Ashley Ward
| Date of birth | 24 November 1970 |
| Place of birth | Manchester |
| Nationality | English |
| Weight | 87 kg |
| Height | 1.88 m |
| Position | Forward |
Having joined Bradford City during the close season, Ashley started the first four matches of the 2000-01 campaign on the substitutes' bench before breaking into the starting line-up. He was a regular choice for the next three months until a thigh strain forced him to miss five matches. Although he showed tremendous work rate he found goals hard to come by, and it was not until November that he found the net, hitting a double in the Worthington Cup game against Newcastle. His first Premiership goal was even longer in coming - not until March in fact - but even so the Bantams' fans were won over by his non-stop running and enthusiasm.
Ashley's contract with Bradford City was cancelled by mutual consent in August 2003. He was quickly snapped up by Sheffield United in a two-year deal.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | 05 Aug 1989 | 30 Jul 1991 | |
| Wrexham | 10 Jan 1991 | 09 Feb 1991 | L |
| Leicester City | 30 Jul 1991 | 01 Dec 1992 | |
| Blackpool | 21 Nov 1992 | 29 Nov 1992 | L |
| Crewe Alexandra | 01 Dec 1992 | 08 Dec 1994 | |
| Norwich City | 08 Dec 1994 | 19 Mar 1996 | |
| Derby County | 19 Mar 1996 | 05 Sep 1997 | |
| Barnsley | 05 Sep 1997 | 31 Dec 1998 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 31 Dec 1998 | 18 Aug 2000 | |
| Bradford City | 18 Aug 2000 | 06 Aug 2003 | |
| Sheffield United | 07 Aug 2003 | 30 Jun 2005 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-92 | Leicester City | FA Cup | 1 |
||||
| 1991-92 | Leicester City | League Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1991-92 | Leicester City | League Division Two | 2 | 8 |
|||
| 1994-95 | Norwich City | Premier League | 25 | 8 |
5
|
||
| 1995-96 | Derby County | League Division 1 | 5 | 2 |
1 |
||
| 1995-96 | Norwich City | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Derby County | FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1996-97 | Derby County | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1996-97 | Derby County | Premier League | 25 | 5 |
8 |
2
|
|
| 1997-98 | Barnsley | FA Cup | 6 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 1997-98 | Barnsley | League Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1997-98 | Barnsley | Premier League | 28 | 1 |
8 |
5
|
|
| 1997-98 | Derby County | Premier League | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1998-99 | Blackburn Rovers | FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1998-99 | Blackburn Rovers | Premier League | 17 | 5 |
3
|
||
| 1999-00 | Blackburn Rovers | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Bradford City | League Cup | 2 | 1 |
2 |
||
| 2000-01 | Bradford City | Premier League | 24 | 9 |
4 |
8
|
|
| 2001-02 | Bradford City | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Bradford City | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Bradford City | League Division 1 | 27 | 10 |
11
|
||
| 2002-03 | Bradford City | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Bradford City | League Division 1 | 24 | 3 |
8
|
||
| 2003-04 | Sheffield United | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Sheffield United | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Sheffield United | League Division 1 | 20 | 3 |
4 |
7
|
|
| 2004-05 | Sheffield United | League Championship | 5 | 5 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2004-05 | Sheffield United | League Cup | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 Jan 1999 | Blackburn Rovers v Leeds United | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 16 Jan 1999 | Derby County v Blackburn Rovers | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 23 Jan 1999 | Blackburn Rovers v Sunderland | W | 1-0 | FA Cup | 4th round |
| 30 Jan 1999 | Blackburn Rovers v Tottenham Hotspur | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 06 Feb 1999 | Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers | W | 1-3 | Premier League | |
| 14 Feb 1999 | Newcastle United v Blackburn Rovers | D | 0-0 | FA Cup | 5th round |
| 17 Feb 1999 | Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 20 Feb 1999 | Blackburn Rovers v Sheffield Wednesday | L | 1-4 | Premier League | |
| 24 Feb 1999 | Blackburn Rovers v Newcastle United | L | 0-1 | FA Cup | 5th round replay |
| 27 Feb 1999 | West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 10 Mar 1999 | Blackburn Rovers v Everton | L | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 13 Mar 1999 | Coventry City v Blackburn Rovers | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 20 Mar 1999 | Blackburn Rovers v Wimbledon | W | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 03 Apr 1999 | Blackburn Rovers v Middlesbrough | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 06 Apr 1999 | Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 17 Apr 1999 | Southampton v Blackburn Rovers | D | 3-3 | Premier League | |
| 24 Apr 1999 | Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool | L | 1-3 | Premier League | |
| 01 May 1999 | Charlton Athletic v Blackburn Rovers | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 12 May 1999 | Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 16 May 1999 | Newcastle United v Blackburn Rovers | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 14 Sep 1999 | Portsmouth v Blackburn Rovers | W | 0-3 | League Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 13 Oct 1999 | Leeds United v Blackburn Rovers | L | 1-0 | League Cup | 3rd round |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.