Richard Ashcroft and then attended Winstanley College, where he met Nick McCabe. His teachers referred to him as "the cancer of the class", though one member of staff recalled him being "incredibly intelligent". Ashcroft was an avid football player, playing junior football for Wigan Athletic. For some time Ashcroft wanted to be a professional football player, idolising George Best, but as he grew older he lost interest in this, turning to music instead. Ashcroft formed The Verve (originally just Verve) in 1990 with McCabe, Jones, and Salisbury. The band signed to Hut Records and became well known for their appetite for both
Jay Ashcroft Jay Ashcroft John Robert "Jay" Ashcroft (born July 12, 1973) is an American attorney, engineer, and politician serving as the 40th Secretary of State of Missouri. As Secretary of State, Ashcroft has forcefully pushed for stricter voter ID laws. He has made false claims about the extent of voter fraud. Ashcroft is the son of politician John Ashcroft. Ashcroft attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy, but did not graduate. He earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Missouri University of Science and Technology. He then worked as an engineer. Ashcroft attended law school, earning his