ERIC ASHTONEric Ashton, who died on 20 March, 2008, was a dominant centre and stalwart captain who earned a number of distinctions during one of the most successful periods in British rugby league.He captained Great Britain to the World Cup in 1960 in a match against Australia and to a further series victory over the Aussies in 1962. Meanwhile, he played his entire domestic career with Wigan, winning the Challenge Cup several times as both player and coach.After his retirement he became chairman at St Helens who won two Challenge Cups under his guidance, making him the only person to have laid hands on the trophy in three different roles. He was also the first rugby league player to be made an MBE.Eric Ashton was born on 24 January, 1935, in St Helens, Lancashire, where he was raised. He took up rugby from an early age and played for a local schoolboy side before going on national service. While playing rugby for the army, his talents were noted by a colleague who recommended him to Wigan.After a successful trial he was immediately offered a place in the side. He still had his heart set on playing for St Helens and offered them the chance to sign him, but they declined his services, a decision they would regret a few years after he joined their fierce rivals Wigan for a fee of £150 in 1955.His career was notable for the partnership he formed with Welsh winger Billy Boston on the right-hand side of the pitch, a partnership that saw Mr Ashton made captain by 22 and win his first Challenge Cup in 1958 in the first of a record-breaking set of Wembley appearances."The first time you ever play at Wembley," he later said, "is the most enjoyable time and the one visit that really sticks in your memory. You approach that first game with great anticipation and you don't quite know what to expect."During his 14-year playing career with Wigan he won the trophy two more times (1959 and 1965) and appeared in three other finals. He also won the Rugby League Championship in 1966, plus several local Lancashire titles. He scored a total of 1,589 points (including 231 tries) in 497 games. He also had a major hand in helping Boston to a remarkable 478 tries in 487 appearances.He made his Great Britain debut in 1957 in a World Cup game against France, and played in the successful Ashes series of 1958 and '59. By the time the World Cup arrived in the UK in 1960, he was captain. The competition was settled by a league format that year, but came down to a 'final' against Australia at Bradford's Odsal Stadium, which the hosts won 10-3.Mr Ashton got his hands on another trophy two years later when he led the Great Britain team to a 2-1 victory in the Ashes series, an achievement which he rated as his greatest. In total he played 26 times for England and scored 51 tries.He became player coach at Wigan during the mid '60s, winning his third Challenge Cup in this time, before retiring to coach full time. He then led the team to an unsuccessful Wembley appearance in 1970 before moving to St Helens. There he secured the trophy for a fourth time in 1976. "When I was just a coach, I was probably more nervous of the outcome," he later admitted.In the mid 1990s he was made Saints chairman and earned his place in the record books when he oversaw the side's double of the inaugural Super League and the Challenge Cup in 1996. They retained the cup the following year, making a grand total of six for Mr Ashton.He had been St Helens chairman for 15 years when he died aged 73 after a long battle with cancer. He was survived by his wife Doreen and their two daughters. He had been given the MBE in June 1966 and inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2005.
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