The Andy Cheshire Memorial - Ashton Lacrosse Club

It’s not often that tragedy and lacrosse cross paths, but ten years ago this October, on a field in Poynton, the two did meet. Andy Cheshire, aged 36, goalkeeper for Ashton Lacrosse Club and the 1994 Welsh national team, and a character loved far and wide for being larger than life, died suddenly of a heart attack on the pitch. Just after the start of the second half, Ashton were defending and Andrew was calling the ball as it was carried from behind the net, suddenly Andy crumpled to his knees and collapsed. He would never regain consciousness.

Mobile phones meant medics could reach the scene quickly, but desperate attempts by his teammates to sustain life were to no avail. An air of disbelief surrounded the rest of the team as we sat in Poynton’s club house. An echo of that disbelief still exists today; that a person, so young, so full of energy and life could be gone so quickly was shocking. It happens on our roads every day, but you don’t expect it on the pitch on a Saturday afternoon. But it did happen, Andy is gone and ten years on Ashton Lacrosse Club will be honouring his memory with a Memorial Day on September 17th (2pm face).

This will involve some junior games earlier in the day, and a senior game in the afternoon. If you knew Andy please come down to Ashton Rugby Club, St Albans Avenue, OL6 8TU. We would love for as many people as possible to share their memories of Andy with the newer members of the club who have no idea of what characters have come before them.