[WakeyTerrier]

I've a few games attended on this date, the Everton and Brentford games mentioned by M'Lud being 2 of them.

21years ago today(2001) I went to Belle View to watch Emley take on Stalybridge Celtic in what was effectively a winner takes all for promotion from the Northern Premier League. Emley lost in front of 3708. Not a bad crowd for Step 7 of English Football
https://www.stalybridgeceltic.co.uk/Repo...280401.htm

Going back even further now to 1990
Northampton Town 1 v 0 Huddersfield Town
Bobby Barnes with the only goal
Always sticks in my memory for the match venue does this one.
The County Ground home of both the County cricket team and the Towns football team.
Att :2338
Alan Carr's dad Graham Carr was the Northampton manager at the time.

[Lord Snooty]

That's one of the grounds I never got to, Wakey. I think Northampton and Torquay away were the only games I missed in 79/80. Oh and the 7-1 win against Port Vale.

I never got to either of those, though I have been to Sixfields.

[Lord Snooty]

April 29:

A momentous day in the history of Huddersfield Town. Not only did we win the FA Cup, but also the wonderful Christopher Schindler was born......

Yes, as you probably know already by the way the club have been banging on about it, it is one hundred years ago today that Huddersfield Town won the FA Cup for the one and only time, on this date in 1922.

The game itself would be played at Stamford Bridge, the same venue as our first Final, two years previously against Aston Villa. This time the opponents were Preston North End, who were playing in their third final, having won it once in 1889.

Town went to Whitley Bay for their training camp for the 1920 Final. This time they went to Blackpool and traveled down to London on the same train as the PNE players, the day before the game.

Before the match, both teams were introduced to the Duke of York by the respective captains, Joe McCall of Preston and Town's Tom Wilson. We were favourites for the game, having beaten the Lillywhites 6-0 in the league a week before and made just the one change to that line up, with Billy Watson returning in place of Harry Brough at left half.

Town were managed by Herbert Chapman and lined up as follows; Sandy Mutch, James Wood, Sam Wadsworth, Charlie Slade, Tom Wilson ©, Billy Watson, George Richardson, Frank Mann, Ernie Islip, Clem Stephenson and Billy Smith.

The game itself was a scrappy affair with just one goal in it. Just like it is now, the media of the day didn't have a good word to say about Huddersfield or Preston and reports in newspapers described it as bad tempered and it did discredit the game of football. Town had the best chances though and Frank Mann set up Ernie Islip for the first one, which was well saved by the PNE keeper, Jim Mitchell, who unusually was wearing spectacles. Other chances were created by Billy Smith, Clem Stephenson and George Richardson but there were no goals by the time the first 45 minutes were up. Town skipper Wilson had kept Preston's centre forward Billy Roberts in his pocket throughout.

The breakthrough came in the 67th minute when Smith went on another of his runs down the left wing and cut inside the box, only to be scythed down by right back Tom Hamilton, right on the edge of the penalty area. The referee though had no doubts it was inside, despite Preston protests and pointing him to the marks on the pitch. And so a penalty was awarded.

The speccy eyed Preston goalkeeper did his best to put Smith off by jumping up and down on the line, but the star man kept his cool and with advice form Clem to "ignore the devil dance and just shove it in the net", he did just that, just inside the right hand post.

Town professionally saw out the remaining minutes of the match to bring the Cup back to Huddersfield and were presented with their medals and the famous trophy by the future King (the present Queen's dad). The Town fans in the crowd of 53,710 sang Smile Awhile, the club anthem that had just been introduced and is now the first football club anthem to still be being sung after a hundred years.

And as mentioned earlier, one of the coolest penalty takers in the history of the club was born on this date in 1990. That man was of course, Christopher Schindler, who is 32 today and was born in Munich.

He is now back in Germany, playing for FC Nürnberg, but he will always be welcomed back in Huddersfield for as long as he lives, after he took his chance to write his name in Huddersfield Town legend late in May in 2017.

We all know this story, the story of a man who left his home town club after working his way up from youth team to captain, to come and play for David Wagner and his revolution. A man who twice won the Player of the Season award at the John Smith's. A man who always led by example and a man who's good looks sent many a heart a flutter in Huddersfield, both male and female, eh fellas?

Ooooh, don't ya just love him?

Well Schindy's penalty at Wembley got us back into the top tier of English football for the first time in 45 years and it was on this date in 1972 that we played that last First Division game. It was against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, which of course was the scene of our triumphant return at the start of 2017/18.

This however was a dull 0-0 draw, the fourth game in a row where we hadn't scored and had Mick Fairclough leading the attack in place of Frank Worthington, who had played his last game for the club the week before, having been linked with a big money move to Liverpool, which never came off.

One man who did play his last match for Town in that game at the Palace was Trevor Cherry, who sadly died on this date two years ago in 2020, aged 72. It was a sudden death apparently and his former team mate at Leeds, and Town coach when Trev had returned to be on the Board at Town, Terry Yorath paid this tribute when the tragedy struck......

"My heart goes out to his family. I'll miss Trevor. The last time I saw him was the Leeds v Huddersfield game at the John Smith Stadium, he was a good man and very honest. He was the kind of player you always wanted in your team, he worked hard, could play in a number of positions, and I always thought of him as Mr 100 percent, he always give it his all.  He played for England and you don't play for England unless you're a good player."

[Lord Snooty]

[Lord Snooty]

April 30:

Another day, another cup final!

Sixteen years and a day after beating Preston at Stamford Bridge in the 1922 FA Cup Final, they got their revenge at Wembley by beating us in the 1938 FA Cup Final. They were the favourites to lift the trophy this time, standing 3rd in the First Division, whilst Town were struggling in a lowly 15th and had been walloped at West Brom the previous Saturday, losing 5-1.

Alf Young, the club captain and inspirational centre back, missed that game at the Hawthorns and his place had been taken by Alan Brown, who had recently returned to the club after quitting to join the police force. But Alf was back and raring to go for this.

Another selection, one that didn't go down well with the supporters though was the selection of veteran Arsenal winger Joe Hulme instead of George Wienand. Hulme had only recently signed for Town from the Gunners and this match would be his fifth FA Cup Final, a record at the time. Did manager Clem Stephenson let sentiment get in the way of his judgement? The South African right winger Wienand, who also played first class cricket, had been awesome at Ewood Park in the semi final win over Sunderland and his omission perplexed a lot of Town fans.

Town's top two goalscorers of the season were involved though. Bobby Barclay, who had played for Sheffield Utd in the 1936 Final and Scotsman Willie MacFadyen, who was signed from Motherwell where he had set the club record goal scoring and also won the Scottish League title, was selected over Billy Price at centre forward. Sadly for Price, he wouldn't get another chance for a Cup medal as his best years would be stolen by the war, which was looming on the horizon.

Another player who's best years were stolen by the war was Edwin Watson. Not just that, but he lost his life serving with the RAF in 1944. He had also played in the semi final, but was stood down for the Final with Clem selecting Jimmy Isaac in his place.

So Town lined up as follows; Bob Hesford, Benny Craig, Reg Mountford, Ken Willingham, Alf Young ©, Eddie Boot, Joe Hulme, Jimmy Isaac, Willie MacFadyen, Bobby Barclay and Pat Beasley.

The Preston team included Andy Beattie and Bill Shankly and so with Town playing Eddie Boot, that meant that there were three future Town managers in this match. Both teams were presented to King George VI before the match, the same bloke who had been there in his previous capacity as Duke of York in 1922.

It was the first match to be televised fully live on the new fangled telly thing and had an estimated 10,000 armchair audience to add to the 93,497 in the stadium. And in the Town tradition of major finals, it was 0-0 after 90 minutes.

There was a lot of symmetry with the 1922 Final in that the winning goal came from a hotly disputed penalty. Last time it was Billy Smith fouled on the line of the penalty area who got himself back up to take and score the spot kick. This time it was Preston's George Mutch, who had been fouled right on the line by Town skipper, Young.

It was the last kick of the game, the ball hitting the underside of the bar and going in, giving Bob Hesford no chance of saving it.

That was the end of the era for Town. They would never make it to the FA Cup Final again, though they did reach the semis in the next season. It was our fifth Final, winning it just the once. Preston were also in their fifth Final, though this was their second win and they did make two more Finals, the last of which was in 1964 when they lost to West Ham.

Well that was all a long time ago. In more recent history.............

I can't believe it's 28 years since the Final Whistle, but it is. On this date in 1994, we played the last ever match at Leeds Road when we played Blackpool in the third tier of the English Football Pyramid, at the time calling itself Division Two and nowadays known as League One.

First opened in 1908, the old stadium was by this stage, old and crumbly after 86 years. But it had seen some glories and some dark despair in that time. It had seen some magnificent footballers over the years, some of whom were presented before the match in front of the crowd of 16,195. The oldest of them played in the 1920s and won a league title with the club under Herbert Chapman. He was Joe Walter and was 98 years old when he came to the game. Sadly he died a year later, just before the Play Off Final at Wembley against Bristol Rovers.

The match got off to a great start for the Terriers when local teenager Simon Baldry scored in the first minute. Blackpool equalised before half time, but shortly after the interval Phil Starbuck scored the winner and the last ever goal scored at the old place. The next home game will be at the shiny new Alfred MacAlpine Stadium, just across the other side of the river.

The second half was mostly played with a human touchline as many fans gathered too close to the famous field of play and so when eventually the ref blew his final whistle, there was a mad dash to the tunnel for the players as thousands invaded the pitch.

I've just spotted myself on this photo. 

There was another final whistle on this date. Not for us though. This was Brighton and on this date in 2011, they played their last game at the Withdean Stadium. They had been there since 1999 after they had become homeless when they were evicted from their home at the Goldstone Ground a couple of years earlier.

They are now an established Premier League team but back then, they were in the same division as us, League One. They would go up as champions, while we would fail in the Play Offs, but we interrupted their celebrations by winning this game. Benik Afobe, on loan from Arsenal, had twice given us the lead, only to get equalised. But then in injury time, up popped Danny Ward, on loan from Bolton, to score his first ever Town goal.

[HerefordBull]

Were you up in the box above the stand?........the one in blue working the camera is my guess.

What was the feeling among the Terrier fans when it was muted to leave Leeds Road and go to a brand new stadium? Any dissent about leaving the old home or just a realisation that this was for the best?

[Lord Snooty]

Well I didn't want to move at the time, but once I'd got in the new place I realised it was the best move ever.

I couldn't come into Huddersfield over that summer though when Leeds Road was getting demolished. I've never actually lived in the town and I didn't work there at that time either, so coming along Leeds Road for the first time and it wasn't there was very strange.

---

Were you up in the box above the stand?........the one in blue working the camera is my guess.  

Directly below the C in AFC.

[Lord Snooty]

May 1:

On this date in 2002, we played the 2nd leg of our Play Off semi final, away at Brentford. Sadly, this wasn't to be a repeat of the glorious night back in 1995. It started out in a similar fashion. A draw in the first leg and then an early goal in the 2nd. It was Town who scored first this time and it was the same Town scorer as from seven years previously.

Andy Booth scored in 95, scored at Wembley, went to the Premier League, came back to Huddersfield and scored once more in a Play Off semi at Griffin Park. This was as early as the second minute of the match, a shot that squirmed through the keeper's hands and gave us all hope of pulling off an unlikely victory. I say unlikely because we weren't all that good really and having finished 6th in the league table, five points behind the Bees, I never expected us to win.

Lou Macari was the manager, having taken over at the back end of last season when Steve Bruce got sacked. The Bees had Steve Coppell in charge and he would've been delighted by his team's response, drawing level in the 37th minute through Darren Powell, heading in from a free kick.

Coppell gave the better half time team talk as his men came out and took the lead in the 46th minute through Lloyd Owusu and as hard as Town tried, they couldn't find the equaliser and so there would be no repeat of that famous penalty shoot out.

Serial Play Off failures Brentford failed again, getting beat by Stoke City in the final.

A year earlier in 2001, we played away against Wimbledon. Not at Plough Lane but at Selhurst Park where they were squatting after being evicted. A win would almost certainly have made us safe from relegation from the 2nd tier, but it was just a draw, a 1-1 draw with a goal from Kevin Gallen.

So we were not quite safe but just about. Even if we lose the final game at home to Birmingham next week, it would take wins for Crystal Palace, Portsmouth and Grimsby all at the same time to send us down. Unlikely!

If you don't know what happened, find out next week, but as I've just written about the 3rd division play offs.........

It got worse. In 2004 we were in the 4th Division, but were well on course to go straight back up again. Victory at home to Mansfield Town would see us there with 3rd place confirmed. Instead we lost with a magnificent performance from the Stags' forward, Junior Mendes, who ran our defence ragged and scored a couple in a 3-1 win for them.

This was after John McAliskey had given us an early lead in front of a crowd of 18,633, the biggest league gate of the season. The defeat meant that destiny was still in our own hands and a win away at Cheltenham next week would still get us promoted.

Did we do it? Or are we destined to see those Stags again?

Well it's been a bit gloomy so far. Let's talk about winning again.......

You may remember a couple of days ago, Town won the FA Cup in 1922. After the celebrations, the players caught the train back to Huddersfield on the Monday to be greeted by thousands of people in St George's Square, where an open top bus took the players to the Town Hall for a civic reception.

The lads couldn't celebrate too much as they had a game to play in the evening. A re-arranged match with Middlesbrough at Leeds Road. An official attendance of 29,000 were in the ground to see the game as a goal from Clem Stephenson and an own goal from Boro centre half Jackie Carr gave the Cup holders a 2-1 win. Throughout the match, the FA Cup sat in pride of place at the front of the Directors Box and was paraded around the pitch at half time.

[themaclad]

30 years ago passed me driving test and today is my cats birthday also 51 years ago today Alex Bruce made his PNE debut in the 2 all draw against Swindon

[Lord Snooty]

May 2:

On this date in 2015, we played away at Blackpool. I post the following picture without comment. Do feel free to add some of your own. 

Back in 2009, at the age of 35, club legend Andy Booth announced that he would be hanging up his boots at the end of the season. Over two spells at the club, he had bagged 145 goals with four games to go in the season. He scored against Carlisle at home. He scored twice away at Walsall and he scored at home to Brighton. So on this date, Town traveled down to that there London to play Leyton Orient with him on 149. Would Boothy score his 150th goal for Huddersfield Town?

Of course he did!

And so at the blowing of the final whistle on his football playing career, he stood in third place in the all time goal scorers chart with 150, behind George Brown and Jimmy Glazzard and fourth in the appearances chart with 457, behind Billy Smith, Tom Wilson and Vic Metcalfe.

Here he is poking home number one hundred and fifty at Brisbane Road.

In 1925, Town needed one point from the final game of the season to win the league title for the second season in a row. There was only one team who could catch us and that was West Brom. They needed to win at home to Bolton, whereas we just needed a draw at home to Liverpool.

We all know that Town won the league three times in a row, so it doesn't stretch the imagination much to guess that things went our way on this day. Indeed it did, with the Baggies only drawing and Town also drawing, it was Town who retained the League title by two points.

The game itself at Leeds Road was a 1-1 draw with defender Harry Cawthorne getting his only goal of the season.