‘Ashy’ was a brilliant keeper – and great friend to have
Over the years, PembrokeshireSport.co.uk has been lucky to have interviewed many hundreds of sportsmen and women across an amazing range of sports (probably a hundred!) and one of the regular chats I enjoyed the most was with Mark Ashman - and even today, when we bump into each other, I still come away feeling all the better for it because he has that ability to make others feel good.Known to all as “Ashy’ he doesn’t watch as much football now as he used to but ask others from his era to name some of the top players and characters they met on the field that he would be right up there amongst the best goalkeepers - and also someone who enjoyed the social aspect, whatever the final result.
With regard to his keeping, what makes Ashy even more special as a keeper was his agility. For someone who was six feet tall and nearly 15 stone he not only commanded his area with authority but could also get down to low shots and fling himself about to make spectacular saves more befitting a slighter goalie.
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Hugely recognised for his keeping skills
He started out in school at Haverfordwest VC School, where the teacher, Mr Price spotted him flinging himself around in the mud and promptly picked him for the school team.
Before long, he was playing between the sticks with Camrose Youth team, followed by a short spell at senior level with Merlins Bridge and then in Welsh League football with Pembroke Borough - and in that time he was chosen as club ‘Player of the Year’ on EIGHT different occasions as a measure of the role he played at the back for those clubs.
His first award came at Camrose, whom he played for in the afternoons after turning out for Haverfordwest Secondary School’s rugby team in the morning - and when he set out in senior football, he won the ‘Young Player’ award as well as the senior recognition!
Couldn’t settle at Bridge Meadow but became a top Wizard
He moved up to the Welsh League with Haverfordwest County but he found himself as one of the few locals amongst a big majority from the Swansea area that included ex-Swans like Ronnie Rees and Barry Jones, but he recognises now that the change was too much for an 18-year-old and he found the season hard-going, to say the least.
He moved to The Bridge and it brought about a real change in fortune as they were one of the most successful teams in Pembrokeshire and in his two years there The Wizards won the treble of league, Senior Cup and Jubilee Shield on both occasions with players of the calibre of Micky Ellis, Brian Cutler, Eric James, Dekker Thomas and Mackie Bowen, with Les Kellett as an excellent manager.
Joined Des at London Road
His transfer to Pembroke Borough came by chance after he had gone to watch them play against The Bluebirds in a Brains’ Cup match and in the bar afterwards, he chatted to Magpies’ manager Des Shanklin, who invited him to try his luck again in the Welsh League at London’s Road - and it certainly wasn’t their best performance of the season as they played Bridgend Town’s Southern League team (and lost 7-2!
But things soon got better and Ashy says he had never played in a team with such a great spirit, with Wyndham Evans and Bobby Bell running things on the field as they came fifth in the league and also the semi-final of the West Wales Senior Cup - and had the late Mr Shanklin listing him as one of the best signings he ever made!
Missed out at Ninian Park
He would readily admit, however, that he didn’t quite make the grade in football that he would have liked after he and Pat McQuillan went for a six-week extended trial with Cardiff City Youth team, with Pat’s father Brian taking them everywhere they needed.
During their stay the team didn’t lose a match and manager Jimmy Andrews seemed impressed, but didn’t contact them afterwards.
When Ritchie Morgan took over the reins at Ninian Park, he invited ‘Ashy’ on a tour with the reserve team to play their counterparts from Newcastle United and they won - but believes now that The Bluebirds might have felt his attitude wasn’t serious enough, which could have cost him a chance of being a pro footballer.
Recognised at London Road by his team mates and by the county selectors
That aside, he would say that football has been very good for him, and his outstanding play earned him four ‘player of the year’ awards in six years at London Road, four of them in succession; with a memorable moment coming in the West Wales Senior Cup Final, with a 2-1 win over his former club Haverfordwest County at Marble Hall, Milford Haven.
He also enjoyed representing the county on a number of occasions, vying for the keeper’s jersey with Steve James (Johnston) and Jeremy Howells (St Ishmaels).
Enjoyed his stint with The Robins
After he left The Borough, he joined Pennar Robins in a very strong team that had his old pals Steve Callan and Pat McQuillan playing alongside some very good younger players.
“We had a great season which saw us going to our last but one game at St Ishmaels needing to win to make sure of the title but in front of a massive crowd some of your youngsters froze and we lost 1-0
“That meant we had to win our last match of the season against Hakin United at The Obs and we lost 2-0, which was a sickener.
“But there was some consolation because we had beaten Goodwick in the Senior Cup Final at Marble Hall in Milford Haven, where ‘Weaver’, Pat and I made the mistake of having a few pints with Duggie Bowen and Stuart Wilson from Goodwick, and then went back to The Dock and had a few more with our youngsters before sloping off to the local Indian for a late meal.
“The drink took its effect, though, and my lasting memory of the evening was seeing ‘Weaver’ fall fast asleep with his heading resting on the large fish tank in the corner!”
Coaxed into action at Monkton Swifts and then Lawrenny . . .
But just when Ashy thought he was about to retire he had a phone call from Clifford Cole at Monkton Swifts. Asking him if he could help them out so had another season with Paul Bunsen as a key player and his father Charlie as a real character in the background, alongside Clifford.
“I thought that was it,” Ashy told us, “but then another old pal in Mackie Harts came on the phone asking if I could possibly help them out in Lawrenny and he is hard to say no to - and in a cracking village club we gained promotion and won the divisional cup final.
Time to retire so he switched off his phone!
‘I was past 40 then so that was it - until I had an urgent phone call from John Luke saying that Fishguard Sports didn’t have a keeper to help them out at St Mary’s Field and I found myself playing alongside RV Jones and his boys, plus some other good footballers.
“A real bonus for me was the fact that my teenage son Scott joined me in the team so that father and son had a chance to play together.
“After that I made sure that my phone was switched off at the start of the next season and I was able to burn my boots, especially since Ffion was beginning to make a name for herself as a goalkeeper, like her old man, and I wanted to watch her. She has done really well in football and cricket at Cresselly, where she is a key all-rounder.
And finally . . .
“I really enjoy watching her play but I still turn up to watch local finals and bump into old team mates and opponents, plus old sporting friends like Mr Carne, who spoke. At my wedding to smashing wife Julie and gave is a photo album of the day which we still treasure!”
My only response to that lovely thought is to say what a smashing day it was and I can finally apologise to ‘Ashy’ for the terrible joke that I made at his expense in front of Julie, his family and friends.
He took it in great apart, as he has when I’ve recounted stories about him in my ‘Sporting Snippets’ column about daft things that went on in our football fraternity over his many years of being such a terrific goalkeeper - and I can safely say that Mark Ashman is definitely one of the most likeable footballers of the many I’ve been lucky to call friends!
