[Lord Snooty]

April 17:

This was a momentous day in the early part of Huddersfield Town's history. On this date in 1920, the club won it's first promotion. It was from the 2nd Division and it was achieved at the City Ground where Town beat Nottingham Forest 2-1. That coupled with defeat for Birmingham on the same day meant that they couldn't catch us and so we were up. Goals in that 2-1 win came from Frank Mann and Sammy Taylor, his seventh consecutive game for scoring, thus equaling the club record set by Walter Smith in 1910 in the Midland League, but a new record for Town in the Football League.

That wasn't the only good news on this historic day, for this was the day that the club's rescue from going under after the unwelcome bid from Leeds to take over the club and move it all to Bellend Road, was completed. Three members of the Liberal Club in Huddersfield, Joseph Barlow, Alderman Wilfred Dawson and Rowland Mitchell, alongside former club director Amos Brook Hirst, agreed with Mr D Stoner Crowther to buy his shares in the club.

So that was a win at the City Ground. One hundred and one years later, we did it again. This was last season when we beat Forest 2-0 on this date in 2021 to more or less secure our Championship status for this season. There was a first and a last on the score sheet. It was the first league goal for Aaron Rowe and the last one for Juninho Bacuna.

Another crackerjack of a game on this date in 2004. We were in the bottom division once more, following our disastrous end to the last season. We were in 3rd and looking good for a shot at automatic promotion with the top three going straight up. But we couldn't afford any cock ups because Torquay United were right behind us, ready to take advantage of any slip. We were already showing signs of nerves by losing away at Kidderminster Harriers the week before.

Things started well with David Mirfin giving us a 5th minute lead, but by the time the final five minutes were being played, we were 2-1 down. Manager Peter Jackson then came up with another super sub. He sent on gangly, awkward looking teenager John McAliskey, who equalised immediately. But then, when we had all but accepted it would be two points dropped, he only went and scored the winner.

The crowd went wild. There were only 12,108 in there, but for some reason Danny Schofield wanted to join them and went and jumped into the Kilner Bank Stand to celebrate. Dozy sod! He was already on a yellow and so gave the ref no option but to send him off. No worries though, he'd barely got down the tunnel when the final whistle went. Phew!

[Lord Snooty]

April 18:

Well yesterday featured a promotion, today we're back to our more usual game of trying to avoid relegation. And on this date in 1998, we did it in style by beating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 at the McAlpine Stadium, with a goal from Simon Baldry.

This was of course, the season known as the Great Escape. That was because by mid October we were bottom of Division One (now known as the Championship) and looking like certainties already for the drop. Brian Horton got sacked and former player Peter Jackson, was persuaded to leave his job as a player for Halifax Town to come and be the next Huddersfield Town manager.

He didn't need much persuading, but he did insist on having his mentor from his days at Bradford City, Terry Yorath, in as his assistant. By the time this game came around, we had just been hammered (again) at Carrow Road, but we started the match knowing that victory today would secure our 2nd tier status for another season.

We did it, and with a couple of games to spare. Which is just as well as we lost them both. It wouldn't have mattered though, the chasing pack never chased that hard and we ended the season in a comfortable looking 16th. The three teams to go down? Reading, Stoke City and........ Manchester City. Yes, Manchester City. Down in the third division.

Anyway, the club made a DVD of the season, with the Great Escape as the theme. Here's Jacko and Taff having a laff in the outtakes.

On this date in 1970, Dick Krzywicki scored against England. It was for Wales in the Home Internationals, at Ninian Park, Cardiff. The Home Internationals, if you're too young to remember, was an annual tournament played between the home nations and this year, they were being played early due to the upcoming World Cup in Mexico, which England had qualified for and wanted to get out there early to acclimatise. That went well, not, with Bobby Moore famously getting arrested.

Straying from the point again. This match was a 1-1 draw. Ryszard Lech Krzywicki, to give him his Sunday name, scored first. Franny Lee equalised for the Three Lions, who at the time were still world champions. No Town player has done what Dicky did since, that is, score against England.

The most recent match on this date was in 2015. As we did in 1998, we finished in the Championship in 16th. No such relegation worries this time. We were well clear by the time this match at home to Derby County came around. We were on the beach in us flip flops, but Derby were still pushing for a Play Off spot, which they failed to do, finishing 8th.

The two points that they dropped in this drawn game at the John McAlpharm Stadium, would've had them finishing 5th had they won. What a shame.

So like I said. It was a draw. But not any old draw. It was a four all draw. You don't get many of them. And little Tom Ince scored twice for the Rams, one more goal than he managed at the JSS as a Town player.

He opened the scoring, but then Oscar Gobern and Mark Hudson made it 2-1 to us. Just before half time, Reece James scored direct from a corner kick to give us a 3-1 lead at the break. They pulled it back to 3-3 before Nahki Wells restored the lead, only for Incey to complete the scoring with still another eleven minutes to go, in what was a nail biting end to the game.

And finally, a happy birthday to David Mirfin, born on this date in Sheffield in 1985 and so is 37 today. He was a centre back who used to pop up with the odd goal in important matches, York away and Lincoln in the Play Offs spring to mind.

He was, of course, one of the Young Guns. Another club DVD we had made.

[jjamez]

Didn't ince score against stoke and Watford at home?

[Lord Snooty]

Didn't ince score against stoke and Watford at home?

Well done, jjamez. Wondered which one of you would spot that first. 

[Lord Snooty]

April 19:

Huddersfield Town's first ever England international died on this date in 1966 in Kensington. That man was Jack Cock, who's life story would be good enough to be the subject of a film.

In short; born in Cornwall, moved to London, signed for Town from Brentford in 1914, signed up with Footballer's Battalion, became Sergeant-Major, reported missing presumed dead, wasn't dead and actually went on to win gallantry medal, played for Brentford during breaks in military service, won London Combination League, returned to Huddersfield, gained England cap, scored four goals in a game against Bury, sold to Chelsea, made it to FA Cup semis, began acting with starring role in a silent movie, began singing career, signed for Everton, singing career flourished, signed for Plymouth, back to London with Millwall, singing career flourished further with recording contract, made another film, stopped playing in 1931, toured the country singing, became manager of Millwall, won Wartime Cup with the Lions, became landlord of White Hart in New Cross, died in 1966 aged 72.

Now if a scriptwriter can't make that into a cracking film..........

Earlier in the week, we beat Scunthorpe to almost secure promotion from the 4th Division. On this date in 1980, we did secure that promotion with a 3-1 win away at Hereford United. Town were 3-0 up with goals from Steve Kindon and two from Peter Fletcher. I don't remember much about those goals, but I do remember theirs. In those days, the goal keeper could pick up back passes legally, unlike the one at Middlesbrough yesterday.

Anyway, back passes were a legitimate part of time wasting and keepers didn't need any fancy footwork. So when Town skipper Peter Hart decided to play the ball back to Andy Rankin from the halfway line, it was no surprise. Unfortunately, he got too much on it and the ball went sailing over Rankin's head and into the back of the net. Still 3-1 up with not long to go in a game we only needed a point from, oh how we laughed.

Back on the coach after the match, back in time for the start of Sports Report on the radio and the headline was.......

Huddersfield Town are promoted. Oh how we cheered again.

Back in 1927, Town were going for a fourth League title in a row. Our brave lads were giving it a damn good go and were in 2nd place, behind Newcastle United. On this date, the Magpies came to Leeds Road and left empty handed as George Brown scored his 28th goal of the season in front of a crowd of 44,636 as Town won 1-0.

Sadly though, in the three remaining games, we failed to score, drawing 0-0 with Man Utd, losing 0-4 to Bolton and then drawing 0-0 in the last game of the season with Villa and so finished as runners up.

[HerefordBull]

Peter Hart probably felt sorry for us so gave us a consolation goal.

The Bulls finished in the bottom four that year but in those days in Division 4 you could just get re elected to the League by the FA......so no play offs or relegation that season.

They had already been relegated in 1978 from div 2 and then 1979 from div 3

[theo_luddite]

He's was still doing the Reverend stuff round these here parts until recently, as far as I know (seen something indicating he may have retired, though he's only 64) and Town fans still remind him of it whenever they meet him.
I also went on the coach with one of my mates that day. It would be another 8yrs and change before I moved down here.

https://walsall.vitalfootball.co.uk/from...-chaplain/
https://www.lichfield.anglican.org/appoi...s-9279.php

There's another Rev Peter Hart in Worcester just to confuse matters.

[WakeyTerrier]

I've a fair few games attended on this date.

So starting with the most recent and working back

2016
Rotherham Utd 1 v 1 Town
Greg Halford putting the Millers in front on 10minutes
Nahki Wells with the Town equaliser on 22 minutes
Att: 10,292

2003
Town 0 v 0 Wigan Athletic
Att:13,769
Towns poor form continued as we remained 22nd in Division 2 and sinking faster than the Titanic both on and off the pitch

1994
Town 2 v 0 Cardiff City
Andy Booth at the double that made it 9 games unbeaten for Town who rose to 14th in the Second Division
Att: 6,267

1988
Town 2 v 2 Oldham Athletic
Duncan Shearer and Ian Banks with the goals for Town
23rd in the League
Att:5,547
I seem to recall the Linesman sticking his flag up for offside and then changed his mind in the run up to one of Oldham's . That is when someone popped over from the Old East terrace and decided to give the liner a bit of a kicking

and finally 1986
Town 1 v 0 Brighton and Hove Albion
Duncan Shearer with the winner
Att: 5,469
Town moved up to 12th on the back of this win in Division 2


That left Town 16th in the Championship

[Lord Snooty]

April 20:

Not much to talk about today. We have a poor playing record for games on this date, winning only five out of the twenty matches, with two draws and thirteen losses.

The wins were against Leicester Fosse reserves in the Midland League in 1910, Wolves in 1954, Leyton Orient in 1992, all of those at home. The only away win was at Sixfields against Northampton in 2004 and the last one was in 2013 at home to Millwall in the Championship.

That Millwall victory was in our first season in the Championship as we know it now and we were struggling at the wrong end again. But two goals from Jermaine Beckford and one from James Vaughan had us believing again. Just two more games to come after this. A visit to Bristol City and a last day showdown with fellow strugglers, Barnsley. That could be a nail biter.

Of the defeats, the biggest one was in 1974. Three games from the end of the season and Town had finally halted the slide after two successive relegations from the 1st to the 3rd division. We were comfortably mid table when we traveled to Boundary Park to take on promotion chasing Oldham Athletic.

A massive crowd of 16,466 went to this one and saw the Latics hammer Town 6-0. Why have I chosen to mention this one? Well, a future Town hero scored a hat trick for Oldham that day. Ian Robins.

Oldham went on to be champions of Division Three. Town finished 9th.

[Lord Snooty]

April 21:

On this date in 1928, Huddersfield Town made it's first visit to the Empire Stadium, Wembley. It was for the FA Cup Final and after beating Sheffield United after a second replay in the semis, we got to meet Blackburn Rovers. Town were favourites, being second in the league and having beaten Rovers 3-1 at Leeds Road just a month before. A crowd of 92,041 turned up for the game and Town, managed by Jack Chaplin lined up as follows;

Billy Mercer, Roy Goodall, Ned Barkas, Levi Redfern, Tom Wilson, David Steele, Alex Jackson, Bob Kelly, George Brown, Clem Stephenson ©, Billy Smith.

It was a shocking start for Town. Blackburn scored after 40 seconds. Harry Healless, the Rovers skipper crossed the ball into the Town box and Mercer, our goalkeeper, rose to catch it. No problems there then. No? This is 1928. Goalkeepers were fair game back then, totally unprotected and so Jack Roscamp shouldered him and the ball into the back of the net. One nil.

It was 2-0 in the 22nd minute as Tommy McLean netted and that was the score at the break. Town were back in it though in the 55th minute when Jackson scored our first ever Wembley goal. That wasn't his first Wembley goal of course. He'd scored a hat trick there for Scotland against England, three weeks earlier.

Our brave lads pushed for the equaliser but couldn't force extra time and five minutes from the end, Roscamp got his second and the match finished 3-1 to Blackburn.

Town and Barnsley have virtually swapped places from this time last year. They were in a Play Off position and we were looking like relegation fodder. We play them again tomorrow, live on Sky Sports of course, but twelve months and a day before that, on this date in 2021, we played them at the John Smith's Stadium behind closed doors.

Friday night's match will hopefully be a celebration. Last season's was more like a wake. If I remember rightly, we were shite! And the Tykes more than deserved their 1-0 victory with a goal in the second half from their big American striker Daryl Dike.

On this date in 2014, we had a Championship match against a fellow struggler, but this one we won, to reach the magic 50 point mark. We left it late though. It was an away game at Yeovil and with Nahki Wells giving us a second half lead, only to get pegged back again, we reached the seventh minute of added on time, still level.

But then up popped the bearded wonder, Adam Clayton to score the winner. It made Town safe, but plunged poor old Yeovil down. And they've just kept on going. Now in their third season back in the National League.

Clayts had grown a massive beard over the last few weeks and had pledged to dye it blue n white for the up coming Leicester match if he could raise over a thousand quid for the Town Foundation. We pledged, he kept his promise.

This was his last Town goal however. He won the Player of the Season award, but then got sold to Middlesbrough.

We sent another relegation rival down on this date in 2001. That was QPR, who by us beating them 2-1 in this match, got relegated to League One. Dean Gorré scored in the first half. I can't remember what time the 'orrible 'oops scored theirs, but I well remember our winner.

A point was no good for them and so when they had a last minute corner, everybody was up. I'm not sure if the goalie was up, but we won the ball and made a swift breakaway with the ball eventually getting to Andy Booth. His shot was saved but it fell nicely for Delroy Facey to tap into the open net.

QPR went down, alongside Tranmere and....... us. We only got two points from the following three games and went down.