Malcolm "Mal" Aspey (birth registered June 1947) is an English former professional
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
ed in the 1980s. He played at club level for i.e. number 3,
Fulham RLFC,
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas, Lancashire, River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the nor ...
(
Heritage № 780), and
Salford
Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...
, as a , i.e. number 3 or 4, and coached at club level for Salford.
Background
Aspey's birth was registered in
Prescot
Prescot is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, it lies about to the east of Liverpool city centre. At the 2001 Census, the civ ...
district,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
Playing career
Premiership Final appearances
Aspey played, and was
man of the match
In team sport, a player of the match or man of the match or woman of the match award is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chosen from the winn ...
winning the
Harry Sunderland Trophy
The Harry Sunderland Trophy is awarded annually to the man of the match in the Super League Grand Final. Named after Harry Sunderland, who was an Australian rugby league football administrator in both Australia and the United Kingdom, the Trophy ...
in
Widnes
Widnes ( ) is an Industrial city, industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census had a population of 61,464.
Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, it is on t ...
' 26-11 victory over
Bradford Northern
The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is predomi ...
in the
Premiership Final during the
1979–80 season at
Station Road, Swinton
Station Road was a stadium in Pendlebury, near Manchester, England. It was the home of Swinton Rugby League Club between 1929 and 1992 and was widely recognised as one of the finest grounds in the Rugby League.
Swinton moved to Station Road w ...
on Saturday 17 May 1980.
Challenge Cup Final appearances
Aspey played left-centre, i.e. number 4, in Widnes' 14-7 victory over
Warrington
Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...
in the
1974–75 Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involves am ...
Final during the
1974–75 season at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
on Saturday 10 May 1975, played right-centre, i.e. number 3, and scored a
try
Try or TRY may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio
* ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs
* "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987)
* "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014)
* "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004)
* " Try (Ju ...
in the 7-16 defeat by
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
in the
1976–77 Challenge Cup Final during the
1976–77 season at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 7 May 1977, and played right-centre, in the 12-3 victory over
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, that plays in the Super League. One of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, between 1999 and 2016 the c ...
in the
1978–79 Challenge Cup Final during the
1978–79 season at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 5 May 1979.
County Cup Final appearances
Aspey played left-centre and scored a
goal
A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan and commit to achieve. People endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines.
A goal is roughly similar to a purpose or ai ...
in Widnes' 8-15 defeat by Wigan in the
1971–72 Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
County Cup
The county football associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England and the Crown dependencies. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of football in England. They are responsible for administering club and player ...
Final during the
1970–71 season at
Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside, was the home ground of St. Helens from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hosted ...
,
St. Helens, on Saturday 28 August 1971, played left-centre in the 6-2 victory over Salford in the
1974–75 Lancashire County Cup Final during the
1974–75 season at
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...
,
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas, Lancashire, River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the nor ...
on Saturday 2 November 1974, played left-centre and scored a try in the 16-7 victory over Salford in the
1975–76 Lancashire County Cup Final during the
1975–76 season at Central Park on Saturday 4 October 1975, played right-centre in the 16-11 victory over
Workington Town
Workington Town R.L.F.C. is a semi-professional rugby league club playing in Workington in west Cumbria.
Their stadium is Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team.
They became Rugby League Champions in 1951 and ...
in the
1976–77 Lancashire County Cup Final during the
1976–77 season at Central Park on Saturday 30 October 1976, played right-centre in the 15-13 victory over Workington Town in the
1978–79 Lancashire County Cup Final during the
1978–79 season at Central Park on Saturday 7 October 1978, and played right-centre in the 11-0 victory over Workington Town in the
1979–80 Lancashire County Cup Final during the
1979–80 season at
The Willows, Salford
The Willows was a rugby league stadium in Weaste, Salford, England. It had a final capacity of 11,363 with 2,500 seats.
History
In 1900, Salford agreed a 14-year lease on of land belonging to the Willows Estate Company, named after the abunda ...
on Saturday 8 December 1979.
BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final appearances
Aspey played left-centre in Widnes' 0-5 defeat by
Leigh
Leigh may refer to:
Places In England
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan
** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)
* Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Dorset
* Leigh, Gloucestershire
* Leigh, Kent
* Leigh, Staf ...
in the
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
BBC2 Floodlit Trophy
The BBC 2 Floodlit Trophy (also known as the BBC 2 Television Trophy) was a competition for British rugby league clubs held between 1965 and 1980. It was designed specifically for television, and the then director of BBC2, broadcaster David Att ...
Final during the
1972–73 season at Central Park on Tuesday 19 December 1972, played left-centre in the 7-15 defeat by
Bramley in the
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final during the
1973–74 season at
Naughton Park
The DCBL Stadium (historically known as Lowerhouse Lane and Naughton Park) is a rugby league stadium in Widnes, Cheshire, England. It is the home of Rugby League side Widnes Vikings of the Betfred Championship, and American football side Halt ...
,
Widnes
Widnes ( ) is an Industrial city, industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census had a population of 61,464.
Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, it is on t ...
on Tuesday 18 December 1973, and played left-centre in the 13-7 victory over
St. Helens in the
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
BBC2 Floodlit Trophy
The BBC 2 Floodlit Trophy (also known as the BBC 2 Television Trophy) was a competition for British rugby league clubs held between 1965 and 1980. It was designed specifically for television, and the then director of BBC2, broadcaster David Att ...
Final during the
1978–79 season at Knowsley Road on Tuesday 12 December 1978.
Player's No.6 Trophy/John Player Trophy Final appearances
Aspey played left-centre in Widnes' 2-3 defeat by Bradford Northern in the
1974–75 Player's No.6 Trophy Final during the
1974–75 season at
Wilderspool Stadium
Wilderspool Stadium was a rugby league stadium in Warrington, England. The ground was Warrington RLFC's old ground before moving to the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
History
In 1898, Warrington RLFC moved to the Wilderspool Stadium. A 10-year lea ...
,
Warrington
Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...
, on Saturday 25 January 1975, played left-centre in the 19-13 victory over
Hull F.C.
Hull Football Club, commonly referred to as Hull or Hull F.C., is a professional rugby league football club established in 1865 and based in West Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The club plays in the Super League competition and were ...
in the
1975–76 Player's No.6 Trophy Final during the
1975–76 season at
Headingley Rugby Stadium
Headingley Rugby Stadium shares the same site as Headingley Cricket Ground and is home to Leeds Rhinos. Headingley is the List of Rugby League stadiums in England, 5th largest rugby league stadium in England.
History
1889-1980s: Construc ...
,
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
, on Saturday 24 January 1976, played right-centre in the 4-9 defeat by Warrington in the
1977–78 Players No.6 Trophy Final during the
1977–78 season at Knowsley Road on Saturday 28 January 1978, played right-centre in the 16-4 victory over Warrington in the
1978–79 John Player Trophy
The John Player Trophy was a golf tournament on the European Tour that was played in England. It was played twice. The first event in 1970 at Notts Golf Club in Nottinghamshire was the 36-hole qualifying event for the John Player Classic. In 19 ...
Final during the
1978–79 season at Knowsley Road on Saturday 28 April 1979, and played right-centre in the 0-6 defeat by Bradford Northern in the
1979–80 John Player Trophy Final during the
1979–80 season at Headingley on Saturday 5 January 1980.
Career records
Aspey holds Widnes' "Most Tries In A Career" record with 236 tries, and with 575-appearances, he is second behind
Keith Elwell
Keith Elwell (12 February 1950), also known by the nicknames of "The Mole", "Chiefy", and "The Ubiquitous Elwell", is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level fo ...
(594 appearances) in Widnes' "Most Appearances In A Career" record list.
Post playing
Aspey was the
landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant (also a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). When a juristic person is in this position, the ...
of Ye Olde Chequers Inn pub in
Tonbridge
Tonbridge ( ) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated population ...
,
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
. As of 2019 he is retired and living in Widnes,
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
.
Genealogical information
Aspey is the grandson of
Sam Aspey, the rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s for Widnes, and the great-nephew of Sam Aspey's brothers. The elder brother,
George Aspey, played in the 1890s, 1900s and 1910s for Widnes and the younger,
"Bill" Aspey, played in the 1900s for Widnes.
References
External links
Statistics at rugby.widnes.tvStatistics at wigan.rlfans.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aspey, Mal
1947 births
Living people
English rugby league players
English rugby league coaches
London Broncos players
Publicans
Rugby league centres
Rugby league players from Prescot
Salford Red Devils coaches
Salford Red Devils players
Widnes Vikings players
Wigan Warriors players