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
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