| Joe Ashworth | |
| Fullname: | Joseph Matthew Ashworth[1] |
| Birth Date: | 6 January 1943 |
| Birth Place: | Huddersfield, England |
| Death Date: | 2002 |
| Position: | Wing half |
| Youthyears1: | ?–1960 |
| Youthclubs1: | Bradford Park Avenue |
| Years1: | 1960–1962 |
| Years2: | 1962–1965 |
| Years3: | 1965–1967 |
| Years4: | 1967–1968 |
| Years5: | 1968–1971 |
| Years6: | 1971–1972 |
| Years7: | 1972 |
| Clubs1: | Bradford Park Avenue |
| Clubs2: | York City |
| Clubs3: | Bournemouth |
| Clubs4: | Southend United |
| Clubs5: | Rochdale |
| Clubs6: | Chester |
| Clubs7: | Stockport County |
| Caps1: | 3 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Caps2: | 57 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Caps3: | 60 |
| Goals3: | 2 |
| Caps4: | 36 |
| Goals4: | 2 |
| Caps5: | 132 |
| Goals5: | 3 |
| Caps6: | 5 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Caps7: | 14 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
Joseph Matthew Ashworth (6 January 1943 – 2002) was an English footballer who played as a wing half.
Ashworth was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire and progressed through the junior ranks at Bradford Park Avenue, before signing as a professional in January 1960.[2] After making three Football League appearances in two and a half years at Park Avenue, he joined Fourth Division team York City in May 1962.[1] His debut came in a 0–0 draw with Rochdale in the FA Cup first round on 3 November 1962.[3] The opportunity of his league debut came after an injury to Alan Woods, nearly a year after signing, and he played in a 5–2 victory over Oldham Athletic on 20 April 1963.[2] He finished the 1962–63 season with nine appearances.[3] He was released by York in the summer of 1965 after making 65 appearances for the team.[2] [4]
He signed for Bournemouth in June, where he played for two seasons, making 60 league appearances and scoring two goals before joining Southend United in July 1967.[1] Ashworth made 36 league appearances and scored two goals during the 1967–68 season for Southend before joining Rochdale in July 1968.[1] He made 132 league appearances and scored three goals for Rochdale, before moving on to Chester in December 1971.[1] He made five appearances for Chester in the remainder of the 1971–72 season and joined Stockport County in June 1962.[1] He made 14 league appearances at Stockport before retiring.[5] Following his retirement, he joined Her Majesty's Prison Service and died in 2002.[1] [5]
He was a good passer of the ball and during his career was regarded as one of the best passers in the lower leagues.[2]