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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 Aug 2003 | Sheffield United v Gillingham | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 12 Aug 2003 | Macclesfield Town v Sheffield United | W | 1-2 | League Cup | 1st round |
| 16 Aug 2003 | West Ham United v Sheffield United | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 13 Sep 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Sheffield United | L | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Sep 2003 | Sheffield United v Rotherham United | W | 5-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Sep 2003 | Sheffield United v Cardiff City | W | 5-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 27 Sep 2003 | Bradford City v Sheffield United | W | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 30 Sep 2003 | Wimbledon v Sheffield United | W | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 04 Oct 2003 | Sheffield United v Sunderland | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Oct 2003 | West Bromwich Albion v Sheffield United | W | 0-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 18 Oct 2003 | Millwall v Sheffield United | L | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 21 Oct 2003 | Wigan Athletic v Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Oct 2003 | Sheffield United v Reading | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 01 Nov 2003 | Stoke City v Sheffield United | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 04 Nov 2003 | Sheffield United v Crewe Alexandra | W | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Nov 2003 | Sheffield United v Burnley | W | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 22 Nov 2003 | Ipswich Town v Sheffield United | L | 3-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 13 Dec 2003 | Sheffield United v Watford | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Dec 2003 | Coventry City v Sheffield United | W | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Dec 2003 | Sheffield United v Wigan Athletic | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 03 Jan 2004 | Cardiff City v Sheffield United | W | 0-1 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 21 Feb 2004 | Sheffield United v West Bromwich Albion | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Feb 2004 | Crewe Alexandra v Sheffield United | W | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Feb 2004 | Reading v Sheffield United | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 02 Mar 2004 | Sheffield United v Millwall | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 07 Mar 2004 | Sunderland v Sheffield United | L | 1-0 | FA Cup | Quarter-final |
| 07 Aug 2004 | Burnley v Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | League Championship | |
| 10 Aug 2004 | Sheffield United v Stoke City | D | 0-0 | League Championship | |
| 14 Aug 2004 | Sheffield United v Reading | L | 0-1 | League Championship | |
| 20 Aug 2004 | Preston North End v Sheffield United | W | 0-1 | League Championship | |
| 24 Aug 2004 | Sheffield United v Stockport County | W | 4-1 | League Cup | 1st round |
| 29 Aug 2004 | Sheffield United v Leeds United | W | 2-0 | League Championship | |
| 31 Aug 2004 | Queens Park Rangers v Sheffield United | W | 0-1 | League Championship | |
| 11 Sep 2004 | Sheffield United v West Ham United | L | 1-2 | League Championship | |
| 14 Sep 2004 | Leicester City v Sheffield United | L | 3-2 | League Championship | |
| 18 Sep 2004 | Wigan Athletic v Sheffield United | L | 4-0 | League Championship | |
| 05 Feb 2005 | Sheffield United v Ipswich Town | L | 0-2 | League Championship | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.