Richard Ashcroft a limited number of appearances in 2003, Ashcroft was absent from the music business for about two years. He later explained this in 2006, stating that "[e]veryone got it into their heads over the last few years that I was in my ivory tower like Lennon, baking bread all day. The fact of the matter was that I was bringing up kids". Ashcroft began playing gigs again in mid-2005, and, on 2 July at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park, Coldplay invited him to perform with them during their set. They performed The Verve's hit "Bitter Sweet Symphony", after
Kevin Ashcroft season at Hilton Park, Leigh on Tuesday 14 December 1976. Ashcroft played , was captain, and was man of the match in Warrington's 27-16 victory over Rochdale Hornets in the 1973–74 Player's No.6 Trophy Final during the 1973–74 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 9 February 1974, Ashcroft gave his £25 man of the match prize to Wigan's groundsman Billy Mitchell who had managed to get the water-logged pitch into a playable condition, (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £442.70 in 2014). Ashcroft played in Warrington's 4-0 victory over Featherstone Rovers in the 1973–74 Captain