[Lord Snooty]

June 5:

On this date in 1963, Ray Wilson of 2nd Division Huddersfield Town played another game for England. This one was away at Switzerland, a friendly game that the Swiss took to be a bit too friendly, letting the English leave with an 8-1 victory.

Bobby Charlton scored a hat trick in the St. Jakob-Park in Basle, where England had played a couple of matches in the 1954 World Cup. West Ham's Johnny Byrne got a couple of goals, Bryan Douglas of Blackburn got one, as did Tony Kay of Everton in his only game for the country. Liverpool's Jimmy Melia, who later on in life took Brighton to the FA Cup Final, scored one as well.

This was Ray's 21st cap, of the 30 he got whilst playing for Town.

On this date in 1913, one of Ireland's greatest footballers was born, in Magherafelt. He was Peter Doherty, who played for Huddersfield Town after the 2nd World War between 1946 and 49.

Before the war, he had won the league title with Manchester City in his first season after transferring there from Blackpool. That was City's first league title, by which time Town had won three.

When war broke out, he joined the RAF, but kept his registration with City, playing for them throughout the hostilities, as well as guesting for several other clubs. During this time, due to travel restrictions, players used to often turn out for the team closest to where they were based. One of the clubs he guested for was Derby County and he signed on for them after the war, winning the FA Cup with them, their only Cup triumph. Peter scored one of the goals in extra time as the Rams beat Charlton Athletic 4-1.

A dispute with the Derby directors (they've had some right muppets over the years) led him to moving away to join Huddersfield Town in 1946, signed by David Steele for a massive fee of £9,000. But he fitted right in and at the time, Town had one of the most feared forward lines in the land, with Jimmy Glazzard, Vic Metcalfe, Albert Bateman and Alf Wittingham alongside him. Town should've been pushing for honours but somehow struggled to do so.

Doherty was our leading scorer in his final two seasons and totalled 36 before leaving to become player/manager at Doncaster Rovers. Over his career, he scored over 200 goals, despite losing six seasons during the peak of his career to the war.

As a Town player, he gained four caps for Ireland. They were just one team for the whole island then, until Northern Ireland got their own team in 1954, by which time Peter was manager and took them to the 1958 World Cup where they reached the quarter finals.

It is said that he is the greatest Irish footballer ever to play for the country and that list includes the likes of George Best, Ian Dowie and Oliver Norwood. There are some that say he was one of the best to turn out for the Town as well. And that is a phenomenal list of great players.