[Lord Snooty]

December 16:

Two great wins from the David Wagner era today. One from the promotion season, one from the Premier League.

On this date in 2016, Town traveled down to Norwich for a Friday night Sky Sports match. And I missed it. Had to go to a works Christmas party at the Capri in Wakefield. Luckily, I don't have to endure that this year because the twat made me redundant last week, but that's got nothing at all to do with this match. 

Anyway, no sooner had I got my soup for starters, my phone's chiming with a text from Chaffers. Elias Kachunga has scored for Town. Whoo-hoo!

No sooner had I told the lad next to me, who wasn't interested at all, she sent me another. Norwich have equalised.

Typical Town. And it was an ex Leeds tosser who got it. Jonny Howson.

My loudmouth boss was Lording it over everybody from the other side of the table. One of my colleagues almost choked on his meat. Not like that. Stop making up your own jokes. 

The service was really slow and a couple of lasses were were singing at the far side of the room. It was far too loud and I missed the next text that she sent me. When I did see it, Town had gone 2-1 up, with another from Kachunga. Get in!

The evening dragged on. I kept checking my phone. No more updates. The music got louder. The service got slower. I want my Christmas pudding. And I want a ful time whistle.

Can't remember which came first, but when it did come, Town had won 2-1. Rather unexpectedly, as this was the place we never win at. I couldn't think of the last time it happened, but happen it did. Maybe, just maybe, this Wagner Revolution is real after all.

Here's what I missed that night........

Twelve months later, we had a Saturday afternoon game away at Watford in the Premier League on this date in 2017. Me and Chaffers weren't at Vicarage Road. No. We were at the theatre, darlings. Oh yes we were. At a panto at Wakefield Theatre Royal, watching Aladdin.

Phone switched off. Didn't see the score til half time or the interval as it's called in theatre world. Hey up. Two nil up. 

That boy Kachunga had scored again and Aaron Mooy had the second. Get in. What else had happened in that first half?

He's behind you! He was as well. Troy Deeney with a shocking foul from behind on Collin Quaner. Straight red and the Hornets were down to ten men. Town went 3-0 up when Laurent Depoitre scored after some very weak Watford defending, before that idiot of a referee, Michael Oliver gave Jonathan Hogg a very soft second yellow to level the line ups at ten men each.

And then Watford made it 3-1 through a belter of a shot from Abdoulaye Doucoure and all of a sudden we looked a bit shaky again. Back in Wakey though, the panto was over and we got back in the car to hear the worst referee in the world award Town a penalty. I don't usually comment on penalties we do get awarded, but this one was absolutely wrong, just wrong! How does this bloke referee in the Premier League? He even refereed at the World Cup!

What happened? Depoitre fell over. Just fell over. Nobody claimed penalty. Not even the Town fans behind the goal. But Blind Pew gave it and the boy Mooy scored it.

Final score, 4-1 to the Terriers. Oh yes it is. 

John Coddington, a dominant centre half for Town in the 50s and 60s, was born in Worksop on this date in 1937. And he's still with us. According to the book Where Are They Now by Lee Morris, living in retirement in Middlesbrough, celebrating his 85th birthday today.

He went to school with Ray Wilson and signed on for Town in 1953, straight from school before going off to do his National Service. When he returned, he and Ray became team mates at Town in the Second Division and eventually John became club captain.

John left for Blackburn in 1967 with 356 matches for Town under his belt and that has him in 13th position in our all time appearances chart.

He later played for Stockport County and then Drogheda Utd in the League of Ireland. After his playing days were over, he coached Bradford City and the the Boro.

Goalkeeper Terry Poole was born on this date in Chesterfield in 1949 and is 73 today. According to the aforementioned book, he returned to the twisty spirey place after retiring to run his own taxi firm.

He started his playing career at Manchester United, but never made the first team and so signed for Town in 1968. He soon established himself in the first team and was an ever present in the 69/70 2nd Division championship winning team. He was ever present in the First Division until Bob Latchford of Birmingham City broke his leg for him in an FA Cup match. By the time he came back, we were in Division Two, heading for Division Three.

Terence was still with us when we got relegated to Division Four, though he was out with another broken leg. He did play in all four divisions for us.

After 231 games in a Town shirt, he went and joined up again with Ian Greaves, at Bolton.

Having written a glowing review on Lee Clark yesterday, today is the birthday of the bloke who stole his promotion, Simon Grayson. He was born in Ripon in 1969 and is 53 today.

I'm not going to say much else apart from....Where Are They Now?

Well, he is now in India, working as Head Coach for Indian Super League club Bengaluru.

Happy birthday, Larry.