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 |
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| 1991-92 | Leicester City | League Cup | 2 | 1 |
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| 1991-92 | Leicester City | League Division Two | 2 | 8 |
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| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Aug 2000 | Liverpool v Bradford City | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 22 Aug 2000 | Bradford City v Chelsea | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 26 Aug 2000 | Bradford City v Leicester City | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 05 Sep 2000 | Manchester United v Bradford City | L | 6-0 | Premier League | |
| 09 Sep 2000 | Bradford City v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 16 Sep 2000 | Aston Villa v Bradford City | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 19 Sep 2000 | Darlington v Bradford City | W | 0-1 | League Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 23 Sep 2000 | Bradford City v Southampton | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 25 Sep 2000 | Bradford City v Darlington | W |
7-2 Agg: 8-2 |
League Cup | 2nd round 2nd leg |
| 30 Sep 2000 | West Ham United v Bradford City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 14 Oct 2000 | Manchester City v Bradford City | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 21 Oct 2000 | Bradford City v Ipswich Town | L | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 29 Oct 2000 | Bradford City v Leeds United | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 01 Nov 2000 | Newcastle United v Bradford City | L | 4-3 | League Cup | 3rd round |
| 04 Nov 2000 | Charlton Athletic v Bradford City | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 11 Nov 2000 | Bradford City v Everton | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 18 Nov 2000 | Derby County v Bradford City | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 25 Nov 2000 | Middlesbrough v Bradford City | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 26 Dec 2000 | Bradford City v Sunderland | L | 1-4 | Premier League | |
| 13 Jan 2001 | Bradford City v Manchester United | L | 0-3 | Premier League | |
| 21 Jan 2001 | Sunderland v Bradford City | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 30 Jan 2001 | Arsenal v Bradford City | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 03 Feb 2001 | Bradford City v Aston Villa | L | 0-3 | Premier League | |
| 10 Feb 2001 | Southampton v Bradford City | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 24 Feb 2001 | Bradford City v West Ham United | L | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 04 Mar 2001 | Ipswich Town v Bradford City | L | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 17 Mar 2001 | Bradford City v Manchester City | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 31 Mar 2001 | Bradford City v Newcastle United | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 10 Apr 2001 | Tottenham Hotspur v Bradford City | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 13 Apr 2001 | Bradford City v Charlton Athletic | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 21 Apr 2001 | Bradford City v Derby County | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 28 Apr 2001 | Everton v Bradford City | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 01 May 2001 | Bradford City v Liverpool | L | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 05 May 2001 | Bradford City v Middlesbrough | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 13 May 2001 | Leeds United v Bradford City | L | 6-1 | Premier League | |
| 19 May 2001 | Coventry City v Bradford City | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 11 Aug 2001 | Bradford City v Barnsley | W | 4-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 18 Aug 2001 | Portsmouth v Bradford City | W | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Aug 2001 | Bradford City v Coventry City | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 02 Sep 2001 | Bradford City v Burnley | L | 2-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Sep 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Bradford City | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Sep 2001 | Bradford City v Grimsby Town | W | 3-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 09 Oct 2001 | Watford v Bradford City | L | 4-1 | League Cup | 3rd round |
| 13 Oct 2001 | Bradford City v Wolverhampton Wanderers | L | 0-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Oct 2001 | Crystal Palace v Bradford City | L | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Oct 2001 | Birmingham City v Bradford City | L | 4-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Dec 2001 | Bradford City v Rotherham United | W | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Dec 2001 | Manchester City v Bradford City | L | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 23 Dec 2001 | Coventry City v Bradford City | L | 4-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Dec 2001 | Bradford City v Sheffield United | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Dec 2001 | Bradford City v Crystal Palace | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Jan 2002 | Walsall v Bradford City | L | 2-0 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 19 Jan 2002 | Barnsley v Bradford City | D | 3-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Jan 2002 | Bradford City v Preston North End | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 02 Feb 2002 | Grimsby Town v Bradford City | W | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Feb 2002 | Wolverhampton Wanderers v Bradford City | L | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 23 Feb 2002 | Gillingham v Bradford City | W | 0-4 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Feb 2002 | Bradford City v Nottingham Forest | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 02 Mar 2002 | Bradford City v Sheffield Wednesday | L | 0-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 05 Mar 2002 | Stockport County v Bradford City | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Mar 2002 | Rotherham United v Bradford City | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Mar 2002 | Burnley v Bradford City | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 23 Mar 2002 | Bradford City v Crewe Alexandra | W | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Mar 2002 | Watford v Bradford City | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 13 Apr 2002 | Bradford City v West Bromwich Albion | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 11 Aug 2002 | Bradford City v Wolverhampton Wanderers | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 13 Aug 2002 | Crystal Palace v Bradford City | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Aug 2002 | Stoke City v Bradford City | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Aug 2002 | Bradford City v Grimsby Town | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Aug 2002 | Ipswich Town v Bradford City | W | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 31 Aug 2002 | Bradford City v Rotherham United | W | 4-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 10 Sep 2002 | Wrexham v Bradford City | L | 2-1 | League Cup | 1st round |
| 14 Sep 2002 | Walsall v Bradford City | W | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Sep 2002 | Leicester City v Bradford City | L | 4-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 05 Oct 2002 | Bradford City v Preston North End | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 12 Oct 2002 | Bradford City v Derby County | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 19 Oct 2002 | Sheffield Wednesday v Bradford City | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Oct 2002 | Bradford City v Norwich City | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Oct 2002 | Reading v Bradford City | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 02 Nov 2002 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Bradford City | L | 3-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 18 Jan 2003 | Rotherham United v Bradford City | L | 3-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 25 Jan 2003 | Grimsby Town v Bradford City | W | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 01 Feb 2003 | Bradford City v Ipswich Town | W | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Feb 2003 | Wimbledon v Bradford City | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 15 Feb 2003 | Bradford City v Brighton and Hove Albion | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 22 Feb 2003 | Coventry City v Bradford City | W | 0-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 01 Mar 2003 | Bradford City v Walsall | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Mar 2003 | Bradford City v Crystal Palace | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 15 Mar 2003 | Derby County v Bradford City | W | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 18 Mar 2003 | Bradford City v Sheffield Wednesday | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.