[Lord Snooty]

September 11:

On this date in 1920, Huddersfield Town played Bradford City at home in the First Division. Hold on a minute! Bradford City? First Division?

Yep! They won the 2nd Division title in 1908 and so when we met at Leeds Road for this one, following our promotion, it was the first ever meeting. They had been in Division One for our entire existence so far, but got relegated in the next season and so it would be Huddersfield Town who became the northern powerhouse team.

City were out of the top flight for the next 77 years and so the next time we met at league level after the two meetings in 21/22, was in 1975 in the 4th Division.

This match though, came just after we had lost our first match (away at Burnley) after winning eleven games in succession. We won this game, to make it 12 wins in 13. It was a 1-0 win and the scorer was local lad Fred Lunn (pictured below). It was his first Town goal and he would go on to score his second in the next game, the return match at Valley Parade next week. And that was his Town career done. He was transferred to The Wednesday and later on played for Bristol Rovers and Southend Utd.

On this date in 1998, we traveled to Prenton Park for a Friday night game against Tranmere Rovers. This was in the 2nd tier, which was at this time known as Division One.

It was the season after the Great Escape, in which Peter Jackson and his sidekick Terry Yorath came to the club and saved us from an impossible looking position. After this match, the 8th game of the season, we went top of the league. Top of the 2nd Division for the first time since we won it back in 1969/70.

Sadly, it didn't last for too long, we had about six weeks there. Six weeks of singing; We are top of the league. I remember we were still singing it whilst 4-0 down at Norwich when it all ended. We finished the season in 10th and numb nuts new owner Barry Rubery sacked Jacko and Taff to bring in Steve Bruce.

Anyway, back to the match in hand. Marcus Stewart put us 1-0 ahead. Wayne Allison made it 2-0 in the 45th minute and that was the half time score. Andy Parkinson pulled one back for Rovers, but then big Wayne got another to restore the two goal advantage. Within a minute though, Jason Koumas had pulled another one back, leaving us with 20 nail biting minutes to hold on.

Twelve months on and life under Steve Bruce was going well. He'd gone about what would become his trademark of spending the owners' millions on building a squad, later to walk out leaving them up Schitt's Creek. Were we happy? Well, maybe, but the questions going around were like, how well would Jacko have done given this amount of dosh to splash around. He'd had to do his business using the tried and trusted Town method of free transfers and low budget lower league players.

Anyway, on this date in 1999, we went to Wolverhampton and won one-nil and that man Marcus Stewart got the winner from the penalty spot. The win came a fortnight after the 7-1 demolition of Crystal Palace and put us up to 5th in the table. We would only drop out of the top 6 for a couple of weeks for the rest of the season, right up to the last day of the season when we lost at Fulham to miss the Play Offs.

[HerefordBull]

Sad to read that Marcus Stewart has just been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease..........like so many other sportsmen.

He had just moved to Exeter City as I left to move to Scotland full time so didn't see him very much at St James Park. He went on to play 85 times for the Grecians and was well regarded amongst their fans.

[Lord Snooty]

September 12:

On this date in 1908, Huddersfield Town registered their first ever win and their first ever goal, in match number 2 of our first season. It was played in the North Eastern League and following our 0-2 defeat at South Shields in the opening game, our brave lads once more traveled north, to the other coast this time and a trip to Workington. Richard Morris (pictured) is credited with our first goal as we won 2-0.

Known as Dickie, he was a Welsh international at the back end of his career and had left by the time we were elected into the Football League. He was a former soldier who had served in the Boer War and at the end of the conflict left the Army to start his football career. He didn't start at the bottom. After a short stint with his home town club, Newtown in mid Wales, he signed on with the league champions Liverpool.

A tricky inside forward, he had three years on Merseyside, scoring twice in the derby match at Anfield, before leaving for the West Riding of Yorkshire and signing for Leeds City. He later went to Grimsby Town, Plymouth Argyle and Reading before heading back to the West Riding and signing for newly formed Huddersfield Town. He played ten times for us, scoring 4 goals.

Harry Wallace scored the second goal. He came from Leeds City, having previously been at Hebburn Utd. He stayed all season, scoring 8 goals in 26 games.

During the 2nd World War, Town played in the Northern Wartime League and had various guest players turn out in the blue n white. One of them was a young wireless operator, who was the only survivor when the bomber he was in crashed. That was in 1939 and by 1941 he had overcome his injuries and signed for Blackpool.

On one occasion, on this date in 1942, he played for Huddersfield Town in a match at Leeds Road against Newcastle as a guest player and scored twice in a 4-0 win. His name was Stan Mortensen and would go on to achieve fame scoring a hat trick for Blackpool in the 1953 FA Cup Final, the one that became known as the Matthews final. He scored 197 goals for Blackpool and 23 goals in 25 internationals for England. He now has a statue outside the ground at Bloomfield Road.

Billy Price scored the other two goals in front of a crowd of 2,475, on the day that the British troop carrier RMS Laconia was sunk off the coast of the Ascension Islands by a torpedo from a German U-Boat. Over 1600 people were killed in this wartime tragedy, mostly Italian POW's, but also British crew members and Polish soldiers (who were guarding the prisoners). More lives were lost than on the Titanic.

On this date in 1967, 2nd Division Town played 1st Division Wolves at Leeds Road in a 2nd round League Cup tie. It was the first game in what turned out to be our best ever League Cup campaign, getting all the way to the semis, where we lost to Arsenal.

It was a 1-0 win and Colin Dobson scored the goal. Who's next? Norwich City away in 4 weeks time.

[HerefordBull]

Interestingly this was the second RMS Laconia commissioned in 1921.............its predecessor was also sunk by a torpedo in 1917 during World War 1. Both of course were Cunard liners.

[theo_luddite]

Ah, Terry Jackson and Peter Yorath, a fine pair of Welshemen if ever I met them in the wrong bar at the wrong time.

[Lord Snooty]

September 13:

Three birthdays today. First up, a thrice champion. Sam Wadsworth was born on this date in Darwen in 1896 and started his career with his home town club, before joining Blackburn Rovers in 1914.

That was just as the First World War was kicking off and Sam signed up as a gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery and was wounded in action. His brother was killed during the conflict and Sam suffered with what we now call post traumatic stress.

After the war he joined Nelson in Division Three (North) and when they were looking for some money to build a new stand, Herbert Chapman stumped up the cash in exchange for bringing Sam to Leeds Road. He made his debut in April 1921 in a 2-0 win at home to Chelsea.

A year later, he was capped by England, playing at Villa Park in the British Championships against Scotland. That was at the beginning of April 1922, by the end of the month he had an FA Cup winners medal in his pocket as well as Town beat Preston at Stamford Bridge.

He stayed at Town throughout the 1920s and was almost ever present at left back throughout the three Championship winning seasons. At this time, he was also a regular in the England team, gaining nine caps altogether, the final four of these as captain.

He left Town for Burnley in 1929 but only played seven games for them. He then moved to the Netherlands and had a long career in management. He managed DHC Delft, PSV Eindhoven twice, DWS of Amsterdam, Brabantia and BVC of Amsterdam.

It was in Eindhoven that he died in 1961, aged 64.

His record for Town was 312 games and 4 goals. He is now 18th in the all time Town appearances chart, having just been overtaken by Jonathan Hogg.

Derek Stokes was born on this date in 1939 in Normanton, he had nine brothers and a sister. He started his semi professional football career at Bradford City whilst also working as a telegraph linesman for British Railways.

Derek holds City's record for scoring in consecutive matches at 8. This was later matched by Nahki Wells, who like Derek, left the Manningham Tip for Leeds Road.

He had six seasons at Town, top scoring in the first four, even though he was also doing his National Service with the RAF as well. He also played for the England u23s. It was a scoring Town debut for him in a 1-1 draw at home to Luton in the first match of 60/61. Later he scored hat tricks against Walsall and Leyton Orient, before eventually losing his place to Tony Leighton, prompting a return to Valley Parade in exchange for Roy Ellam.

He scored 69 goals for Town, which has him in 11th place in our all time goal scorers chart. After Bradford, he went out to play in Ireland for Dundalk and then Drogheda Utd.

When he packed in football he became a golf club steward and then a publican. He retired down south but came back up to Bradford when he was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2019. He died in May this year, aged 82.

The third birthday is Fraizer Campbell, who is 35 today, having been born in Huddersfield on this date in 1987. He played in the Premier League with Man Utd, Spurs, Sunderland, Cardiff and Crystal Palace before dropping to the Championship with Hull and then finally to his home town club, where he was serenaded as "one of our own".

In February 2012, caretaker England manager Stuart Pearce, gave him a game for the country against the Netherlands. It was his only full England cap. Pearce had been in charge of the u21s for all of Fraizer's 14 u21 caps.

So today's question. Do you or did you consider Fraizer to be one of our own?

On the field of play on this date, we had our record League Cup victory in 1983. It was the first round and after the first leg 2-1 victory at Mansfield, they came up to ours for the second leg on this date and we walloped them 5-1. Goals coming that night from Mark Lillis (2), Paul Jones, Brian Stanton and Dave Sutton.

We have high flying Watford of the First Division in the next round.

Also on this date, this time in 2011, we played Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in League One on a Tuesday night and won 3-0. It was a brilliant performance, which started off with us getting hijacked by Paul Ogden outside the ground with his microphone. Thankfully, one never heard one's own voice on the wireless.

Lee Novak scored twice and gormless Oscar Gobern scored once, all in the first half. The Blades finished above us in the league though. They were 3rd and we were 4th. That didn't matter as we had a famous penalty shoot out, late in May in twenty eleven. Doesn't rhyme properly that one. 

[Lord Snooty]

September 14:

Twelve months ago, on this date in 2021, we won 3-0 away at Blackpool. It was a typical Carlos Corberan style performance, could've been well behind at half time, but we held out. Then in the second half, we stepped up a gear. Josh Koroma scored a beauty, Matty Pearson nodded in from a corner and then after a Koroma shot was saved, the prolific Jonathan Hogg fired home the rebound.

And they all hit the back of the net!

Now then. Back in 1991, we had one of, if not the best ever come back in Town history. That was when we came back from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 at Gigg Lane against Bury.

It was game six of the 91/92 season and we had started well, with Eoin Hand still the manager. He would end up getting the boot later in the season, but by now we were unbeaten having won 3 and drawn 2 so far. That unbeaten run looked to be definitely over when we went four down. Ex Town junior Liam Robinson opened the scoring, Colin Greenall, Ian Stevens and Nigel Smith also managed to get the ball past the grasp of slippery Tim Clarke.

Iwan Roberts pulled one back just before half time, but surely it was just a consolation. Or was it?

Phil Starbuck scored after the break, beating two or three defenders to shoot home from the edge of the box. Game on!

Game definitely on soon after when Starby did some fancy footwork, swiveling on the penalty spot and shooting past the keeper. Time was running out, but in injury time, Simon Ireland got down the right wing, sent over a deep, high cross, which evaded the goalie but fell just nicely for Iwan to nod in the equaliser.

Absolute scenes, as the say. You may see a pitch invader if you watch this closely. Apparently it was young Dean Hoyle running on to celebrate with the team after the fourth goal. Cheeky monkey!

On this date in 1971, First Division club Huddersfield Town, made it's debut in the prestigious, but short lived Texaco Cup. This was a competition for English and Scottish teams mainly, but also Irish and Northern Irish for the first two seasons.

Town were in the second one, which was an invitational for teams who hadn't qualified for the main European competitions. It ran for five seasons, but when Texaco dropped their sponsorship it just became known as the Anglo/Scottish Cup.

Anyway, on this occasion, it was Town v Morton at Leeds Road in a first round first leg match. It was a midweek game and life in the First Division was becoming uninteresting for the people of Huddersfield and the local, not yet known as Kirklees area. The Saturday before had seen the first home crowd below 10,000 for a league game (against West Brom) since we got promoted and this one also had a low attendance. Only 5,769 could be bothered to turn up. Must admit, I didn't. Well I were no' but 10 and it was a school night.

Pleased to report though that we did win. Bobby Hoy scored the only goal of the game for the Terriers, who only made one change from the team that had beaten the Baggies, with Mick Barry replacing Steve Smith.

The second leg, up there in Greenock, will be in a couple of weeks time.

[HerefordBull]

Blimey, forgot about the old Texaco Cup.......great programme pic.

If I remember Hearts were runners up one year

[Lord Snooty]

September 15:

Born on this date in 1990 in Sydney, New South Wales, it's a happy 32nd birthday today to one of the best players of the modern era of Huddersfield Town, Aaron Mooy.

On this date in 1998, Town were top of the second division, at the time known as Division One. They'd won at Tranmere Rovers on the Friday night to go top of the table and now we welcome another Merseyside team to the McAlpine Stadium, Premier League giants, Everton.

It was a League Cup 2nd round first leg on a Tuesday night with 15,395 in attendance. The Toffees had Duncan Ferguson up front and Nick Barmby as well. They also had future Town defender David Unsworth and coming off the bench for the last ten minutes was 18 year old Cleckheaton lad, Danny Cadamarteri.

We had an Evertonian legend in our line up. Barry Horne had been brought to Leeds Road by manager Peter Jackson in one of the key moves of the Great Escape season. We also had Nico Vaesen in goal and an attack boasting the brilliance of Paul Dalton, Marcus Stewart and Wayne Allison.

Everton scored first in the 37th minute, through Dave Watson, but on the stroke of half time, the Chief (Allison) levelled the tie up. That's how it ended on the night. The 2nd leg is next week at Goodison, but first we've got the Wolves coming on Saturday. Exciting times for Town fans.

Finish off today with a couple of big wins from the good old days.

On this date in 1928, we had our biggest win yet against our neighbours from the other end of Leeds Road. A crowd of 39,869 came out to see us win at home against Leeds United by a sensational scoreline of 6-1.

George Brown scored twice, Clem Stephenson, Billy Smith, Roy Goodall (pen) and Alex Jackson got the others. Russell Wainscoat scored for the BellEnders. We won at theirs 2-1 and also beat them 3-0 at home in the Cup.

That's a massive aggregate. Another massive one came against the biggest club in the world, Manchester United in 1930.

Having won 6-0 last week at Old Trafford, the Red Devils came over the hills to Leeds Road on this date in 1930 and we stuffed them again. Only 3-0 this time. Bob Kelly, Joe Robson and Levi Redfern scored the goals and the season aggregate of 9-0 is Man Utd's record seasonal defeat. Unless you can find different.

[themaclad]

1830 William Huskisson MP is the first person to die after being hit by a train