[Lord Snooty]

Was he the one who got out when the train stopped, to have a stroll?

[theo_luddite]

Having a look at the boiler and chimney from the front wondering ... hmmmm, how does this all work then ..... oh, shit.

[Lord Snooty]

[Lord Snooty]

September 16:

In the 1997/98 season, Town got off to a shocking start under the leadership of Brian Horton. After six games, we had three points from three draws and three defeats. We were bottom of the league after narrowly avoiding relegation in the previous season. We'd only scored four goals in those six league games, with Marcus Stewart being top scorer with two.

We had won one game. That was in the first round of the League Cup when we beat Bradford City, who were in the same division as us then. We beat them 2-1 at home and 3-2 on aggregate to set up the match on this date in 1997, a home leg in the 2nd round against Premier League giants, West Ham United.

But so bad was the feeling around the town about the team and the terrible start, that only 8,525 came to the McAlpine to watch this one. The Hammers had some big names in their line up. Probably not that big then, but names that went on to have stellar careers, the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, David Unsworth, John Hartson and Iain Dowie.

We had the much loved Marcus up front with Paul Dalton on the wing. Steve Francis in goal. In defence we had Steve Jenkins, Kevin Gray, Darren Edmondson and Jon Dyson and a midfield with ex Man Utd man Lee Martin, Lee Makel and Wayne Burnett. Also coming in was Horton's new signing, the ex Blackpool, Palace, Hull and Charlton midfield dynamo, Alex Dyer who had returned to the country after playing in Portugal.

And it was he who's goal turned the atmosphere from very angry to not so angry by scoring the only goal of the game in the 75th minute.

Dyer didn't last long at the club though, he was knocking on a bit when we signed him and Horton was soon to leave the club to be replaced by Peter Jackson. He did come back though later on as assistant to Chris Powell, leaving again when Powell got the push.

Since then, he's managed Kilmarnock for just over a year mainly during the Covid pandemic. His last job was as assistant to Alan Pardew at CSKA Sofia where he walked out in June this year after being racially abused.

Kick it out, you Bulgarian pricks!

Anyway, back to the West Ham tie. After a one nil win, the second leg will be down the Boleyn Ground at Upton Park in a couple of weeks time.

[themaclad]

Was he the one who got out when the train stopped, to have a stroll?

Indeed he was got the book Huskisson's last journey

[HerefordBull]

Aye, Dyer joined Steve Clarke at Killie but when Clarke got the call to be Scotland manager Dyer took over as caretaker for a couple of games before taking the gig till the end of the 2020 season. He then re-signed to do the next season but with results not going very well he left by mutual consent after xmas.

Perhaps another of these "managers" that does well as an assistant but never makes the step up to be number 1. ..........Colin Calderwood anyone !!  (don't ask Hibs fans about him lol )

[Lord Snooty]

September 17:

Born on this date in 1990, it's a happy 32nd birthday today to Sean Scannell. He spent six seasons with us, culminating in promotion to the Premier League. He has fallen down the league ladder since though and is now the star name in the Grimsby Town's treatment room. 

Also born on this date, but way back in 1893 was Sammy Taylor. He was born in Sheffield and first came to the club in 1913, but due to the war, he didn't make his league debut until 1919.

That 1919/20 season was his only full season with us, but wowzers, what a season it was. For him personally, he set some records that still stand today, as well as firing the team to promotion and getting to the FA Cup Final.

He scored 35 league goals, which stood until Jordan Rhodes got 36 in 2011/12.

He scored 42 goals in all competitions, which still stands, but was equaled by Dave Mangnall in 1931/32.

He scored in 7 consecutive matches, which Mangnall beat with 11.

In the First Division, we were top of the league after six games, but as the team struggled to keep this form up, Sammy's goals dried up and he returned to the 2nd Division, being transferred to The Wednesday.

When he left Leeds Road, he was third in the all time goal scorers chart with 45, behind Jack Swann and Ernie Islip. He's now down in 35th, level with Peter Fletcher.

After playing for Wednesday, he went to Mansfield, Southampton, Halifax and Chesterfield.

Sammy died in 1973, in Sheffield, aged 80.

Another day, another battering of Manchester United. Town were reeling from missing out on being the first team to win the Football League championship for a fourth time in a row by finishing as runners up to Newcastle. That hangover saw us lose the first three games and draw the fourth and we were next to the bottom of Division One. Luckily for new manager Jack Chaplin, the visitors to Leeds Road in the fifth match of the season, on this date in 1927 were Man Utd, who of course were our pussies back then.

Joe Spence scored twice for the visitors, but we hit the net four times through Johnny Dent and a George Brown hat trick.

And despite the poor start, we went on to finish 2nd in the final table again.

So today's question is. Man Utd were our easy meat in the 20s and 30s, who do you reckon it is now and which team do you really look forward to playing knowing damn well we're gonna win?

On this date in 2005, we played Brentford at home and looked to be down and out as the fourth official put his board up at the end of the 90th minute. Pawel Abbott had scored in the first half, but two Bees goals from Isiah Rankin and DJ Campbell had us 2-1 down as we entered injury time. We'd had Tom Clarke red carded after 80 minutes, but the ref leveled things up just before the end by sending off Andy Frampton, giving us hope of fighting for that equaliser.

Andy Booth had come on as a sub for Gary Taylor-Fletcher and it was he who got that equaliser and we stole a point from the jaws of defeat.

But hold on. We're not done yet. Who's that sneaking in a 95th minute winner for the Terriers? It's only Danny Schofield.

Get in, Danny boy. Legend!

And finally on this date, a Joel Lynch thunderbastard on this date in 2013 against Charlton.........

[Lord Snooty]

September 18:

On this date in 1909, Huddersfield Town played their first ever match in the FA Cup. Also on this date in 1909, Huddersfield Town scored their record FA Cup victory and the record victory in all competitions and it's a record that still stands today.

It was in the Preliminary round of the Cup and it was an away game at Heckmondwike. The match was played at Beck Lane, a ground that would become home to the Town juniors for many a year and the place where the great Denis Law first pulled on a Town shirt.

The score was 11-0 to the Town, a score only matched by a Wartime League game against Rochdale in 1941 and only the 10-1 win over Blackpool in 1930 in Division One has come close in a proper fixture.

Town were in the Midland League, one season away from joining the Football League. Hecky were in the West Yorkshire League, it was their first season. Jack Foster scored four of the goals, some reports gave him five. He was from Rotherham and at the back end of his career, having played for Blackpool, Rotherham Town, Watford, Sunderland and West Ham. He scored 25 goals in the season, 11 of them in the FA Cup, another record still standing today for FA Cup goals in a season. He later came back to the club as trainer and spent a total of 28 years at the club.

Walter Stacey also scored four. Unfortunately, I can't find anything about him and he was apparently released later on in this month. The other scorers were William McCreadie, who left for Halifax Town and two goals for Ernest Kenworthy. He was signed from Bradford City and would end up getting killed in action in the war. A gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery, he died in November 1917 and is buried in Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium. His name is in the Huddersfield Town Roll of Honour

In the photo, Kenworthy is sixth from the right on the back row. Foster is third from the right in the second row. McCreadie is sat to the left of the lad with the ball on the front row. The elusive Stacey isn't there.

Another from the HTFC Roll of Honour is Robert Gordon, who died on this date in 1940. He was only 23. He made his debut in a 1-0 win away at Middlesbrough in 1938, deputising for Ken Willingham who was away playing for England. That was his only game in 37/38 and he just made made another six appearances in the next season before the war started. His final match was in April 1939, a 3-1 win at home to Chelsea.

He volunteered for the RAF and became a Leading Aircraftman in IX Squadron and having been severely wounded he died in the RAF Hospital Ely in Cambridgeshire of pulmonary tuberculosis. His body was returned home and is buried in Cramlington Cemetery in Northumberland.

On this date in 1997, Karlan Grant was born and so is celebrating his 25th birthday today. He scored 23 goals for us, one of them, away at West Ham, was one of the highlights of our second season in the Premier League. He stuck around and scored the goals that kept us from dropping down to League One, but then naffed off to West Brom.

[theo_luddite]

I must remember "a Joel Lynch thunderbastard " for my next Chorlton and the Wheelies thread.

[Lord Snooty]

September 19:

Following the surprise resignation of Herbert Chapman, it was almost business as usual under the new leadership of Cecil Potter. Town started the 25/26 season unbeaten in the first ten games. On this date in 1925, the sixth game of the season was played and the unbeaten run was almost ended in a remarkable 5-5 draw at White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur.

Defences were trying to get to grips with the changes to the offside rule, introduced at the start of the season and high scoring games were a plenty. There was an 11-2, a 10-0, a 7-4 and a 6-5 during the First Division season, so this 5-5 wasn't all that strange.

It was Town who scored first, Alex Jackson firing home after being set up by skipper Clem Stephenson. That was after four minutes. It was 1-1 after seven when Frank Osbourne headed in from close range. A crowd of 20,880 had turned out to see the double league champions, who regained the lead in the 13th minute when Clem combined with George Brown to set up the recently signed Jackson for his second to make it 2-1.

That was the score at half time, but it was Spurs who took the upper hand after the interval as the pitch became a mess during torrential rain. Jimmy Dimmock equalised from a tight angle and then the ref took centre stage with a twice taken penalty giving them the lead. Tom Wilson had fouled Alex Lindsay and Tommy Clay took the spot kick. Ted Taylor in the Town goal saved it, but Mr WP Harper of Stourbridge went to look at the VAR monitor and decided that the Town keeper had moved before the kick was taken and so Clay had the chance to score from the re-take. And he took that chance.

Spurs 3-2 up on the hour then, but two minutes later George Cook brought the mighty Blue n Whites level. The telegram boy was on overtime now though, sending his messages back to the BBC Grandstand studio and within three minutes of the equaliser, Spurs had gone 5-3 up. Osbourne caught out Taylor when a cross cum shot sailed over his head into the net and then Osbourne crossed for Jack Elkes to score.

Town down and out? No chance! Luck had a bit to do with the comeback though. Jimmy Seed the Spurs inside forward collided with Town's Sam Wadsworth and had to be stretchered off unconscious and so with no concussion subs or any subs at all, they had to play the last ten minutes with ten men.

Alex completed his hat trick soon after and then centred the ball for Brown to equalise again in the 86th minute and the points were shared.

Town stayed in 4th place in pursuit of that third league title.

There was another high scoring game on this date in 1953. Only nine goals this time, but Town won it, a 6-3 victory at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United. Jimmy Glazzard scored a hat trick, Vic Metcalfe bagged a brace and Willie Davie got a single. A crowd of 40,065 squeezed into the stadium that still had a cricket ground on one side as Town moved up to 2nd in Division One.

On this date in 2012, we also played in Sheffield, at the other place. No not the Don Valley, it was Hillsborough and we beat Wednesday 3-1. It was our first season back in the Championship after beating the Blunts at Wembley in the Play Offs.

We went 2-0 up in the first half through Oliver Norwood and Lee Novak, but a minute after Réda Johnson had pulled one back, Joel Lynch decided he needed an early bath. He absolutely scythed down one of the t'Owls, cutting the poor lad in two and the ref sent him on his way.

All the second half for our ten to face eleven then? Nope. Joe Mattock decided to level things up by getting a second yellow and so the more even line up went in our favour and the ref actually awarded us a penalty. Adam Clayton stepped up and scored to give us a 3-1 win.

Going back a few years to this date in 1998, we faced Wolverhampton Wanderers at the McAlpine Stadium in a league game sandwiched in between the two legs of the League Cup tie with Everton.

Town led the match for most of the time after Paul Dalton gave us a 19th minute lead. But Wolves, with Steve Bull leading their attack, pressured us for the equaliser throughout the second half and in the last minute of normal time, the defence cracked and a young boy called Robbie Keane scored and somersaulted in front of the Wolves fans massed in the South Stand. Bugger!

But these were special times at the Town and Peter Jackson had instilled a sense of unbeatability in his squad. Whilst Wolves were still back slapping each other for their equaliser, we went up the other end and Ben Thornley bagged the winner.

Absolute scenes! 

We are top o' the league, say we are top o' the league.