[Lord Snooty]

August 31:

It seems like ages since I mentioned Dave Mangnall. He was all over the first couple of months of the year with his consecutive goal scoring record. He's back though. On this date in 1931, Town played Aston Villa at home in the First Division. It was a 1-1 draw, but Dave scored the goal and it was the first goal of 42 in the season that he would score to equal the club record set in 19/20 by Sammy Taylor.

At the end of the Second World War, the Football League didn't return straight away. The 45/46 season was still a regional north and south affair. The normal Football League did get underway though in 46/47. And so on this date in 1946, Huddersfield Town welcomed Blackpool to Leeds Road for the first official League game for seven years.

Unlike at the end of the First World War, when Town had nine returning players from before play was stopped, this time only two players were still around from the last game. They were goal machine Billy Price and Eddie Boot, who would go on to manage the club later on and. The manager now though was another ex player, David Steele.

So there were lots of official debuts in this match, although most had played in the Wartime Leagues. Jimmy Glazzard was one of them and he scored the goal in this 3-1 defeat. That was the first of his 142 league goals, which is the club record he shares with George Brown. Another player on debut was Vic Metcalfe, who would supply a lot of those goals for him.

Other debuts were for Brendan Mcmanus, playing his only Town game, in goal. Also John Simpson, Jeff Barker, Tom Briggs, Eddie Carr and Albert Bateman.

When Albert died in 2020, it was thought at the time before his passing that he was the oldest living Town player. That was incorrect. It was his team mate, who was also making his debut in this match, Graham Bailey. He's still alive at 102 years old and living in Bridlington.

Here's an interview with the old boy on the HTFC Heritage site. https://www.htsa-web.com/post/heritage-a...ing-player