Then we had to try and get our hands on a red kit so it was all hands to the pump to get things sorted out in time for the game.”

Brian said the week in general had been a busy one: “Personally I’ve just taken on a new job and have been training which is my priority but I had a lot of work to do with the football club especially in the evenings,” he said, “My wife Nicola knows how much time I spent last week – not just for Sir Bobby but generally on the club itself as we find our feet in a new league.”

Ashington won Saturday’s contest 2-1 but Brian said: “I didn’t see a lot of the game to be honest and I missed our second goal because there is always a lot going on off the pitch. However from the bit of action which I did see, Pontefract are clearly a good outfit and there was nothing between the sides. It looked like it was a blood and thunder game of football which is what people like to see and it was a good win for us.”

By Brian Bennett

On a day when Ashington FC paid tribute to the memory of Sir Bobby Charlton, defender Si Jakab firmly believed that he and his team mates did the town proud following their 2-1 win over Pontefract Collieries.

The 23 year old – who linked up with the Colliers from North Shields – revealed that the players were given a special message. He said: “Before the match, the management team told us that the best thing we could do for the memory of Sir Bobby Charlton was to win the game and to make not just the team but also the town of Ashington proud – and I thought we did that.”

He continued: “The game against Winterton where we won 4-0 was quite helpful and it was a shame that our clash at Sheffield FC was called off. When I woke up this morning (Saturday) there were already a lot of games off in the region and although our surface was really heavy I felt our game only went ahead because we’ve got a lovely ground and people who look after the pitch.”

Jakab – who was born in Budapest in Hungary – began to play senior men’s football with Consett where he spent two years and was on the substitute’s bench for the Steelmen in the final of the 2019-20 FA Vase at Wembley when they finished runners up to Hebburn Town. He then signed for Sunderland RCA before moving along to North Shields: “Whilst I was with Shields last season I picked up an injury – ironically against Pontefract – and was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign before I came to Ashington,” he added.

Sunderland-based Jakab is enjoying his football at Woodhorn Lane: “I love the team and everyone is quite welcoming to me which is always nice,” he said, “I was playing on the right when I got into the side but now I’ve moved a little bit more towards the centre. Because of the unfortunate injury to Nathan Buddle today I had to switch into the middle – but that’s a positive for myself knowing that the management team trust me in whatever position they ask me to play.”

Saturday’s win propelled Ashington into a mid table position and Jakab added: “It’s always tough when you go up a league and we need to get used to it. We’ve got loads of new players including myself in the squad but I feel we have built team morale and have got some momentum going. Basically on our day I believe we are capable of beating anyone – we just need to be ‘at it’ from the start.”

He concluded: “We’ve got some tough games and long travels coming up – but I’m looking forward to them.”

Ashington AFC, a club steeped in history since its founding in 1883 and nestled in the hometown of football legends like Sir Bobby Charlton, Jack Charlton, Jackie Milburn, and Jimmy Adamson, is facing a critical moment in its remarkable journey. From our days as a Football League club to our recent promotion, Ashington AFC has been a symbol of pride and heritage in our community.

Brian Shotton, our Chairman, reflects on our remarkable journey and the challenges facing the club: “When we took over the Club in 2018, it was in a very difficult place. We had to begin settling substantial debts and operated on very limited budgets for 18 months. Throughout this challenging period, our loyal supporters stood by us as we navigated our way with frugality. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic presented its own set of challenges, but it also provided an opportunity for us to review the club’s operations, reduce our remaining debt to a manageable level, invest in club facilities, furnishings, and infrastructure, and develop a comprehensive business plan with a five-year promotion target. Our team exceeded expectations, winning two trophies, growing matchday attendances, and embarking on an impressive FA Cup run, culminating in last season’s promotion.”

Shotton continues, “We began planning early in the New Year when promotion looked possible, and we set the club ambitious commercial targets to match our progress. While we were over the moon when we secured the historic promotion, the real test had truly begun. We found ourselves two years ahead of schedule in terms of on-field success but two years behind in terms of off-field progress, which would have to be accelerated. Almost overnight, the club faced the reality of critical and costly stadium improvements, substantial travel costs, and players understandably asking for increases due to the travel and time away on a Saturday afternoon. We immediately set out to engage the community and secure the funding required for a club like ours to operate at this level, utilising sponsorships and our ‘Build the Budget’ scheme. While we are immensely grateful for the support we’ve received from our sponsors, supporters, and donors, the current economic climate has made it challenging for us to reach our financial goals. It’s disheartening that even with home crowds exceeding 500, sustainability at this level remains elusive without substantial external support. We are not alone in that, having seen other clubs in recent years encounter similar issues We can obtain up to 70% of stadium improvement funding from the Football Foundation depending on the project, but even that remaining percentage is prohibitive while concurrently operating with the ongoing running costs.

With our Crowdfunder initiative, our mission is clear: we aim to stay at this level, enhance our stadium, and continue the growth of our club while giving back to those who contribute. Any support, big or small, will be genuinely appreciated. Our town boasts a storied footballing history with the Charltons and Milburns and together, we can add another memorable chapter to that legacy and make our goals a reality. We are incredibly proud of our community work and our roots in this town. Let’s come together and achieve our aim!”

You can find our crowdfunder at the following link: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/ashingtonafc

By Brian Bennett

Ashington manager Ian Skinner admitted that the departure of Damen Mullen from the club is a ‘part of the job in football management which isn’t very nice.’

Mullen left the Woodhorn Lane club at the end of last week and Skinner was quick to praise the midfielder: “Damen is someone who I have known personally for a very long time,” he said, “I coached him as a young player and I consider him to be a personal friend. Whenever he played for us this season he never let us down and one performance which sticks out was when we went to Cleethorpes at the end of September. We had all of those suspensions and Damen played in a back three. However he has found minutes difficult to come by and he’d probably argue that on those occasions when he played well, that he should have stayed in the side. We decided to go with alternative teams which we thought on the day would stand us in better stead to get a result.”

He continued: “Damen was getting frustrated with his lack of game time and wants to play as much as he can. We had a couple of conversations and it probably came to the point whereby it was in his best interests to look elsewhere to play more regular. It’s the part of the job in football management which isn’t very nice – sitting down and having those conversations – but the interests of Ashington FC have got to come first and friendships put to one side. Damen will be a big miss because he was the ultimate professional if you like. He never caused any problems; he was always on time; he was a great trainer; he was good in the dressing room and he’s as fit as he’s ever been.”

Meanwhile on Sunday it was announced that Declan Bisset has left the club to try and gain regular first team football elsewhere with the club “wishing him the best of luck for the future.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner – delighted with his sides 2-1 result over Pontefract Collieries at Woodhorn Lane on Saturday – has dedicated the win to the memory of the late Sir Bobby Charlton.

Skinner – a relative of the family – said afterwards: “Sir Bobby was a real humble and no fuss gentleman and wouldn’t have wanted us to wear red or to have a minute’s applause for him today but I thought it was right – and I’d also like to dedicate our victory to him.”

He continued: “For me, it’s a well done to Ashington Football Club and a thank you to them for asking supporters to wear red; to hold a minute’s applause and arrange a book of condolence. All of those were nice little touches and it was good to see the town turn out in his memory.”

By Brian Bennett

After Ashington climbed up to mid table in the Pitching In Northern Premier League’s East Division following a 2-1 win over Pontefract Collieries on Saturday, manager Ian Skinner revealed that it was a ‘collective management decision’ – to make slight alterations on the park – which paid dividends.

Within minutes of making the changes, the Colliers romped into a two goals lead with Craig Spooner and Wilson Kneeshaw on target and the boss said afterwards: “As a management team, we got our heads together and decided to alter one or two things. Sometimes they work for you and sometimes they don’t. Today they have and helped us to get a positive result. It was a collective management decision – but it’s the players who carry out those instructions.”

Skinner continued: “I was delighted with three points at home because we probably haven’t won enough games at Woodhorn Lane this season if the truth be known. It was a difficult but great occasion too as we paid tribute to the late Sir Bobby Charlton. The public turned out; there were lots of red around the stadium and a fantastic minute’s applause was held. Sir Bobby was a true humble gentleman – and to win in front of our fans and some people who may have been visiting the ground for the very first time was great. We talk in this league about needing to put positive runs of results together because it moves you up the table relatively quickly and today we replicated what was a really good performance and good win at Winterton.”

Skinner reflected on the first 45 minutes: “With all the rain we had, the pitch was challenging,” he said, “Consequently, the way we try and play was always going to be difficult on that surface and we needed to do all of our best work as early as we could before the pitch cut up and got a little bit worse. I thought the opening half was pretty even and pretty uneventful with not a lot of chances. Pontefract got into some good areas and have put some good balls into our box but we defended really well and a 0-0 score line was probably a fair reflection of a first half where we sussed each other out a little bit.”

He added: “Second half I thought they (Pontefract) started a little bit brighter than us and were maybes in the ascendancy – and that’s why we made the changes. Almost immediately we fashioned two fantastic opportunities for Craig Spooner and Wilson Kneeshaw to score then we had a spell where we were in control and should have added more. I thought we had a really strong case for a penalty on Connor Thomson followed by a fantastic move where we have played the ball inside to Connor (Thomson) and he’s hit the post. Another good move – albeit at 2-1 late in the game – and Craig (Spooner) has hit the woodwork. But it wouldn’t be Ashington if we didn’t make it a little bit exciting and fair play because it was some finish for their goal by Adam Haw. The ball has dropped to him and he’s put it right into the top corner and that obviously leads to a little bit of a un nervy end to the game – but we saw it out and I was delighted with the three points.”

He went on: “When you break it down into simple terms and go through our 1-16, I think we had lots of players who had a good game and if you have that, it means you tend to win games of football matches and I think that was true today. I don’t want to single anyone out because I think there were eight or nine lads who were excellent. Now we’ve got to put the result to one side; work hard in training this week and prepare for our away trip to face Grantham on Saturday.”