Tributes paid to former Wire player and coach Kevin Ashcroft

TRIBUTES are being paid to Warrington Rugby League legend Kevin Ashcroft who passed away on Monday 2nd March at the age of 81.

Ashcroft served Warrington with great distinction as a player and as a coach. As the Warrington hooker, he scored the first try at Wembley as the Wire beat Featherstone Rovers 24-9 in May 1974 to win the Challenge Cup.
As the Warrington coach, he guided the Wire to a comprehensive 16-0 victory over St Helens in the 1982 Lancashire Cup final at Central Park. The following season, he masterminded Warrington’s rise to third place in the Championship.
Born in Newton-le-Willows in 1944, Ashcroft began his professional career with Dewsbury and Rochdale Hornets before linking up with Alex Murphy at Leigh in 1967. The pair then shared in Leigh’s finest hour, the 1971 Challenge Cup final victory over red-hot favourites Leeds.
Five days later, Murphy took charge at Warrington but did not achieve sustained success until he signed Ashcroft for £7,000 in the summer of 1972 and made him vice-captain. “Our supporters wanted a top-class hooker,” said Warrington chairman Ossie Davies, “so we bought them the best. Kevin is a brilliant player and will ensure our backs see plenty of the ball.”
Warrington won the League Leaders’ Shield in 1972/73 but had no luck in the cup competitions. All that changed the following season as Warrington collected the Captain Morgan Trophy, the Player’s No6 Trophy, the Challenge Cup and the Club Championship.
Ashcroft was the man of the match in the Player’s No6 final, after winning the scrum battle 15-5 to supply his team-mates with plenty of possession. Typically, he gave his £25 prize to the Wigan groundsman in thanks for the hard work he had done on the pitch after a morning downpour.
At the end of the 1973/74 season, Ashcroft went on his second tour to Australia and collected his sixth Great Britain cap. He continued to produce international form throughout the 1974/75 season as Warrington reached two more finals, against Salford in the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy and against Widnes in the Challenge Cup. He also became the first Warrington player to kick a one-point drop goal, against Widnes in an 8-8 draw at Wilderspool, in August 1974.
The return trip to Wembley, however, was Ashcroft’s last match as a Warrington player before he became Leigh’s player-coach in June 1975 and stayed for two seasons. He then spent a season back at Rochdale before he linked up with Murphy again at Salford in August 1978 before serving as Warrington coach from 1982 until 1984. His 18-year playing career took in five clubs and almost 600 appearances, including nine for Great Britain and four for Lancashire. He brought his coaching career to an end at Blackpool Panthers in 2005 at the age of sixty.
The Great Britain international will also always be remembered as being highly influential in Alex Murphy’s Leigh pack as Challenge Cup Final glory was achieved in 1971.
‘Ashy’, who lived in Leigh, also played for Dewsbury, Rochdale Hornets, Warrington and Salford, also coaching at the latter two as well as Leigh. He ended his coaching career at Blackpool Panthers.
Ashcroft won caps for Great Britain while at Leigh in the 1968 Rugby League World Cup against Australia, in 1968 and 1969 against France, and in the 1970 Rugby League World Cup against France and New Zealand.
Five days after the 1971 Challenge Cup triumph, Murphy took charge at Warrington but did not achieve sustained success until he signed Ashcroft for £7,000 in the summer of 1972 and made him vice-captain.
At the end of the 1973-74 season, Ashcroft went on his second tour to Australia and collected his sixth Great Britain cap.
He continued to produce international form throughout the 1974-75 season as Warrington reached two more finals, against Salford in the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy and against Widnes in the Challenge Cup.
The return trip to Wembley, however, was Ashcroft’s last match as a Warrington player before he became Leigh’s player-coach in June 1975.
He then spent a season back at Rochdale before he linked up with Murphy again at Salford in August 1978 before serving as Warrington coach from 1982-84.
His 18-year playing career took in five clubs and almost 600 appearances, including nine for Great Britain and four for Lancashire.
‘Ashy’ was 60 when be brought his coaching career to an end at Blackpool Panthers in 2005.