Ashley Bayes
Encyclopedia
Ashley John Bayes is an English
professional football goalkeeper who is currently plays for Conference South
side Basingstoke Town
. He has represented England
at youth level.
, making his Football League debut on 20 March 1990 against Preston North End
at Griffin Park
, and turning professional on the 5 July later that year. He made only three further League appearances over the next three seasons and was released, joining Torquay United
signed by the manager Don O'Riordan on 13 August 1993. Although he started the season as second choice to Matthew Lowe, he played 32 league games in his first season, and another two games in the play-offs as Torquay lost a bad-tempered tie with Preston North End
.
He remained a regular the following season, but lost his place to Ray Newland
in the 1995–96 season. After 97 games for the Gulls he moved on a free transfer again, joining local rivals Exeter City
on 31 July 1996. Once more he soon established himself as a first choice goalkeeper, his performances earning him the 1998–99 club Player of the Year award. At the end of the 1998–99 season, after 127 league games, Bayes turned down a new two year contract with Exeter, becoming the first Exeter player to leave under the Bosman ruling
, joining Leyton Orient
on 5 July 1999. His first game for Orient came on 7 August, a surprising 2–1 defeat to then perennial strugglers Carlisle United
at Brunton Park. Soon after Bayes lost his place to Scott Barrett
, but eventually he won his place back and became the established regular goalkeeper at Brisbane Road.
He left Orient in May 2002 on a free transfer, joining Irish side Bohemians
in June 2002. Bayes became a fan favourite at the club and won a league winning medal that season.
However, he lost his place to Seamus Kelly
at the beginning of the next season and returned to England in March 2003, joining Conference
side Woking
. He rejected a new contract with Woking and joined ambitious non-league side Hornchurch
in May 2004, but left, along with many other players, in November that year, joining Grays Athletic
as Hornchurch suffered a financial collapse. Bayes starred as Grays won the 2005 FA Trophy
final, saving the crucial penalty as Grays beat Hucknall Town
6–5 on penalties. Bayes was also part of the Grays team which retained the FA Trophy the following season.
Bayes was released by Grays at the end of the 2006–07 season, and in June 2007, despite stating his desperation to rejoin Exeter City, joined Crawley Town
. The following season he signed for Stevenage. He made his Stevenage debut in a 5–0 defeat to Wrexham in August 2008, and played the following three games. However, following the arrival of Chris Day
, Bayes has featured less frequently. He played in Stevenage's 1–0 victory against Woking
in March 2009, whilst also keeping a clean sheet in a 4–0 win over Forest Green Rovers
in the FA Trophy
. The following season witnessed Bayes continue to feature behind Chris Day; playing five times during the club's successful campaign – as Stevenage won promotion to the Football League
for the first time in the club's history. Bayes left Stevenage June 2011 in order to play first-team football and concentrate on his coaching career.
On the same day as his departure from Stevenage was confirmed, on 20 June 2011, Bayes signed for Conference South
side Basingstoke Town
. A week later, Bayes was added to the backroom staff at Aldershot Town
, working part-time as a goalkeeping coach while also registered as a player at Basingstoke. He made his Basingstoke debut on the first day of the 2011–12 season, playing the whole game in a 2–0 away win against Eastleigh
.
Grays Athletic
Stevenage
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 football goalkeeper who is currently plays for Conference South
Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
side Basingstoke Town
Basingstoke Town F.C.
Basingstoke Town Football Club is an English football club based in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The club are currently members of the Conference South and play at the Camrose, named after their late benefactor, Lord Camrose. Their motto, 'Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum', means 'No stepping...
. He has represented England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at youth level.
Career
Bayes began his career as an apprentice at BrentfordBrentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, making his Football League debut on 20 March 1990 against Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
at Griffin Park
Griffin Park
Griffin Park is a football ground situated in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It has been the home ground of League One side Brentford since it was built in 1904. It is known for being the only English league football ground to have a pub on each corner, and is situated in a...
, and turning professional on the 5 July later that year. He made only three further League appearances over the next three seasons and was released, joining 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...
signed by the manager Don O'Riordan on 13 August 1993. Although he started the season as second choice to Matthew Lowe, he played 32 league games in his first season, and another two games in the play-offs as Torquay lost a bad-tempered tie with Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
.
He remained a regular the following season, but lost his place to Ray Newland
Ray Newland
Raymond James Newland is an English former professional football goalkeeper.Newland began his career as a trainee with Chester City, but was released and joined Winsford United...
in the 1995–96 season. After 97 games for the Gulls he moved on a free transfer again, joining local rivals Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
on 31 July 1996. Once more he soon established himself as a first choice goalkeeper, his performances earning him the 1998–99 club Player of the Year award. At the end of the 1998–99 season, after 127 league games, Bayes turned down a new two year contract with Exeter, becoming the first Exeter player to leave under the Bosman ruling
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
, joining Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
on 5 July 1999. His first game for Orient came on 7 August, a surprising 2–1 defeat to then perennial strugglers Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
at Brunton Park. Soon after Bayes lost his place to Scott Barrett
Scott Barrett
Scott Barrett is a professor of natural resource economics at Columbia University. There, he holds the title of Lenfest Professor of Natural Resource Economics at the School of International and Public Affairs and The Earth Institute....
, but eventually he won his place back and became the established regular goalkeeper at Brisbane Road.
He left Orient in May 2002 on a free transfer, joining Irish side Bohemians
Bohemian F.C.
Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
in June 2002. Bayes became a fan favourite at the club and won a league winning medal that season.
However, he lost his place to Seamus Kelly
Seamus Kelly
Seamus Kelly , is a retired Irish goalkeeper and current goalkeeping coach at Shelbourne .-Career:Seamus signed for UCD in the summer of 1993, making his League of Ireland debut on 19 September, from hometown club Tullamore Town and established himself as one of the league's best keepers before...
at the beginning of the next season and returned to England in March 2003, joining Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
side Woking
Woking F.C.
Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...
. He rejected a new contract with Woking and joined ambitious non-league side Hornchurch
Hornchurch F.C.
Hornchurch F.C. were an non-League football club based in east London. They played in the Conference South, after being promoted from the Isthmian League....
in May 2004, but left, along with many other players, in November that year, joining Grays Athletic
Grays Athletic F.C.
Grays Athletic Football Club is an English football club currently based in Corringham, Essex after leaving the New Recreation Ground in Grays at the end of the 2009–10 season...
as Hornchurch suffered a financial collapse. Bayes starred as Grays won the 2005 FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
final, saving the crucial penalty as Grays beat Hucknall Town
Hucknall Town F.C.
Hucknall Town F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. The club are members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division and play at Watnall Road.-History:...
6–5 on penalties. Bayes was also part of the Grays team which retained the FA Trophy the following season.
Bayes was released by Grays at the end of the 2006–07 season, and in June 2007, despite stating his desperation to rejoin Exeter City, joined Crawley Town
Crawley Town F.C.
Crawley Town Football Club is an English football club based in Crawley, West Sussex. They won the title of the Football Conference, by a record 15 point margin on second place, and with it promotion to The Football League, in April 2011.-1896–2009:...
. The following season he signed for Stevenage. He made his Stevenage debut in a 5–0 defeat to Wrexham in August 2008, and played the following three games. However, following the arrival of Chris Day
Chris Day
Christopher Nicholas Day is an English professional football goalkeeper currently playing for League One side Stevenage....
, Bayes has featured less frequently. He played in Stevenage's 1–0 victory against Woking
Woking F.C.
Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...
in March 2009, whilst also keeping a clean sheet in a 4–0 win over Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers F.C.
Forest Green Rovers Football Club is an English football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, currently the longest-serving members of the Conference National. The club is affiliated to the Gloucestershire County FA.-Early years:...
in the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
. The following season witnessed Bayes continue to feature behind Chris Day; playing five times during the club's successful campaign – as Stevenage won promotion to the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
for the first time in the club's history. Bayes left Stevenage June 2011 in order to play first-team football and concentrate on his coaching career.
On the same day as his departure from Stevenage was confirmed, on 20 June 2011, Bayes signed for Conference South
Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
side Basingstoke Town
Basingstoke Town F.C.
Basingstoke Town Football Club is an English football club based in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The club are currently members of the Conference South and play at the Camrose, named after their late benefactor, Lord Camrose. Their motto, 'Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum', means 'No stepping...
. A week later, Bayes was added to the backroom staff at Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
, working part-time as a goalkeeping coach while also registered as a player at Basingstoke. He made his Basingstoke debut on the first day of the 2011–12 season, playing the whole game in a 2–0 away win against Eastleigh
Eastleigh F.C.
Eastleigh Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in Eastleigh, Hampshire. The club are currently members of the Conference South and play at the Silverlake Stadium.-History:...
.
Honours
Bohemians- League of IrelandLeague of IrelandThe League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
(1): 2002–03
Grays Athletic
- Conference SouthConference SouthConference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
(1): 2004–052004-05 in English footballThe 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League... - FA TrophyFA TrophyThe Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
(2): 2004–05, 2005–06
Stevenage
- FA TrophyFA TrophyThe Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
(1): 2008–09 - Conference NationalConference NationalConference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
(1): 2009–102009–10 in English footballThe 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... - League Two play-offs (1): 2010–112011 Football League Two play-off FinalThe 2011 Football League Two play-off final was a football match contested by Stevenage and Torquay United on 28 May 2011 at Old Trafford in Manchester to decide the fourth team to be promoted from League Two to League One for the 2011–12 season....
Career statistics
- (correct as of 15 October 2011)
Club Season League FA Cup FA Trophy Total Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Crawley Town Crawley Town F.C.Crawley Town Football Club is an English football club based in Crawley, West Sussex. They won the title of the Football Conference, by a record 15 point margin on second place, and with it promotion to The Football League, in April 2011.-1896–2009:...2007–08 2007-08 in English footballThe 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...45 0 0 0 1 0 46 0 Stevenage 2008–09 6 0 0 0 1 0 7 0 2009–10 4 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 2010–11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Basingstoke Town Basingstoke Town F.C.Basingstoke Town Football Club is an English football club based in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The club are currently members of the Conference South and play at the Camrose, named after their late benefactor, Lord Camrose. Their motto, 'Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum', means 'No stepping...2011–12 12 0 3 0 0 0 15 0 Career total 67 0 3 0 3 0 73 0