[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.