Hurst Cross
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| Full name | Ashton United Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Robins |
| Founded | 1878 |
| Ground | Hurst Cross, Ashton-under-Lyne |
| Capacity | 4,500 (250 seated) |
| Chairman | Terry Hollis |
| Manager | Will Haining and Jody Banim |
| League | Northern Premier League Premier Division |
| 2015–16 | Northern Premier League Premier Division, 4th |
Ashton United Football Club is a football club, based in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, England. They are currently members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division and play at Hurst Cross.
The club was originally founded in 1878 as Hurst Football Club and the earliest known match report dates back to a game against Hurst Red Star on 16 March 1879. They originally played in black-and-white stripes and were nicknamed the Lambs. The club first entered the FA Cup in 1883, beating Turton 3–1 in the first round, and then Irwell Springs 3–2 in the second. However, the result was annulled after a protest from Irwell, and it was they who advanced to the third round after Hurst refused to play the replay. In 1885 they won the first edition of the Manchester Senior Cup, beating Newton Heath (now Manchester United) 3–0 in the final. In the same year they reached the second round of the FA Cup again. However, although they defeated Halliwell 3–1, the result was annulled again. Ashton refused to play the replay and Halliwell advanced to the third round.
They joined the Ashton & District League in 1891, but after finishing ninth in the league in the 1891–92 season, it was reported in June 1892 that the club had folded. They were reformed in 1909, and were admitted to the Manchester League as it was expanded from 16 to 18 clubs. In their first season in the league, they finished level on points at the top of the table with Salford United, resulting in a play-off for the championship, which Salford won 2–1.
After finishing sixth in 1910–11, Hurst won the title in 1911–12 and subsequently joined Division Two of the Lancashire Combination. Although they only finished fifth in 1912–13, they were promoted to Division One of the league for the 1913–14 season. Due to the outbreak of World War I, the club did not compete in 1915–16, but re-entered a wartime edition of the league for the 1916–17 season, winning the title. However, they did not compete during the following season. They resumed in the Lancashire Combination in 1918–19, but switched to the Cheshire County League in 1923. Players started wearing red shirts, earning the club a new nickname – the Robins.
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