Recording Ashford’s sporting history

The good old English game of cricket was the first sport to be covered by the Kentish Express. Scores following the progress of local teams were included in The Ashford and Alfred News as early as the 1850s.

By 1900 sports participation was on the up and the cricket results were joined by coverage of hockey, cycle rides, shooting competitions, chess, hunt races, the all English tennis and football.

The sports pages expanded throughout the 20th century as fixtures, and reports joined results and sport found its home on the back pages.

Football in Ashford started around 1880 with Ashford United who were the leading side of their day winning the Kent Senior Cup in 1893 and a year later became founder members of the Kent League.

The side played at Godinton Road until they folded in 1907.

They were succeeded by the South Eastern & Chatham Railway Football Club who later became the Ashford Railway Works team and enjoyed six seasons in the top flight before being disbanded in 1927.

In 1930 Ashford Town was formed with the nickname Nuts and Bolts as many of the members were engineers in the railway works.

The club played at Essella Park before the development of the present ground at Homelands in the 1980s.

Their starring moment came in 1995 when the side drew an FA Cup first round tie against Fulham.

With a capacity of 3,300 supporters packed into Homelands and Sky TV filming, Town went 2-0 up before Fulham converted two penalties to earn a replay at Craven Cottage.

Town struggled to extra time but the game finished 5-3.

In 2011, the club reformed and took the United name again after Town went out of business amid a boardroom power struggle and off-field financial problems.

Away from football, athletics received a boost with the opening of the Julie Rose stadium in May 1997.

Ashford-born Julie Rose was a promising middle-distance runner who had enjoyed success at school level.

Due to a lack of facilities she went abroad to train and was tragically killed in an air crash, aged 21.

The foundation stone was laid by Julie’s parents.

See page 14 for the latest on plans for Homelands

Steve Salter is away

Dave Arter and Nicky Dent after Ashford’s FA Cup home draw with Fulham in 1995

Celebrations at the opening of the new Homelands ground for Ashford Town

An undated archive photo of female cricketers from Ashford

A view of the Stanhope shopping precinct before the estate was redeveloped