[Lord Snooty]

April 26:

On this date in 1930, Huddersfield Town played their fourth FA Cup Final in ten years. Clem Stephenson had hung up his boots in the previous summer to take up the manager's job from Jack Chaplin and was up against his former manager in Herbert Chapman, the Arsenal manager.

Town were tenth in the First Division, but were still above the Gunners, who finished the season in 14th. They didn't win the first of their hat trick of league titles until the following season. Another thing they hadn't won was the FA Cup. They have now won it a record 14 times, but this one, against the all conquering Huddersfield Town, the team of the decade, was their first.

Town's Alex Jackson had scored nine goals so far in the journey to Wembley and was on course to score in every round if he scored in the final. Sadly he didn't. Our lads had beaten Sheffield Wednesday in the semis, whereas Arsenal had had to go to a replay to overcome second division Hull City.

In the build up to the game, we had drawn with Man Utd in midweek, Arsenal had had a cracker of a match against Leicester City at Filbert Street. They drew 6-6, which was then and still is, the highest score draw in the Football League, though it was equaled in the 60s by Charlton and Middlesbrough. Dave Halliday scored four in that match, but was deselected by Chapman in favour of Jack Lambert.

Both teams, for the first time ever, walked out onto the field of play together. It happens all the time now, but before this, teams would just saunter onto the pitch willy nilly. This was the first co-ordinated entry. Both teams were presented to King George V by the captains, Tom Parker of Arsenal and Town's Tom Wilson.

Play making lynch pin Alex James opened the scoring. He was fouled, but got up quickly, took the kick, playing a one two with 18 year old Cliff Bastin and he was in behind the Town defence before they knew it.

One nil to the Arse-a-nel at half time after Town had pressed forward relentlessly in search of an equaliser. Many reports have this match as one of the best ever. It certainly was one of the most famous because of what happened shortly before half time. That was when the German airship, the Graf Zeppelin flew over the stadium at an illegal height.

It cast a huge shadow over Wembley and all the 92,488 spectators took their eyes off the match to watch it go by. Reports say that it dipped it's nose in a sort of salute towards the King.

The second half was wave after wave of Town attacks, with multiple crosses coming in from Billy Smith, who was now at the veteran stage of his glittering career with the club. He set up great chances for Harry Raw, Bob Kelly and Harry Davies, but the Arsenal defence wouldn't creek and just as it looked like Town would surely get one eventually, the Gunners hit the Town with a classic breakaway when James found Lambert, who slipped past a couple of defenders to slot the ball past Hugh Turner and the Cup was on it's way to Highbury.

Town lined up as follows; Hugh Turner, Roy Goodall, Bon Spence, Jimmy Naylor, Tom Wilson ©, Austen Campbell, Alex Jackson, Bob Kelly, Harry Davies, Harry Raw and Billy Smith.

We've had a couple of big wins and a couple of big defeats on this date. Let's get the losses out of the way first. Last game on this day was in 2019 in the Premier League at Anfield against Liverpool. Manager Jan Siewert would've been hoping that his already relegated side could keep it tight early on and frustrate the rampant Reds, who would end the season in second place, one point behind Man City. That plan lasted fifteen seconds! Mo Salah robbed the ball off Jon Stankovic, laid it off to Naby Keita, who slotted the ball past Jonas Lössl and it was all downhill from then, with Liverpool winning 5-0.

And back in 2003, our relegation to the basement league was confirmed with a terrible 5-1 defeat at Port Vale. Jason Gavin, who was on loan from Middlesbrough, scored our goal.

Better news in 1980. Having secured promotion the week before, Town beat Torquay Utd 4-2 at Leeds Road. Goals came from Peter Fletcher, two for centre back Dave Sutton and one from Ian Robins. That, alongside a slip up from leaders Walsall, put us top of Division 4 and the 4th goal in this match took our season's tally to 99 with one more game to go, a home match with Hartlepool.

And in 1994, two days after our Autoglass Trophy Final match with Swansea at Wembley, our brave lads traveled to the Abbey Stadium to play Cambridge United. There was nowt at stake as we had by now secured mid table mediocrity, as had our opponents, but that didn't stop Neil Warnock moaning about having to play two days after such a momentous occasion.

Anyway, it was a high scoring match which Town won 5-4 with a hat trick from Phil Starbuck, one of them a penalty, after he had missed his spot kick in the shoot out at Wembley. Iain Dunn and Andy Booth got the other two goals.