Ashley Eastham
Encyclopedia
Ashley Thomas J. Eastham (born 22 March 1991) is an English
professional
football player. He plays as a defender
for Blackpool
. His main position is centre-back.
, Kirkham, Lancashire
.
He signed his first professional contract in May 2009, then in July he played for the first team in the pre-season South West Challenge Cup held in North Devon
, including playing in the 5–0 win over Barnstaple Town
.
In August 2009 he joined Conference North
side Hyde United on loan, making his debut on 8 August in a 1–0 win over Stafford Rangers
at Ewen Fields
. On 17 August he scored Hyde's second goal in a 3–2 home victory over Gainsborough Trinity
. He made a total of eleven league appearances for the Tigers, scoring one goal, before being recalled by Blackpool on 21 September.
at the Britannia Stadium
in the third round of the 2009–10
League Cup
.
Four days later Eastham made his league debut, in a 2–0 home win over Peterborough United
at Bloomfield Road
, when he replaced the injured Neal Eardley
in the 18th minute. On 11 August 2011, Eastham was sent off in Blackpool's Carling Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday.
side Cheltenham Town
on an initial one month loan deal until 2 January 2010. Blackpool manager Ian Holloway
said of the move: "This is a great move for Ash. It is another step up for him, he did extremely well when he went to Hyde at the start of the season and this will be another challenge for him both on and off the field." The Robins caretaker manager
John Schofield said: "It's great to have a bright young prospect from a Championship club made available to us. Hopefully we can offer him some first team experience for the next stage of his development as a player." Five days later he was an unused substitute in a 0–3 defeat to Torquay United
at Plainmoor
. His debut came on 5 December in a 2–2 draw with Northampton Town
at Whaddon Road
.
After four appearances Eastham signed a one month extension to the loan deal on 31 December. He made a total of five appearances for the Robins, then on 7 January 2010 was recalled by Blackpool from his loan spell to cover for suspensions. He was included in the Blackpool squad that travelled to South Wales
to take on Cardiff City
on 9 January, and was an unused substitute in the game. On 15 January he returned to Cheltenham Town, on loan until the end of the season. Two days later he was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in a 0–0 draw with Grimsby Town
at Blundell Park
. He received a one game suspension, missing the next game, a 1–4 home defeat to League Two leaders Rochdale
.
Following his performance in the 2–0 home win over Morecambe
on 20 February 2010, he was named in the League Two "Team of the Week".
In January 2011 he was again sent out on loan to League Two Cheltenham Town
.
|2009–10
||Hyde United (loan)||Conference North
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|-
|2009–10
||Blackpool
||Championship
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|-
|2009–10
||Cheltenham Town
(loan)||League Two
||20||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||20||0
|-
32||1||0||0||1||0||34||1
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
football player. He plays as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
. His main position is centre-back.
Early career at Blackpool; Loan move to Hyde United
Born in Preston, Lancashire, Eastham is a product of the Blackpool youth department. He attended Carr Hill High SchoolCarr Hill High School
Carr Hill High School and Sixth Form Centre is an 11–18, mixed comprehensive school and sixth form in Kirkham, Lancashire, England. The school holds specialist Engineering College status. The school has 1313 students currently enrolled...
, Kirkham, Lancashire
Kirkham, Lancashire
Kirkham, or as it once was known, Kirkam-in-Amounderness is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England, midway between Blackpool and Preston and adjacent to the smaller town of Wesham. It owes its existence to Carr Hill upon which it was built and which was the location...
.
He signed his first professional contract in May 2009, then in July he played for the first team in the pre-season South West Challenge Cup held in North Devon
North Devon
North Devon is the northern part of the English county of Devon. It is also the name of a local government district in Devon. Its council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth...
, including playing in the 5–0 win over Barnstaple Town
Barnstaple Town F.C.
Barnstaple Town F.C. is a football club that play in Barnstaple, Devon, England. They are currently members of the Western League, a league covering south western England....
.
In August 2009 he joined Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
side Hyde United on loan, making his debut on 8 August in a 1–0 win over Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers F.C.
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...
at Ewen Fields
Ewen Fields
Ewen Fields is a multi-use stadium in Tameside, England. It is the home ground of Hyde F.C. and Manchester City Reserves and has also in the past hosted Manchester United F.C. Reserves, Stockport County Reserves and Oldham Curzon Ladies. It is currently used for football...
. On 17 August he scored Hyde's second goal in a 3–2 home victory over Gainsborough Trinity
Gainsborough Trinity F.C.
Gainsborough Trinity Football Club are an English football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Between 1896 and 1912 they were members of the Football League. They are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at The Northolme, which has a capacity of 4,304...
. He made a total of eleven league appearances for the Tigers, scoring one goal, before being recalled by Blackpool on 21 September.
Back at Blackpool – first team debut
The following day, in his first year as a professional, Eastham made his debut for the Seasiders in a 4–3 defeat to Premier League side Stoke CityStoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
at the Britannia Stadium
Britannia Stadium
The Britannia Stadium is an all-seater football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England and the home of Premier League club Stoke City Football Club. With space for 27,598 spectators . The name is taken from the sponsors of the Stadium the Britannia Co-operative Bank...
in the third round of the 2009–10
2009–10 Football League Cup
The 2009–10 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 50th season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs....
League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
.
Four days later Eastham made his league debut, in a 2–0 home win over Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
, when he replaced the injured Neal Eardley
Neal Eardley
Neal James Eardley is a Welsh international footballer who plays for Blackpool. His predominant position is as a right back...
in the 18th minute. On 11 August 2011, Eastham was sent off in Blackpool's Carling Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday.
Cheltenham Town loan move
On 26 November 2009 Eastham joined League TwoFootball League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
on an initial one month loan deal until 2 January 2010. Blackpool manager Ian Holloway
Ian Holloway
Ian Scott Holloway is an English football manager and former player. He became the manager of Blackpool in May 2009. Holloway is well-known amongst football fans for his off-the-wall interviews, with a wide selection of quotes and soundbites being printed. Holloway's playing career spanned 18...
said of the move: "This is a great move for Ash. It is another step up for him, he did extremely well when he went to Hyde at the start of the season and this will be another challenge for him both on and off the field." The Robins caretaker manager
Caretaker manager
In association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his...
John Schofield said: "It's great to have a bright young prospect from a Championship club made available to us. Hopefully we can offer him some first team experience for the next stage of his development as a player." Five days later he was an unused substitute in a 0–3 defeat to Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
at Plainmoor
Plainmoor
Plainmoor is a suburb of Torquay, Devon, but is best known as the name of the stadium in which Torquay United Football Club currently play.-History:...
. His debut came on 5 December in a 2–2 draw with Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
at Whaddon Road
Whaddon Road
Whaddon Road is a football stadium in Cheltenham, England. It is the home ground of Cheltenham Town F.C. and shared with Gloucester City A.F.C.. It has a total capacity of 7,066, with a mixture of seating and terracing...
.
After four appearances Eastham signed a one month extension to the loan deal on 31 December. He made a total of five appearances for the Robins, then on 7 January 2010 was recalled by Blackpool from his loan spell to cover for suspensions. He was included in the Blackpool squad that travelled to South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
to take on Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
on 9 January, and was an unused substitute in the game. On 15 January he returned to Cheltenham Town, on loan until the end of the season. Two days later he was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in a 0–0 draw with Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
at Blundell Park
Blundell Park
Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late...
. He received a one game suspension, missing the next game, a 1–4 home defeat to League Two leaders Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
.
Following his performance in the 2–0 home win over Morecambe
Morecambe F.C.
Morecambe Football Club is an English football club based in Morecambe, Lancashire. It plays its football in League Two, the fourth division of English football, having been promoted in 2007 for the first time in their history to the Football League. They played their home matches at Christie Park...
on 20 February 2010, he was named in the League Two "Team of the Week".
In January 2011 he was again sent out on loan to League Two Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
.
Career statistics
|-|2009–10
2009–10 Football Conference
The 2009–10 Football Conference season was the sixth season with the Conference consisting of three divisions, and the thirty-first season overall. The Conference covers the top two levels of Non-League football in England. The Conference National is the fifth highest level of the overall pyramid,...
||Hyde United (loan)||Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
||11||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||11||1
|-
|2009–10
Blackpool F.C. season 2009–10
The 2009–10 season was Blackpool F.C.s 103rd season in the Football League. It was also their third consecutive season in The Championship, the second tier of English football. The club won promotion, via the play-offs, to the Premier League for the first time, their 28th overall season in the top...
||Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||1||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||2||0
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
||Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
(loan)||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||20||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||20||0
|-
32||1||0||0||1||0||34||1
Honours
BlackpoolBlackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
- ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
play-off final winner: 2009–102010 Football League Championship play-off FinalThe 2010 Football League Championship play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium in London on 22 May 2010 to decide the third team to be promoted from The Championship to the Premier League for the 2010–11 season....
External links
- Ashley Eastham player profile at blackpoolfc.co.uk
- Ashley Eastham player profile at ctfc.