[Lord Snooty]

March 4:

More FA Cup matches to report on, played on this date. Back in 1922, we met Millwall of the 3rd Division South at Leeds Road in the quarter finals. We were a 1st Division team and favourites to win, which we did, 3-0. Two goals from Clem Stephenson and one for Ernie Islip did the job and set us up for a semi final against Notts County. That's due on the 25th of March, to be played at Turf Moor in Burnley.

We had another quarter final match on this date, again at Leeds Road. It was in 1939 and the opponents were Blackburn Rovers, who had beaten us in the 1928 Final. Excitement was high in the town again as Cup Fever ran rife, so much so that 56,518 people turned up to watch as Town and Rovers fought out a 1-1 draw.

The replay date is set for the 9th, which is a Thursday afternoon, at Ewood Park. The Town players would have happy memories of going there. They played the semi final of the previous season's competition there and beat Sunderland 3-1.

Anyway, Billy Price scored the Town goal, his 7th of the campaign, keeping up his record of scoring in every round.

The last FA Cup game played on this date was a 3rd round match. It was in 1963 and was Town's second match of the year. It was the famous big freeze of 63, when it snowed for days on end and it was said that it was like five "beasts form the east" one after the other. Our last game of 1962 was on the 29th of December at Grimsby and we didn't play again until March the 2nd against Chelsea.

So the game on this date was on a Monday, at Old Trafford against Manchester United. It didn't start well. Albert Quixall put the Red Devils in front before our old boy Denis Law made it two after 11 minutes. Johnny Giles made it 3-0 after 20 minutes and the Lawman made it 4-0 before half time. They took their feet off the gas after the break, but Denis still managed to complete his hat trick in the 88th minute and Town were out of the Cup, beaten 5-0.

The most recent game on this day was in 2017 and brought to an end a great unbeaten run of 7 matches (6 wins and a draw), when we lost at home to Newcastle United. It was a smash and grab job done by Rafa Benitez and his men. Town won all the stats apart from goals scored, 77% possession, 16 shots compared to their 6. But it was the geordie boys who won it 3-1, with our goal coming from the penalty spot, with Aaron Mooy slotting one in. That made the score 2-1 and as we were pushing for the equaliser, Joel Coleman, who had come on at half time for Danny Ward, made a right mess of a long punt forward and that prick Dwight Gayle tucked the ball into an empty net.

Mooy would get his own back, scoring the winner against them in the Premier League next season.

We have a couple of birthdays. Harold Hassall was born on this date in 1929. He played for Town between 1948 and 52 and gained 5 England caps in his time at Leeds Road and scored 4 goals. Sadly though, his career was ended early, by a knee injury, aged just 26, by which time he had left us for Bolton Wanderers.

He died in 2015, aged 85.

And then there's Joey Jones, the legendary Welsh international full back, born on this date in 1955, making him 67 today. Joey started out his career with Wrexham, before going to Liverpool and earning fame and glory. Signed by Bob Paisley in 1975, he won the League, the European Cup twice, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup in his time there before returning to Wrexham in 78. After 4 years there, he moved to Chelsea, had three years there and came to Huddersfield Town, one of the last signings made by Mick Buxton. He had a couple of 2nd Division seasons with us before going back for a third spell at Wrexham.