[Lord Snooty]

June 30:

Sandy Mutch was the Town's regular goalkeeper from the first season in the Football League in 1910 to the time he left for Newcastle in 1922. However, in 1911/12, he shared the keeper's jersey with Ronald Brebner, the ex Sunderland, Chelsea and Darlington keeper.

Ronald played 23 second division matches that season and at the end of the season, he was picked to represent Great Britain at the Olympics in Sweden. He had been in the squad for the 1908 Olympics, but missed out on winning a gold medal by not being selected for the Gold Medal Match.

GB had received a bye for the first round, so on this date in 1912, Ronald played in the quarter final match against Hungary. The game was played in Stockholm at the Tranebergs Idrottsplats and Great Britain won it 7-0. Vivian Woodward of Chelsea scored one, but Harold Walden of Bradford City scored six.

Ronald's Town team mate, William Martin was also in the squad, but didn't play in this match.

These players were all amateurs remember. Professionals weren't allowed in the Olympics and Ronald was a dentist in Darlington, playing part time for Town.

Next up is Finland in the semis on July 2nd.

Willie Watson, the son of thrice Champion Billy Watson, had grown up in Bolton on Dearne during Town's glory years and then had played eleven games for Town in the 1938/39 season as an 18 year old. He was a wing half, but also a top class cricketer and was taken on by Yorkshire, making his debut for the county in 1939.

By the time the 50s came around, he'd played test cricket for England, played football for England and after playing for Town throughout the war years, he was now playing for Sunderland.

But on this date in 1953, he played one of the most famous test innings in Ashes history, which became known tenuously and by nobody at all as "the day Huddersfield Town won the Ashes back for England".

England had been set 343 to win by the Aussies, who were led by Lindsay Hassett and England at the end of Day 4 were 20/3 having lost captain Len Hutton for 5, Don Kenyon for 2 and Tom Graveney for 2.

Watson was 3 not out, batting alongside Denis Compton who was 5 not out. The first four days had been sold out with spectators sat right next to the boundary ropes. Hardly anybody had turned up for the final day with play not expected to last until Lunch.

But they hadn't reckoned with a brilliant rear guard action from this Yorkshireman, who along with Trevor Bailey put on a fifth wicket partnership to stifle the Aussies. Watson brought up his century half an hour from the end of play, smashing Richie Benaud to the boundary for 4, but then he was caught by Graeme Hole off the bowling of Doug Ring to give the much larger by now crowd some jitters.

Not to worry though, Godfrey Evans and Johnny Wardle saw the time out and the match was drawn, leaving the series still at 0-0 after two matches. It wasn't until the final game at the Oval that England won the Ashes, winning them back for the first time since losing them in 1934.

But without the Watson/Bailey epic partnership, the Ashes would've been retained by Australia. Here they are after the match with our Willie on the left.