Frederick William Ashworth (14 January 1907 – 9 September 1989), also known by the nickname of "Basher", was an English rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Aspatria RUFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Cumberland, and at club level for Oldham, as a forward, after retiring as a player he served Oldham as a member of the club's committee.

Fred Ashworth
Personal information
Full nameFrederick William Ashworth
Born14 January 1907[1]
Watchhill, Cumberland, England[2]
Died9 September 1989 (aged 82)[3]
Oldham, Lancashire, England
Playing information
Rugby union
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
<1926–26 Aspatria RUFC
Rugby league
PositionForward
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1926–39 Oldham 436 39 38 193
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
≥1926–≤39 Cumberland 13

Background

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Fred Ashworth was born in Watchhill, Cumberland, to coalminer James Ashworth and Mary Ellen Ashworth.[2]

Playing career

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Aspatria Rugby Union Club

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Ashworth (or ‘Basher’ as he was known to his friends and colleagues) came to prominence when at the age of fourteen, he played in the local school team that won the Cumberland Silver Shield, a knockout competition open to boys aged sixteen and under.[4] In 1924 the majority of the team were runners-up in the Cumberland Under 18’s Challenge Cup, after they were narrowly defeated by Silloth. In 1925, Ashworth captained the side that won the same competition, defeating Egremont by 11 points to nil.[5] By 1925 he was a regular member of the senior squad and won a runners-up medal in that years Challenge Cup, when Aspatria were narrowly defeated by Workington.

In 1926, Ashworth, along with T. E Holliday signed professional forms for Oldham.

Oldham

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Ashworth played in Oldham's 26–7 victory over Swinton in the 1927 Challenge Cup Final during the 1926–27 season at Central Park, Wigan, in front of a crowd of 33,448.

Ashworth is an Oldham Hall Of Fame Inductee.[6]

County honours

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Ashworth represented Cumberland (RL).

References

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  1. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007
  2. ^ a b 1911 England Census
  3. ^ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995
  4. ^ Aspatria The History of a Rugby Union Football Club page 52
  5. ^ Aspatria The History of a Rugby Union Football Club pages 89-90
  6. ^ "Oldham Hall of Fame". orl-heritagetrust.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.

Bibliography

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  • Terry Carrick (1995). Aspatria: The History Of A Rugby Union Football Club. Nottingham: Adland Press.
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