Cobh Ramblers assistant Stuart Ashton: 'We will be pushing to win the division'

Stuart Ashton has been the Cobh Ramblers assistant manager for the bones of one year at this stage and it is safe to say he has had a very positive impact at the club.

Having done an outstanding job working for a large number of years with the youth players at Cork City, Ashton has a very strong reputation and is one of the most knowledgeable and respectable coaches around in terms of player development.

Ramblers have a very progressive and determined management team in Stephen Henderson and Ashton at present. With both recently signing new deals which will see them remain at the St Colman’s Park club until the end of the 2020 season, the future looks a very bright one for Cobh.

From the moment he arrived at the club Ashton has been impressed and encouraged by what he has seen.

“It is a fantastic setup down here," he told extratime.ie.

"When myself and Stephen [Henderson] first met, we discussed what we were about and both of our opinions on how we went about things. We got on like a house on fire from the start.

“Training-wise and facilities are good. From a players and a coaches point of view you will always want better. The top clubs are always looking to improve those things and we would be no different.

“Everything is in place, behind the scenes the club is progressing and building on. Hopefully we can build on this success that we had and hopefully we can look to push forward as a club,” Ashton said.

Ramblers gave a brilliant account of themselves last season and managed to push Waterford, the side with a big financial backing that were massive favourites to win the First Division from the outset, all of the way.

For the effort was put in it was a massive shame that there was no reward for finishing in second place. The decision by the FAI to scrap the playoffs for the 2017 season was a contentious one to say the very least.

Despite that, Ashton saw plenty to be positive about over the campaign gone by.

“From the club's point of view, it was a great season. Obviously with there just being one going up from the First Division, it was a disappointment for all of the clubs to start off with.

“From our point of view, to finish second in the end and to push the outside favourites in Waterford right from the start was a great achievement for us.

“We started off with a young squad and for various reasons throughout the season, we had to bring in players from the under-19 squad and also players from the under-17 squad. It was a great opportunity for those players and fantastic for the club as well.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t get it to the cup final and a final day of the season decider that it could have been. For us to push Waterford right until the very end was a great achievement for us and all of the club. On that note it is a bright future for the club that we have got these young players coming through which is what we are about.”

The philosophy regarding the role of the underage section of the club is sure to have be a pleasing part of Ashton’s job at Ramblers. Given his impeccable CV, young players must be full of excitement at the prospect to get to chance to work with him.

Cobh are a club that give young footballers a chance and they are not afraid to put them into the first team if they are good enough. They are a great club to be at for a young footballer and they provide a clear pathway to first team League Of Ireland Football.

The planning and preparation for the 2018 season received a huge boost when the news of the return of the play-off structure for the upcoming campaign.

Looking ahead to what the club could potentially go on to achieve next season, Ashton feels that there is no reason why Ramblers cannot have a tilt for the title:

“The big plus for next year is that there is a playoff for the First Division. It will keep the division alive for a longer period of time. From that point of view we have got our aims and goals for the season. Obviously we aim to be in that top four, but from the start of the year we will be pushing to win the division.

“It will be difficult from the point of view with the clubs that have come down. We know that they are going to have the players that will be staying with them and have got bigger budgets.

“But we accept that and that is what we are at this club. From the start of next season again the young lads will have chances and it will be up to them to produce the goods. Hopefully that can help to push us forward to where we want to be."

This year has ended with Ramblers looking ahead to the forthcoming one with positivity. Ashton has had a large part to play thus far. If the club generally can build on what they have done over the past few seasons, there is quite a strong possibility Cobh Ramblers will be right in the mix for promotion to the Premier Division.