"[5] Despite having lost both Keegan and star striker Nigel Cassidy, and having finished a lowly 17th the season prior,[6] Ashman masterminded an against-the-odds promotion for Scunthorpe out of the Fourth Division in 1971–72,[6] with a then joint-club record 15-game unbeaten stretch either side of Christmas.

[7] Despite being unable to keep Scunthorpe in the Third Division the following season, this promotion was enough to persuade arch-rivals Grimsby Town of Ashman's talents and they duly poached him as manager in June 1973.

[8] It was claimed that Ashman "never enjoyed the same admiration he had gained in Scunthorpe",[9] but in his only full season in charge at Blundell Park, 1971–72 Ron led The Mariners to a very respectable 6th-place finish in the Third Division.

[14] This was in large part thanks to a run of seven wins and five draws across March and April, with official club historian John Staff stating that Ashman's efforts "deserved a medal".

[15] Alongside assistant John Kaye, Ashman continued to find and develop a number of high-profile players, including future European Cup winner Richard Money, Scunthorpe's all-time club-record goalscorer Steve Cammack and famous England cricket all-rounder Ian Botham.

[16] With the club struggling both on and off the field however, Kaye was made redundant in February 1981, before Ashman was "moved upstairs" to the role of General Manager the following month.

Hall of Fame,[20] whilst prior to his death in 2004,[21] he was also an official Vice-President of Scunthorpe United and was a regular at both the club's matches and shareholder meetings.