Joe Ashworth

For the former Nottingham Forest player, born in 1902, see Joseph Ashworth.

Joe Ashworth
Personal information
Full name Joseph Matthew Ashworth[1]
Date of birth 6 January 1943
Place of birth Huddersfield, England
Date of death 2002 (aged 58–59)
Position(s) Wing half
Youth career
????–1960 Bradford Park Avenue
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1960–1962 Bradford Park Avenue 3 (0)
1962–1965 York City 57 (0)
1965–1967 Bournemouth 60 (2)
1967–1968 Southend United 36 (2)
1968–1971 Rochdale 132 (3)
1971–1972 Chester 5 (0)
1972 Stockport County 14 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Joseph Matthew Ashworth (6 January 1943 – 2002) was an English footballer who played as a wing half.

Career

Ashworth was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire and progressed through the junior ranks at Bradford Park Avenue, before signing as a professional in January 1960.[2] After making three Football League appearances in two and a half years at Park Avenue, he joined Fourth Division team York City in May 1962.[1] His debut came in a 0–0 draw with Rochdale in the FA Cup first round on 3 November 1962.[3] The opportunity of his league debut came after an injury to Alan Woods, nearly a year after signing, and he played in a 5–2 victory over Oldham Athletic on 20 April 1963.[2] He finished the 1962–63 season with nine appearances.[3] He was released by York in the summer of 1965 after making 65 appearances for the team.[2][4]

He signed for Bournemouth in June, where he played for two seasons, making 60 league appearances and scoring two goals before joining Southend United in July 1967.[1] Ashworth made 36 league appearances and scored two goals during the 1967–68 season for Southend before joining Rochdale in July 1968.[1] He made 132 league appearances and scored three goals for Rochdale, before moving on to Chester in December 1971.[1] He made five appearances for Chester in the remainder of the 1971–72 season and joined Stockport County in June 1962.[1] He made 14 league appearances at Stockport before retiring.[5] Following his retirement, he joined Her Majesty's Prison Service and died in 2002.[1][5]

Style of play

He was a good passer of the ball and during his career was regarded as one of the best passers in the lower leagues.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Hugman, Barry J. (2005). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005. Queen Anne Press. p. 30. ISBN 1-85291-665-6.
  2. ^ a b c d Jarred, Martin; Windross, Dave (1997). "Football League Players". Citizens and Minstermen, A Who's Who of York City FC 1922–1997. Citizen Publications. p. 7. ISBN 0-9531005-0-2.
  3. ^ a b Batters, Dave (2008). "Season Statistics". York City The Complete Record. The Breedon Books Publishing Company Limited. pp. 318–319. ISBN 978-1-85983-633-0.
  4. ^ Batters. York City The Complete Record. p. 437.
  5. ^ a b "Joe Ashworth". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Retrieved 29 March 2009.