Len Ashurst

Leonard Ashurst was born on 10 March 1939 in Fazakerley, Liverpool, to parents Elsie and Joseph.[1] Initially a centre-half, he was moved to left-back by Liverpool Schoolboys as the team were short on naturally left-footed players, and helped the side to win the English Schools Trophy with an 8–1 aggregate win over Southampton Schoolboys.[2] He was signed to the ground staff at Liverpool in 1954.[2] He also worked as an apprentice compositor in the printing trade.[3] He won seven caps for the England youth team in the 1956–57 season.[3] Despite this international recognition he was not offered a professional contract by Liverpool manager Phil Taylor, and instead joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on amateur terms.[4] Whilst playing third team football for Wolves, Ashurst was approached by Sunderland coach George Curtis, who promised him a professional contract at the club.[5] In order to gain release from Wolves, Ashurst told manager Stan Cullis he wanted to leave professional football to continue his printing apprenticeship and to play for local Lancashire Combination team Prescot Cables; Cullis agreed, and Ashurst subsequently moved from Prescot Cables to Sunderland.[6]

Ashurst signed professional forms at Sunderland on 27 December 1957, and made his debut for the reserve team the following day.[7] Manager Alan Brown handed him his first team debut on 20 September 1958, in a 2–0 defeat to Ipswich Town at Roker Park; Jim McNab and Cecil Irwin also made their senior debuts in the match.[8] Brown was in the process of dismantling the team that had been relegated the previous season, and Ashurst went on to feature in a total of 33 Second Division matches across the 1958–59 campaign.[9] He was called up to the England under-23 team on 15 March 1961, in a 4–1 victory over Germany at White Hart Lane.[10]

Following the abolition of the maximum wage in January 1961, Ashurst signed a new contract at £40-per-week the following summer.[11] He went on to make 458 appearances for the club; putting him second in the all time appearances list in Sunderland's history, and one of only two outfield players to top 400 appearances.[12] He scored four Sunderland goals during his time at the club.[13] In the late sixties, alongside Jimmy Montgomery, Cecil Irwin, Martin Harvey, Charlie Hurley and Jim McNab, Ashurst formed one of the most notable and most settled back fives in Sunderland's history.[14]

After receiving a testimonial match against Newcastle United, Ashurst was given a free-transfer to Hartlepool where he became a player-manager.[15] He ended his playing career in the 1972–73 season while at Hartlepool, and subsequently remained manager until May 1974 when he was appointed manager of Gillingham.[16]