[Lord Snooty]

April 17:

This was a momentous day in the early part of Huddersfield Town's history. On this date in 1920, the club won it's first promotion. It was from the 2nd Division and it was achieved at the City Ground where Town beat Nottingham Forest 2-1. That coupled with defeat for Birmingham on the same day meant that they couldn't catch us and so we were up. Goals in that 2-1 win came from Frank Mann and Sammy Taylor, his seventh consecutive game for scoring, thus equaling the club record set by Walter Smith in 1910 in the Midland League, but a new record for Town in the Football League.

That wasn't the only good news on this historic day, for this was the day that the club's rescue from going under after the unwelcome bid from Leeds to take over the club and move it all to Bellend Road, was completed. Three members of the Liberal Club in Huddersfield, Joseph Barlow, Alderman Wilfred Dawson and Rowland Mitchell, alongside former club director Amos Brook Hirst, agreed with Mr D Stoner Crowther to buy his shares in the club.

So that was a win at the City Ground. One hundred and one years later, we did it again. This was last season when we beat Forest 2-0 on this date in 2021 to more or less secure our Championship status for this season. There was a first and a last on the score sheet. It was the first league goal for Aaron Rowe and the last one for Juninho Bacuna.

Another crackerjack of a game on this date in 2004. We were in the bottom division once more, following our disastrous end to the last season. We were in 3rd and looking good for a shot at automatic promotion with the top three going straight up. But we couldn't afford any cock ups because Torquay United were right behind us, ready to take advantage of any slip. We were already showing signs of nerves by losing away at Kidderminster Harriers the week before.

Things started well with David Mirfin giving us a 5th minute lead, but by the time the final five minutes were being played, we were 2-1 down. Manager Peter Jackson then came up with another super sub. He sent on gangly, awkward looking teenager John McAliskey, who equalised immediately. But then, when we had all but accepted it would be two points dropped, he only went and scored the winner.

The crowd went wild. There were only 12,108 in there, but for some reason Danny Schofield wanted to join them and went and jumped into the Kilner Bank Stand to celebrate. Dozy sod! He was already on a yellow and so gave the ref no option but to send him off. No worries though, he'd barely got down the tunnel when the final whistle went. Phew!