SHEFFIELD EAGLES coach Craig Lingard says Mark Aston will always be “an integral part” of the South Yorkshire club’s eventful story.
But as he reaches the first anniversary of his appointment, the former Keighley, Batley and Castleford coach says it’s time to move on and write a new chapter.
Other than a season at Featherstone in 1994-95, Aston’s involvement in Rugby League in the steel city ran from 1986, when he made his debut as a halfback, and August, when he cut ties.
He helped the original club win the Challenge Cup in 1998, lifting the Lance Todd Trophy in the process, and following the controversial merger with Huddersfield in late 1999, was central to the launch of the current version of the Eagles, becoming player-coach.
When he hung up his boots in 2004, he had made 389 appearances in Sheffield colours, and as well as lengthy further service as coach, held various positions at board level.
At the time of Lingard’s appointment, Aston was in a commercial role pending an appeal against an 18-month coaching ban for breaching RFL rules around a player returning to action after a head injury.
The plan was for him to eventually become director of rugby, but having withdrawn his appeal, he then announced his departure from the club three-and-a-half months ago.
Against that backdrop, and with several players departing during the season and others coming in, Sheffield finished eleventh in the Championship.
“There was a lot going on and changes both on and off the field, and as a coaching staff, some things were out of our control,” said Lingard.
“We tried different things to minimise the impact, but the season was challenging.
“Mark’s departure was a massive thing for this club because he has been such an integral part of things for so long, but we have to move on.”
Sheffield have pre-season games at Keighley on Saturday, December 20 (3pm) and Batley on Sunday, January 11 (2pm).