[Lord Snooty]

Burton Albion v Huddersfield Town
Sky Bet League One
Saturday January 17th - 15:00 ko
at the Pirelli Stadium

Crisis club Huddersfield Town travel to play Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium which was built on the former site of the Pirelli UK Tyres Ltd Sports & Social Club.

After the team won 3-0 on Tuesday night to qualify for the quarter finals of the Vertu Trophy, making it one defeat in the last nine games for a side currently fifth in the league table, the crisis got larger. In fact, if you got a moment, it's a twelve-storey crisis with a magnificent entrance hall, carpeting throughout, 24-hour portage, and an enormous sign on the roof, saying 'This Is a Large Crisis'. A large crisis requires a large plan. Get me two pencils and a pair of underpants.

Alternatively, I've asked Google's Artificial Intelligence feature to do the team talk in the style of Lee Grant......

Alright lads, listen in. Today, we're up against Burton Albion, and we know what happened last time. A point was not enough, and that frustration, that desire for more, that needs to fuel us on the pitch today. We dominate possession, we create chances, that's what we do. But today, we need to be more clinical. We need to be aggressive in that final third and make those chances count.

• Mindset: We've had a frustrating week, I know that. But the response in training has been excellent, absolutely top-notch. That character, that resilience, that's what defines a Huddersfield Town team. I want to see that same positive attitude and energy out on that pitch from the first whistle.
  
  
• Our Game: We want to be a proactive team, a dominant team. We want to control the game and dictate the tempo. It's about movement, it's about decision-making, it's about being brave on the ball. You all have the ability, the detail in our preparation has been meticulous, now we need the execution.
  
  
• Community & Pride: We're not just playing for ourselves; we're playing for the badge, we're playing for our amazing supporters who turn up week in, week out. Give them a side they can be proud of. They want to see hunger, enthusiasm, and a team that's ready to work hard.
  
  
• Result: They'll sit deep, they'll make it difficult, but we have the quality to break them down. It's about making those extra runs, shortening our steps in the box, and getting those shots off quickly to give their keeper no chance. We need three points today, plain and simple. The process begins now. Go out there, give me everything, and let's get the job done!
  

All images used in this thread are form Wikipedia. And I've used AI to compose most of the thread as well.




A brief history of Burton Albion: Formed in 1950, Burton Albion Football Club, nicknamed "The Brewers" due to the town's brewing heritage, has experienced a remarkable rise through the English football league system, culminating in a two-season spell in the EFL Championship.

Early Years and Non-League Football: Formed at a public meeting on July 5, 1950, the club joined the Birmingham & District League and later moved to the Southern League and Northern Premier League, competing in non-league football for nearly 60 years. Early highlights included reaching the FA Cup third round in 1956 and the FA Trophy final in 1987. The club moved to their current home, the Pirelli Stadium, in 2005, a move that coincided with increased success.


Rise to the Football League: The arrival of Nigel Clough as player-manager in 1998 marked a turning point, leading the club to the Northern Premier League title in the 2001-02 season and promotion to the Football Conference (now the National League).

A famous moment came in the 2005-06 FA Cup when Burton held eleven-time winners Manchester United to a 0-0 draw at the Pirelli Stadium, before losing the replay at Old Trafford.

In 2009, the club achieved promotion to the Football League for the first time in its history as champions of the Conference Premier, despite Clough leaving mid-season for Derby County.

The Championship Era: Under manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Burton won the League Two title in the 2014-15 season. Clough then returned for a second spell and guided the team to a second-place finish in League One in the 2015-16 season, earning promotion to the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, for the first time. The Brewers spent two seasons at this highest level, notably surviving their first season by finishing in 20th place in 2016-17, before being relegated back to League One in 2018.


Recent Years: In the 2018-19 season, the club enjoyed a memorable run to the EFL Cup semi-finals, where they faced Manchester City. More recently, the club has seen managerial changes and a takeover by the Nordic Football Group in June 2024.

Head to Head




Burton lead the head to head with 2 wins to Town's 1, with 2 draws.

2016/17:
Burton 0-1 Town (Nahki Wells)
Town 0-1 Burton (Jackson Irvine)

2024/25:
Town (Michal Helik) 1-1 Burton (Charlie Webster)
Burton (Rumarn Burrel (2), Julian Larsson) 3-0 Town

2025/26:
Town 0-0 Burton






Burton's manager profile: Gary Bowyer:

Playing Career:

• Bowyer's playing career as a full-back was cut short by injury, leading to his retirement at the age of 25 in 1997.
  
  
• Hereford United: Made 14 league appearances in the 1989-90 season.
  
  
• Nottingham Forest: Spent five years at the club but did not make a senior league appearance.
  
  
• Rotherham United: Made 38 league appearances and won the Football League Trophy in the 1995-96 season, his only senior honour as a player.
  

Managerial Career:

After transitioning into coaching, Bowyer built a reputation in youth development at Derby County and Blackburn Rovers before taking on first-team management roles.

• Blackburn Rovers: Progressed through the academy ranks and became permanent manager in 2013, leading the team to consecutive top-10 finishes in the Championship and an FA Cup quarter-final appearance. He was sacked in November 2015.
  
  
• Blackpool: Appointed manager in June 2016 and guided the club to promotion to League One via the League Two play-offs in his first season. He resigned in August 2018.
  
  
• Bradford City: Managed the team from March 2019 to February 2020.
  
  
• Salford City: Had two spells as manager, initially as a caretaker in March 2021 and later on a permanent basis, narrowly missing out on the play-offs.
  
  
• Dundee: Appointed in June 2022, he won the Scottish Championship title and the SPFL Scottish Championship Manager of the Year award in the 2022-23 season, achieving promotion to the Scottish Premiership before departing the club in May 2023.
  
  
• Burton Albion: His current role began in December 2024, where he was appointed head coach and successfully guided the team out of a nine-point deficit to avoid relegation from League One. He signed a new two-year contract in June 2025.
  

Burton in popular culture: Marmite is an iconic British savoury spread known for its strong, distinctive flavour that inspires a famous "love it or hate it" reaction among consumers. It has deep roots in Burton upon Trent, where it was first manufactured in 1902.

Key Facts About Marmite:

• Origins: The spread was an accidental discovery by German scientist Justus von Liebig, who found that leftover brewer's yeast could be concentrated and eaten. The Marmite Food Extract Company was then established in Burton upon Trent to commercialize the product, sourcing its primary ingredient, yeast, from the town's abundant breweries, such as the nearby Bass Brewery.
  
  
• Production: Marmite is still made in the original Burton upon Trent factory today. The process involves treating the brewer's yeast with salt (autolysis) to break down the proteins, followed by heating and filtering to create a dark, thick paste. The exact recipe, which includes various vegetable and spice extracts, remains a trade secret.
  
  
• Name and Packaging: The name "Marmite" comes from a French word for a large, covered earthenware cooking pot. Early Marmite was sold in these pots, and a picture of the pot still appears on the distinctive brown glass jars used today. The jar is brown to protect the B vitamins from light damage.
  
  
• Nutritional Value: Marmite is famous for its high nutritional content, especially B vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, and vitamin B12. Its use as an affordable and efficient dietary supplement made it a crucial part of soldiers' rations during both World Wars and a supplement in schools and hospitals.
  
  
• Cultural Impact: Marmite's intense, umami flavour (due to high glutamate levels) has made it a cultural phenomenon. The marketing slogan "Love it or hate it" is iconic in the UK and the phrase is often used as a metaphor for anything that polarises opinion.
  
  
• Global Variations: While the British version (owned by Unilever) is sold globally, a different, sweeter version with added caramel and sugar is manufactured and sold in New Zealand and Australia by the Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company.
  

So the question for you, dear reader. Do you love it or hate it?

Recent form - last 6 matches:

Town 3-0 Rotherham (EFL Trophy)
Stockport 1-0 Town
Town 2-2 Exeter
Lincoln 1-1 Town
Town 2-0 Northampton
Town 5-0 Port Vale

Boreham Wood 0-5 Burton (FA Cup)
Plymouth 3-0 Burton
Reading 2-0 Burton
Burton 0-2 Wigan
Burton 5-1 Northampton
Stevenage 2-2 Burton


Town are 5th in the League One table with 39 points. Burton are 21st with 27.


Leading scorers:

Terriers:
Leo Castledine (12)
Bojan Radulovic (8)
Joe Taylor (7)

Brewers:
Tyrese Shade (10)
Charlie Webster (6)
Jake Beesley (7)

[theo_luddite]

I'd luv it Snoots, absolutely luv it but I hate the taste of it.

However for the luv of your life that luv's it, there's folk out there that will sell jars of the stuff with personalised labels, or just the labels for you to stick on the jars from the supermarket.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/market/marmite_j...l_bottom-4

Nothing says Happy Birthday like a jar of personalised Marmite.

[theo_luddite]

I've got a ticket for a rare away day these days for me. Then I put my back out yesterday, just getting out of my chair to go make a brew (of tea). Tried an assortment of pills, potions, rubs and liquid painkillers to ease it. Could barely get off the bed this morning, but got there eventually, in time too. Been an absolute pain all day yesterday and today then after din-dins I laid on the sofa to watch the AFCON semi-final for an hour, sipping on a glass, or two, of red wine.

A miracle, well not a full one but the pain is 90% gone. Never underestimate the powers of rest and watching football. Just got to check the cost of a train ticket now for Saturday.