Ashley Bayes

Early career

Bayes progressed through the Brentford academy and was playing for the under-18 team at the age of 15. He made his Football League debut on 20 March 1990 in a 2–2 draw with Preston North End, and signed his first professional contract two months later. He went on to make only three further league appearances over the next three seasons, leaving the club at the end of the 1992–93 season. He made 12 appearances for Brentford in all competitions, including in a League Cup match against Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. Following his departure from Brentford, Bayes joined Third Division club Torquay United on 13 August 1993, initially as second-choice to Matthew Lowe. He featured in 32 league matches and two play-off games in his first season, with Torquay losing to Preston North End in the play-off semi-final. He remained a regular during the 1994–95 season, making 37 league appearances. In his third and final year at Torquay, he lost his starting place to Ray Newland midway through the season, finishing with 28 appearances.

Exeter City

Ahead of the 1996–97 season, Bayes joined Exeter City of the Third Division on 31 July 1996, signing on a free transfer. He made his debut and registered a clean sheet in a 1–0 away victory against Mansfield Town on 17 August 1996, and went on to establish himself as the club's first-choice goalkeeper, making 46 appearances as Exeter avoided relegation to the Football Conference by a single…

Bayes was selected for England at under-17, under-18, and under-19 level. He earned one cap for the under-18 team, playing in a 3–1 defeat to Mexico in Port of Spain on 27 March 1991.

Bayes gained his coaching badges while still playing and began coaching part-time at Aldershot Town during the 2011–12 season. He was appointed full-time goalkeeping coach at AFC Wimbledon in June 2013, a position he has held since, working under five permanent managers.

Born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Bayes began playing as a goalkeeper for local youth team Manor United. He grew up admiring goalkeepers Ray Clemence, Peter Shilton, and Neville Southall. He spent time as a schoolboy at Lincoln City, but the club's academy was disbanded following Lincoln's relegation from the Football League. While representing Lincolnshire's county team, he had trials with Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, joining the latter for six months. Bayes signed a two-year Youth Training Scheme contract with Brentford at the age of 15, initially travelling from his family home in Lincoln each weekend before moving to London. He struggled with homesickness at first, but later settled and regarded the experience as formative in developing his resilience.