ClubHistory

Some of the outstanding results of Ashton fencers:

Marilyn Holmes

Marilyn started fencing at Ashton when she was only eleven years old, in those days in the North West that was considered quite young to fence. She was the first club member to win a national championship, she worked very hard with her trainer Les. Jones and it paid off in 1964 she won the National Junior Schoolgirl Championships. The following year she set up a record that will never be repeated, she won the Junior title again and because she won it so easily the LAFU agreed she could fence in the Senior Schoolgirls Championship. It was no surprise when she won that to but to cap it all she went on the win the British women's Under Twenty Championship. Three national championship successes in one season and including one she was really to young to enter. Marilyn was selected for three World Youth Championships and in two of them was joined by Susan Green. Ashton on several occasions had two of the three women fencers selected for the World Youth. After moving to Reading University she won the university championships but it was disappointing for Marilyn not to be selected for the Olympic Games in 1968 in Mexico. After University Marilyn joined the WRAF.

Susan Green (Olympic Fencer)

Ashton's most successful fencer, her achievements are outstanding. British Senior Schoolgirl Champion in 1967, followed by winning the British under Twenty Championship twice, the British Senior Women's Championship in 1968 aged only seventeen, the British Open women's event (Desprez) in 1969 and again in 1973, the C-L De Beaumont International event in 1973 and 1974 and many other honours. Susan was selected for the World Youth Championships three times and for the World Championships four times. At the Vienna World Championships in 1971 Susan beat Belova-Novikova twice a world champion. Susan won a team gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and was selected for three Olympics, the first in Mexico in 1968 when she was only eighteen.

Amanda Ferguson (Olympic Fencer)

Amanda another young Ashton fencer to make the Olympic team. Amanda only joined Ashton's beginners class because the badminton class was full, little did she realise where the sport would take her. One of her first results was second place in the 1982 British under sixteen championship, followed by second place in the 1983 British Under Twenties Championship missing the first place by one hit. This was followed by winning the British under eighteen championship in 1984 and again in 1985. The following year Amanda won an international foil competition in Spain. Amanda was selected for the World Youth Championships three times 1985/6/7 and for the world championships in 1991 and the pinnacle of her fencing career was a place in the team for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. She was the only member of the team to win any fights in the match against Russia.

Gary Fletcher (Olympic Fencer)

Gary and his friend Mark Booth pupils at the local Grammar School though they would give fencing a try, the club had a beginners class running at sabre. Jim Philbin had been a member of Ashton in the mid seventies he competed in the 1974 British sabre championships and only missed the title by one hit loosing to Richard Cohen in a barrage having beaten him in the final. Jim moved to London the following year and joined the Polytechnic.

This may have been the spur for Gary, he started by winning the North West sabre championships and went on to win it a further twelve times a record no ones going to beat, Mark got accustomed to coming second. Gary came third in the under eighteen championship in 1980 and won the British junior championship in 1985. With no one in the Region to raise his game Gary had to work hard at his training sessions.

So much so that when he went to Bradford University he travelled each week to Ashton to continue his training with Les. This dedication was rewarded in 1990 when he won the British sabre championship and even more so when he was selected for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

The only club in the country outside of London to have two fencers at different weapons selected for the Olympics.

Paraplegic Olympic Games

Three members of Ashton fenced in the paraplegic Games - Howard Wardle, Margaret Bone and Deborah Mabbitt. Howard won a bronze medal at foil at the Paraplegic Games in 1976 in Montreal

British Women's Foil Team Championships

Ashton in 1970 became the first club outside of London to win the event beating Thames Fencing Club in the final to win the women's foil team championship since the competition was first held in 1909. The team was Susan Green,Janet Yates, Janice Deakin and Colette Bailey all teenagers. It was stated that the event was captured at last by the classical training and physical fitness of the young Ashton quartet. Janet Yates played a major role winning all four of her fights in the final.. Ashton won the event again in 1973

The team was Susan Green, Janet Yates, Janet Jones and Caroline Hall who defeated London Fencing Club in the final. Having qualified for the Coppa Europa in Turin, they beat Achi Tesi (Italy) 9-7 and USAC (France) 11-5 and reached the last eight by beating ZFKA Sofia, Bulgaria on hits, losing to a strong Romanian 4-9 - One of the best results by a British team.