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Ashleigh King (Naomi Ryan) 2005-2006
First Regular Appearance: 9.1 (#357) Last Regular Appearance: 10.1 (#388) Dragon Til I Die Duration: EP: 357 - 388 | SE: 9.1 – 10.1 Position: HUFC Fitness Coach (2005-2006) / First Team Coach (2006) Last Seen: Being visited in Harchester Women’s Prison by Lynda, released and goes back to Holland to recover. An Olympic hopeful in her late teens, Ashleigh's swimming career floundered so she moved on to study sports science. Her third year education at Warrick University led to a work placement with PSV Eindhoven. It was here she was introduced to Felix Hahn, who quickly became her mentor and gave her that final push. Felix liked Ashleigh so much it was his influence which gave her a permanent job on the PSV coaching team, and it wasn’t long before they were lovers, as Felix continued to insist his marriage to wife Katrin in Germany was over. Ashleigh was in London after the 2004-05 season had finished. At a party held at the home of businessman Paul Davies, Ashleigh proceeded to drink too much and sleep with Roma striker Casper Rose, whose own lover was Paul's wife Annabelle. Before they could take things further, Ashleigh came out of her blur and disappeared from the house before returning to Holland, but Cass wanted more, and was soon finding a way of reuniting them both. Following Harchester United losing all but three players in a coach explosion, a mystery owner appoints Felix the position of managing the Dragons, and he brings Ashleigh to the club with him, and none was more surprised when Casper himself turns up as a new signing! Cass continued to pursue Ashleigh, who couldn’t remember them ever meeting let alone sleeping together. Alongside Casper’s persistence, Ashleigh had to endure a team who didn’t take her seriously as a female fitness coach, plus Felix doing little to demand his players respect her, choosing to support first team coach Alex Dempsey more. Not to mention moving his estranged wife with their children into the Barrons! At Christmas, Ashleigh’s relationship with Felix was revealed, during the same siege in which Casper is shot. As she helps him recover, Ashleigh realises she is falling for Cass, and his chances are improved when Felix is forced out of the club by the owner's hand, in order for Alex to become Harchester’s manager and Ashleigh is promoted to first team coach. Ashleigh develops a bond with Ryan Naysmith who has struggled the most with the deaths of his team mates, and one night the two drink too much while Ashleigh innocently stays the night in his hotel room. Casper believes she has cheated on him and is intent on revenge. He sets Ryan up for match fixing, but the incriminating photographs get back to Alex just as Casper is proposing to Ashleigh. He tells her to wait before answering, before being confronted by Alex in his room over the photos. When Casper reveals he is the mystery owner who has been controlling Alex’s life, Alex hits him with an ink bottle and causes his death. Ashleigh was getting drunk while this was happening, and again has no memory of what she was doing, this time while her boyfriend was being killed! When Lynda becomes the prime suspect, Alex goes to protect the woman he loves and plants an ink-stained towel in Ashleigh’s kit bag, believing she will receive a lesser punishment. A devastated Ash now believes she killed Cass, and confesses to the police. The investigation is not closed, as Detective Inspector Burrows still believes Lynda is responsible. Ashleigh is freed due to a lack of sustainable evidence, which gives Burrows his chance to pursue Lynda again. With her life in ruins, Ashleigh returns to Holland to recuperate and isn’t heard from again. |
