[Lord Snooty]

May 13:

Back in the 20s and 30s, we had a great rivalry with Arsenal. A shared manager in Herbert Chapman, a Cup Final, the largest crowd at Leeds Road, etc. Many, many years later, the rivalry nothing but a distant memory in old Pathe Newsreels, the Arsenal came back to Huddersfield for the final game of our first Premier League season, on this date in 2018.

It was to be the last match as Gunners manager for Arsene Wenger, his 1,235th game in charge, and the Town fans gave the sanctimonious Arsenal fans a good old ribbing about their feigned admiration for him.....

"YOU WANTED HIM OUT
YOU WANTED HIM OUT
YOU TWO FACED BASTARDS
YOU WANTED HIM OUT!"

Us Town fans didn't care. We were in party mood, after securing our Prima Donna status and when Arsenal took the lead in the 38th minute through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from a low cross by Aaron Ramsey, the party just kept on going.

Our own Aaron, the much more talented Aaron Mooy, crashed a shot against the bar as Town almost equalised, but as far as 1-0 defeats go, this was certainly nothing to worry about and gave us all confidence that this time next season, we would be stronger and better and definitely in the top half of the Premier League.

What could possibly go wrong?

David Wagner: "I think these players, the backroom staff and all the families deserve it for what they have done this season. They have worked very hard from day one.

"We're happy our supporters have something to celebrate. It is the best lap of honour I've ever had.

"I think staying up is a huge step for the football club. It was a massive step to get promoted last season and to keep our status is even bigger. To finish 16th is huge, an incredible achievement for this football club."

[Lord Snooty]

May 14:

Not one, not two, not even three, but four Play Off matches to report on today. I'll start from the one furthest back in time and go forwards.

A crowd of 16,167 came to Leeds Road on this date in 1992 on a day that became known as Black Thursday. It was the 2nd leg of the Play Off semi final against Peterborough and scores were level after Iffy Onuora and an own goal had twice put us ahead in the first leg.

We were to go ahead again, putting us 3-2 up on aggregate when Phil Starbuck scored in the 2nd minute after a great run from Chris Billy.........

We all know it went wrong, despite us being the best side in the first half, we couldn't extend the lead and in the second half, them buggers came back at us and snatched it. Worrell Sterling scored and then with the clock running down and extra time looming, Steve Cooper won it for them.

Sadly, we were out. But worse was to follow, with ugly scenes on the pitch afterwards as the Town fans invaded and made tits of themselves. It took a charge from the police horses to get them off. 

Moving on. Three years later in 1995, same division, different stadium. We are now in the first season of the Alfred McAlpine Stadium and Neil Warnock has taken over from Ian Ross. And we have a first leg match today, on a Saturday afternoon with a three o'clock kick off.

The opponents are Brentford and they are managed by former Chelsea star, David Webb, a man I always admired for scoring the winner against Leeds in the 1970 FA Cup Final. Nine years old and I already despised those scummy arseholes!

Anyway, that's irrelevant. This match was a draw, a one all draw, with Town scoring first in the 9th minute. It was Chris Billy who scored. Not a fans' favourite, but this goal and one he was to score a few days later, would cement his place in Huddersfield Town legend and make most of us forget the shameful, racist abuse he used to get shouted at him from our own supporters.

Billy's goal wasn't enough to win on the day, though, as their leading scorer, Nicky Forster equalised just before half time.

So on we go to Griffin Park for the second leg on Tuesday night for the right to play Bristol Rovers or Crewe Alexandra, who had drawn their first leg 0-0 at Twerton Park. That lack of goals would become significant later.

Sixteen years on now to 2011. Same division, now called League One and another first leg, this time down at Dean Court playing against AFC Bournemouth. We had finished 3rd in the table with 87 points and that was a massive 16 points ahead of the Cherries, who had just scraped in. And we were on a right good run in the league. Can you believe we had gone 25 matches unbeaten in regular league games?

This one would've been 26, but it doesn't count as a regular league game, obviously.

It was an early start to get down to the south coast for a 12:45 kick off, but the game started well for us, when on loan Irish international, Kevin Kilbane headed in from a Gary Roberts corner. It looked like it was going to be our day when Ian Bennett brought down Rhoys Wiggins in the box, but saved the penalty, taken by teenage striker Danny Ings.

Antony Kay almost scored from another corner and Benik Afobe had a shot well saved by Shwan Jalal, the Bournemouth keeper.

But then against the run of play, the Cherries went and equalised. It was a nothing of a chance. Town's midfield nodded off as they had a throw in near the half way line. It was thrown long to Donal McDermott, on loan from Man City, and he took a pot shot from way out which flew into the net. One all.

They came close again through Anton Robinson and in the end, we were thankful for the draw and going back to the Galpharm with the scores still level.

And on to 2017 and the first leg against Sheffield Wednesday. A very one sided game against the negative tactics of boring Carlos Carvalhal.

The first half was all Town with Kieran Westwood saving twice from Nahki Wells and Izzy Brown hitting the bar. But for all our possession, those two Nahki shots were all we had on target. David Wagner was still pleased with the efforts of his players though, who had finished behind Wednesday in the final league placings on goal difference.

Can you believe a team that finished in 5th place in the league could still have a negative goal difference? Surely a team could never get promoted with such a statistic. Watch this space.

[HerefordBull]

Oooh Phil Starbuck

[Lord Snooty]

May 15:

Another day another four Play Off matches. Like yesterday, I'll start from the furthest back, but first, an obituary.

This is from the Guardian and it's for Town's World Cup winning full back, Ray Wilson, who died on this day four years ago in 2018, aged 83. I never saw him play for Town and I barely remember him playing at all, so I'll let the Guardian man tell this one..........

Pacy, mobile left-back who gave an extra attacking drive to the England World Cup-winning team of 1966

Ray Wilson, who has died aged 83, had the lowest profile of any player in England’s 1966 World Cup final-winning team, and generally liked to keep it that way. He was a fast, skilled, mobile left-back who was capped for his country 63 times, played in every England game in the 1966 finals, and was one of the best defenders his country has produced. Yet he kept firmly out of the limelight and, unlike most of his peers, made no attempt to make a living from football after retiring from the game – preferring instead to pursue a career as an undertaker.

Wilson was an important member of the 1966 World Cup team, not only for his resilient defensive qualities, his pace and his powers of recovery, but for the extra drive he gave to the attack. In the absence of true wingers, he and his right-back partner George Cohen offered the England manager Alf Ramsey some degree of speed and penetration on the flanks.

Thus, in the semi-final against Portugal at Wembley, it was Wilson’s shrewd, long pass to Roger Hunt that set up England’s first goal. Costa Pereira, the Portuguese goalkeeper, raced out desperately, reaching the ball at full stretch, only to play it straight to Bobby Charlton, who promptly sent it into the net. In the final, too, undeterred by an early error when he contrived to clear the ball weakly to the feet of Helmut Haller, who drove it home to give his team the lead, Wilson was eager to join in attacks.

He was one of only eight in the 1966 squad who played every match in the finals, and was on the pitch for all 570 minutes of England’s campaign. Such was his prowess that even the supremely self-assured England captain, Bobby Moore, declared that “it was a comfort to play alongside him”. Of the 37 England matches that Wilson and Cohen played together as a full-back partnership, they lost just three.

Wilson had also figured in all of England’s games in the 1962 World Cup in Chile, but even he could do little against the remarkable wiles and devastating pace of Brazil’s right-winger, Garrincha, who tormented the England defence in the quarter final, which they lost 3-1.

Although at 31, Wilson was the oldest member of the 1966 World Cup squad, he continued to hold off younger challengers for his England place until 1968, when he was still first choice and ever-present in his position at the European Championship in Italy as England finished in third place. However, the third-place play-off match against the USSR in that tournament proved to be Wilson’s last appearance for England, as an increasingly troublesome knee and the emergence of the young Leeds United full-back Terry Cooper combined to bring the curtain down on his international career.

A Derbyshire man, born in Shirebrook, Wilson became an apprentice railwayman after school, and when Huddersfield Town signed him he was playing as a left-half. He made scant impact in that position – so much so that he was thinking about giving up the game. Called for national service in the army, he was posted to the Middle East and detested it. On his forearm he sported a tattoo that read “Egypt never again”.

Once demobilised, he was bedevilled by a series of injuries, but the crucial event in his career was his translation to left-back by Huddersfield’s then manager, Bill Shankly. Having made just half a dozen league appearances in the 1955-56 season in Division Two and only 13 the season after, Wilson became a regular member of the team from 1957-58 onwards, and made his debut for England, against Scotland, as a Second Division player in 1960.

In the 1964-65 season, after 266 league appearances for Huddersfield, he was transferred to First Division Everton for what was then the considerable sum of £40,000. In 1966, shortly before the World Cup finals, he was a member of the Everton team that beat Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup final. He was at Wembley again two years later in the same competition, although that final was lost to West Bromwich Albion.

By 1969, after more than 100 league games for Everton, he had moved to Oldham Athletic in Division Four. But he was there for just a season. He appeared twice in the 1970-71 campaign for Bradford City, where he had a 10-match spell as caretaker manager, but then left football altogether to set up an undertaking business in Huddersfield with his father-in-law.

He ran the firm until retirement in 1997 and, perhaps because of his many years in the profession, was noted for his gallows humour. When his old England colleague Cohen was struggling through a bout of cancer in later life, Wilson phoned him to ask how he was getting on. Cohen replied that he was doing just fine, but, detecting a slight air of disappointment in his friend’s voice, asked what the matter was. “Well, I was ringing to offer you a deal,” he replied.

Like several other members of the victorious 1966 England team, Wilson had to wait many years before receiving any honour for his achievements, but eventually, in 2000, he was appointed MBE. In 2004 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

He is survived by his wife, Pat, whom he married in 1956, and their two sons, Russell and Neil.

He played for Town between 1955 and 1964, making 283 appearances and stands at 27th in our all time appearances chart.

And so to the Play Offs. First up, it's Lincoln City away in 2004. This was our first and only Play Off campaign in the 4th tier and on this date, we had the first leg semi final, played at Sincil Bank.

So this was on the Saturday after the choking at Cheltenham, when we threw away our chance of automatic promotion, with a three o'clock kick off. Town had finished 7 points better off than the Imps and we started the brighter of the two sides, taking an early lead. It was in the 5th minute from a corner by Rob Edwards. He took an inswinger, which looked to have gone in direct, but Iffy Onuora, who had scored our first ever Play Off goal 12 years earlier, was awarded this goal as it glanced in off his eyebrows. Get in, Iffy lad.

That was the big lad's only goal in his return to the club after ten years away. He'd come back to play for his old team mate Peter Jackson, who was now Town manager.

It was Keith Alexander, the Imps boss, who was celebrating next though, just after half time. In true Town fashion, we were still asleep after our half time nap and allowed them to score from a long throw. Paul Rachubka in the Town goal, made a brilliant reflex save from a shot by Simon Yeo, but the ball came back into the area and Gary Fletcher poked the ball into the net. That's the same Fletcher by the way, who later became Taylor-Fletcher and signed for Town.

But it was Town who scored another goal to take a lead into the 2nd leg. From another corner, this time taken by Andy Holdsworth. It was met with a towering header from Andy Booth, looking for his 101st Town goal, but Alan Marriott the Lincoln keeper parried it to safety, or he thought he had. It fell to David Mirfin on the edge of the 6 yard box with his back to goal. He swivelled, shot and fell over. He didn't see the ball hit the back of the net and admitted afterwards that he never realised he'd scored, thinking that somebody else must've touched it in. No Mirf. It's your goal, mate. 

Two years on from that and we're now in the third tier and playing Barnsley in the second leg of the 2006 Play Offs. We were at home after beating them 1-0 at Oakwell with a goal from ex Lincoln striker Gary Taylor-Fletcher. But that lead was cancelled out shortly after half time, in a night that started in celebratory mood, but soon turned into deep anguish.

Paul Hayes, who would come to us on loan in the following season, scored the equaliser from the spot, after Danny Schofield was adjudged to have fouled him.

No worries. Town went back into the lead a few minutes later when Nick Colgan messed up a clearance. Jon Worthington charged it down, rounded the keeper and slotted in from a narrow angle. Looking at Wikipedia, it's been given as an own goal by current Sheffield Utd boss, Paul Flippinheckinbottom, so I must assume that he got the last touch to it after trying to keep it out.

Anyway. Lead restored, we ain't gonna blow it now. 

Oh yes we are!

Paul Reid, no not our Paul Reid, headed the Tykes back in front on the night from a corner and then Daniel Nardiello won it on aggregate for them 12 minutes from time, slotting home the rebound from a shot that Paul Rachubka had saved, but not held.

So we were out, but really, we should've been out of sight with a more comfortable away leg win when we should've scored more. Barnsley went on to beat Swansea in the final on penalties.

So four years later, we are still in League One and we've made the Play Offs again and on this date in 2010, we played Millwall at home in a semi final first leg. This was a Saturday dinner time kick off and Danny Schofield was now playing for Millwall. Well not in this one, but he should be back for the 2nd leg.

The match ended goal less and wasn't  a very good spectacle. Jordan Rhodes and Danny Dishwater came close for us and Neil Harris had the ball in the net for them. Luckily, the ref had his eyes open on this occasion and booked the cheating little twat for hands ball.

As usual, the Millwall fans were causing trouble. Here they are on route to the ground, stopping off for a fight outside the Waterloo pub.

And then in 2012, we had another game at the Galpharm. This was a 2nd leg game against MK Dons and we went into this one with a healthy 2-0 lead. Sheffield United had beaten Stevenage the night before, so we knew who our opponents would be, should we win tonight.

It was 3-0 on aggregate in the 18th minute when Jordan Rhodes scored his 40th goal of the season, becoming only the third Town player to score 40 or more for the club in a season. Sammy Taylor and Dave Mangnall being the others.

Three nil up. Are we gonna do it the easy way this time for a change? 

Not a chance! 

Daniel Powell pulled one back for the Dongs. Ian Bennett had gone off injured minutes before the equaliser on the night and Alex Smithies, who had been on the bench after recovering from injury himself, picked the ball out of the net. Far from doing it the easy way, it was all Dons in the second half and Smithies kept the score down right up to injury time when ex Leeds tosser, Alan Smith scored from a corner.

Luckily, there was no time left and even though we lost on the night, we were through to face the Blunts at Wembley.

[HerefordBull]

Bit of a Hibernian FC moment for the Barnsley play off game ..............Nick Colgan in goal who also played for Hibs before joining Barnsley and of course Heckingbottom who managed them in 2019 before being relieved of his duties and eventually ending up at the Blades.

As for Millwall fans ..........remember going to the Den in the mid 70's with Villa.........we were lucky to get out and home alive!

[Lord Snooty]

May 16:

After the excitement of the last two days with four Play Off matches, today we have nothing. Zero, zilch, bugger all!

Well not quite. I have managed to find two games.

On this date in 1942, we had a Wartime League game against Bradford Park Avenue. It was in the Northern Regional Section and also doubled up as the final game of Combined Counties Cup.

The game was played at Leeds Road, only 917 turned up to watch it and Billy Price scored twice in a 2-2 draw.

And the other one was in 1969, a West Riding Cup match against Leeds Utd, played at Park Avenue, with a surprisingly large crowd of 10,794 there to see it.

Leeds won 2-1 and Roy Ellam scored our goal.

[Lord Snooty]

Just read in the programme that the game in 1942 was Clem Stephenson's last match as manager, bringing to a close the longest managerial reign at the club.

[Lord Snooty]

May 17:

A great date in the history of Huddersfield Town. Especially fans of penalty shoot outs.

First up, it's the 1995, 3rd Tier (called Div 2 at the time) Play Off semi final second leg at Griffin Park against Brentford. The first leg had been drawn 1-1 and the away goals rule was still in use back then, so all the Bees had to do was keep a clean sheet and they would be through.

They were well on the front foot when they got a penalty in the 18th minute. A soft looking one, but it was put away by Martin Grainger. Town were only behind for twelve minutes though. A free kick from half way was lobbed into the box by skipper Lee Sinnott, but Bees keeper Kevin Dearden dropped it at the feet of Andy Booth, who happily stroked it into the back of the net.

One all, and that's how it stayed at full time. Extra time came and went with no more goals and so we went to penalties.

Brentford went first and Grainger again beat Steve Francis. Ronnie Jepson stepped up and coolly made it 1-1. Bob Taylor next, sending Francis the wrong way, 2-1 to the Bees.

Next to go was Pat Scully, who was the only one to score in the shoot out at Wembley in the previous season's shoot out against Swansea in the Autoglass, but this time his shot was saved. Advantage Brentford.

Denny Mundee was next to go. Saved by Francis. Back on terms and the scores were level when captain Sinnott blasted an unstoppable shot high into the net. 2-2.

Simon Ratcliffe and Lee Duxbury took it to 3-3 and then it was club legend and skipper Jamie Bates to take Brentford's fifth. His shot went down the middle but Francis, who had dived to his left, saved it with his feet.

So that just left Darren Bullock, already a Town cult hero, with a chance to write his name into Huddersfield Town legend. His shot was similar to the Bates one. Down the middle. Did dear old Dearden do the same and stop it?

Nah! There was a good half second delay before the Town fans and players realised it was in the net and as Bully turned to run towards his team mates, the fans went wild.

Here you go. Have a watch of this......

In the other semi between Crewe and Bristol Rovers, it was goal less after two sets of 90 minutes and so they had extra time. There was one goal each scored and it finished 1-1. Nowadays there would be a penalty shoot out, but back then the rules were set so that Rovers went through on the away goals ruling, even though they had had an extra 30 minutes to score that away goal. Thankfully that rule was dropped soon after. Thankfully, because if away goals still counted today, this next penalty shoot out wouldn't have happened and we would've been denied this next exciting installment of penalty drama.........


On this date in 2017, we won at Sheffield Wednesday, also on penalties. Steven Fletcher had given the Owls the lead just after half time. The Wendy fans gave us the old mobile phone light show, but then David Wagner played his masterstroke and brought on Collin Quaner. Big Coll got involved straight away and set up the equaliser for Nahki Wells, although it went down as a Tom Lees own goal.

So it went to penalties and the names of Danny Ward, Chris Löwe, Michael Hefele, Nahki Wells, Aaron Mooy and of course Fernando Forestieri went down as Town Play Off heroes.

Here you go. another one to watch and enjoy......

The other semi was between Reading and Fulham. None of us fancied playing the Cottage Pies, who had hammered us twice in the league and so we were all a bit relieved when Reading beat them the night before.

Bring it on!

[HerefordBull]

Just love a penalty shootout...........................except when its your team involved, and then its anticipation followed by ecstasy or despair........ a real emotional rollercoaster.

Last one I was "involved" with was at Hamdump in the Scottish Cup semi final in 2016 when Hibs gained an unlikely hero and legend in goalkeeper Conrad Logan playing his first game for the club and made numerous great saves during the game and then saved the first 2 Dundee United penalties to enable Hibs to go through to the final.......and the rest is history as they say.

If you have never seen Conrad Logan, google a picture of him from 2016 ( he was just coming back from injury in fairness) and imagine what your first thoughts would be as you entered the ground and saw him warming up to play. In total he played 2 League games for the club and 2 in the cup and is a total legend to Hibs fans.

Another Hibs connection in your write up with Steven Fletcher playing for Sheff Wednesday..........another of the school of youngsters from the 2000's who went on to better things.

[theo_luddite]

I'd just moved to Canada that Easter and missed all this fun.

Play-off games weren't really covered internationally back then. Nothing below the Prem (or was it Prima Donna League by then?) got a mention on t'other side o't'pond let alone a screening. I eventually worked out how to get "Radio Local" and other BBC broadcasts over t'interweb using Real Player/Real Audio (before the days of making you pay for it and after connecting via a screaming modem - remember those?) and listened to the next match. Problem was if Real dropped the feed, it could be a right pig to get it back up again. My introduction to 10:00 am football with bacon and eggs and a mug of rosy lea, not to mention extortionate Canadian phone data charges. Then darn the local that I'd already found to celebrate the win and watch a baseball game.

I did come up with a plan to get to Wemberlee - I'll recall it again (some of you have probably read it more than once) on the day of the appropriate post from Snoots.