Town Navigation: Home ¦ Club Information ¦ History ¦ Legends ¦ News ¦ Fixtures & Results ¦ League Table ¦ Match Reports ¦ Squad ¦ Transfers ¦ Stadium
|
|
TWTD History of the Terriers in Those Were The Days |
|
Here you will find some interesting
historical facts on the Terriers plus a whole host of records and statistics. You will also find some very special and
exclusive feature articles on the history of Town "Those Were The
Days". Written by our feature writer, exclusively
for the site, they will give many thought rendering moments, as we take you
back in time with our beloved Huddersfield Town in "Those Were The Days". Want to navigate straight to
this page? www.thisisthebarmyarmy.co.uk/htfc/history
An in-depth analysis of the history of Huddersfield Town AFC Huddersfield
Town AFC
has an historical past other clubs envy. It is this tradition and heritage of
been one of the most successful English league clubs that as seen the
fundamental values of the club grow and develop throughout the history of our
great club. Prestige of the past is often fused into hopes for the present
and future, with often the historical values helping to shape the path of the
present and future. Town have the honour of having some great players and
times throughout the history of the great club. It is much
of the history and records of the club that instils pride and passion within
those lucky enough to be associated with this club. History is something that
can never be taken away, Town supporter passion and love for their club is
another and in the summer of 2008 the club commercially identified the value
in this creating the "All together now" strategy. In the
1920's Town won the league championship three times in a row and the FA Cup
in 1922 they were the team everyone wanted to beat, the team everyone aspired
to be like and had it's famous 'Old Girl' Leeds Road as it's theatre of
sporting greatness. And in modern times it is these three championships in
the 1920's that are etched into the minds and thoughts of many Town fans and
proudly don the famous strips above our proud crest. Town moved
for commercial reasons in 1994/1995 to a brand new stadium, just yards from
the site of Leeds Road and with it ended a chapter of Town history for ever
as an end of an era was called, and time's up announced on the old Leeds Road
ground. Since then the Galpharm Stadium (formally McAlpine Stadium, in
conception, development and construction it was known as the Kirklees
Stadium) has become home to Huddersfield Town (click here for more on the
stadium). The
Terriers know the true belief of the ups and the downs of football, when
during the 1970's. Following promotion in the 1969/1970 season to the top
division they slipped into the fourth division by 1975 in dramatic style. They have
tasted championship and promotion success in their history from all tiers of
English football, but still the 1922 FA Cup win is the one and only from
their five visits to the premier cup competition (the last in 1938 - the
first televised English FA Cup final) click here for a players view of the 1938
final.
'Scarlet
Runners' established in 1908 Huddersfield
is where Rugby League was created towards the end of the 19th century and it
was not until 1907 that moves to form a professional association football
club came to fruition. Having had their approach to share Huddersfield RFCs
ground rebuffed, the founders bought a site on Leeds Road for £500. In
September 1908 Huddersfield Town FC was launched and joined the North Eastern
League. In the early days the club became known as the "Scarlet
Runners" thanks to the red shirts the club used. Town's
first season in football (North Eastern League) ended with the club placed
16th out of 18 teams. The club won 10 of its 34 matches and accumulated 24
points. The first match was a 2-0 loss at South Shields Adelaide on September
5th 1908. A week later Town grabbed it's first ever win - 2-0 on home soil
against Workington. The early
adopted nickname was 'The Town'. Blue
and white Town created In 1909
the club directors passed a resolution that the playing kit of the club would
be blue and white stripes with white knickers (shorts). The name
Huddersfield Town entered English football in 1910 after the people of
Huddersfield successful sold the idea to the Football League in London, that
England's biggest town required an association football club (June 1910). The
Terriers put together an ambitious plan to the Football League - which
included legendary architect Archibald Leitch fully redesigning the ground.
16 years later the club had secured three top flight championships on the
trot - a fate no other club had done, and had created the dream of football
in the home of rugby league. The first
match for the club in The Football League (the club's third in existence)
ended with a 1-0 away win at Bradford Park Avenue. Henry Hamilton is credited
with the goal - the first ever goal in The Football League for Town. The
first home league match ended with a 1-0 loss against Burnley. That
augural season Town finished the 20 team league 13th with 34 points from the
38 games played. 10 home wins and 3 away wins made up the 13 wins for the
season. During the first League season Town used 28 players, with the biggest
win a 7-1 defeat of Birmingham City at Leeds Road in April 1911. It was
during this game that 'inside-left' (left winger) James Macauley scored the
club's first ever league hat-trick. However,
the club's first ever hat-trick came in the 'opening season'. Wallace scored
three in the league match at Sunderland Royal Rovers in a 5-0 December win. It was
also during 1909 (Town entered the 1908 League too late to enter the
competition) that the club played it's first ever FA Cup match. The 11-0
victory over Heckmondwike is officially the club's biggest ever victory to
date. The victory over Heckmondwike came on September 18, 1909. Archibald
Leitch the brains behind the Leeds Road design
The former
Leeds Road home of the Terriers was designed by architect Archibald Leitch.
The design of the stadium took similar lines to Leitch's other stadium
designs of Fulham, Tottenham and Arsenal. With an initial capacity of 34,000,
it was an estimated £6,000 to build. The first
game at Leeds Road took place in March 1908 (a friendly with Bradford Park
Avenue watched by 1,060), the last a 2-1 victory over Blackpool in April 1994
(watched by 16,195). Morris scored the Terriers first ever goal at Leeds Road
against Bradford Park Avenue, whilst Phil Starbuck scored the last. Leeds Road
was 'officially opened' on September 02, 1911 before a match with Barnsley.
Town won 2-1 in front of 12,755 supporters. Leeds Road
was chosen as the first home for Town as it already served amateur football
in the town as well as having excellent links for the transportation of the
time - trams. In 1992 the town's rugby league club Huddersfield 'Fartown' RL
moved from them their Fartown home to share Leeds Road. In 1912
the football club fell into liquidation through spiralling debts and low
crowds, and with reports that the club was to fold and move to Leeds and that
the ground had been sold the people of Huddersfield demonstrated, the people
held many fundraising activities and the club grew out of the liquidation
mess to gain promotion and the first of many FA Cup final appearances in
1920. It was at this time that the new club owners adopted the famous blue
and white stripes, which have been worn (bar the period 1967-1969) as the
main home shirt ever since. In 1919 then chairman J Hilton Crowther planned to merge the club with Leeds United and move operations to Leeds - the second time in the history of Town. Crowther felt that the public in that part of Yorkshire may back the club better than the Huddersfield public. There was an outcry in the town, Crowther was ousted and by the end of the season Town were promoted to the first division and reached the FA Cup Final.
"Thrice-Champions!" On April
12 1926 Huddersfield Town became the first English league side to win the
top-flight championship three times in a row. Town fans young and old are
only too happy to remind their opposition of this most wonderful history:
"Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end, we won the
league three times in a row..." Within a
mere 18 years of formation and 16 since entering the Football League, the
name of Huddersfield Town had become a synopsis of success and history,
helping to path the design of the club's heritage, tradition and future
landscape. The
Thrice-Championship was started by the legendary manager Herbert Chapman, but
after he left (to join Arsenal) Town were guided by Cecil Potter, who
clinched the third championship at Leeds Road against Bolton, with a 3-0 win.
Herbert Chapman had joined Town as secretary in September 1920, and became
first team manager in March 1921. Town began
their feat on May 03 1924, with the first of the three championship
victories. Town's achievement saw the club presented with a shield by the
football league and takes pride of place in the boardroom today. Town won the
first (1923-1924) with the closest of margins, on goal difference over
Cardiff City. Both Town and Cardiff finished with 57 points and a positive
goal difference of 27. It was virtue of Town conceding a single goal less
(33) than the Welsh side (34). The second (1924-1925) two points clear from
West Bromwich Albion, and the famous third (1925-1926) five clear points from
second placed Arsenal, creating the 'Thrice-Champions". To see a
photo of the shield click here. The
awe-inspiring 126 match three-season campaign (42 matches in a season) saw
Town win 67 matches, draw 38 and lose just 21 matches as they commanded and
dominated English football (scoring 221 goals, at a cost of 121 goals). The third
championship in 1926 has proven to be Town's last top flight championship to
date as the once proud champions of English football as played much of it's
recent history in the lower echelons of English football.
1922 FA
Cup winners Town also
won the FA Cup in 1922 and had many other final appearances during this time
(the last in April 1938). Huddersfield Town was the number one team, the team
to beat and had some marvellous players, ones never seen before or again.
Town was the last club to win the FA Cup before the final moved to Wembley.
Town beat Preston North End 1-0 at Stamford Bridge. They remained a strong
top flight team until the outbreak of the second world war, but the
incredible success of the 1920's as yet to matched by any other Town side in
history and following the restart of football after the second world war Town
struggled (they did have two promotions to the top flight in 52/53 and
69/70). During the
formation of Huddersfield Town, the club has provided two England National
Team Captains, both coming during the Yorkshire club's glory years of the
1920s and 1930s. Town
supply two captains on England The first Huddersfield
Town player to become national captain of England was Sam Wadsworth, the 46th
England captain during the mid 1920s. He was followed by Federick (Roy)
Goodall (the 53rd England captain) in the last 1920s early 1930s. Goodall
wore the armband for the English National Team during the Scottish
destruction of England on March 31, 1928 that became known an the 'Wembley
Wizards'. Scotland defeated a much fancied English side 5-1 at Wembley in
front of over 80,000 people in the Home Championship. Town, one of the
strongest teams in England, supplied four players to the England side.
Joining Goodall was fellow defender Thomas (Tommy) Wilson, legendary left win
Billy Smith and the goalscorer of the only English goal Bob Kelly. Town also
provided a key player for Scotland in forward Alex Jackson. Key, because
Jackson scored three of the five Scottish goals during the devastating
performance, one of Scotland's most famous victories over England throughout
the history of the 'Tarton Army'. Town a
first in Britain with electronic scoreboard During the
1950's Town was the first club in Britain to introduce an electronic
scoreboard to their ground. A gift from Dutch company Philips Electronics,
the scoreboard was placed in the middle of the Dalton Bank Stand (the 'open
end') from the 1950's until 1970 (Town had links with Dutch club PSV Eindehoven). The electronic scoreboard was replaced by a
manual one following vandalism. Click here to view a photo of
the 'Open End' showing the manual scoreboard at Leeds Road which remained
there until the move to the new stadium. Also
during April 1950 Leeds Road suffered a fire to the West Stand (the main
stand). Fire destroyed the roof of the stand and Town had to play their final
home games at Elland Road. The next season the roof was back, but a different
style to the original design by Archibald Leitch. Leeds
Road is lit up Floodlights
where installed at Leeds Road in 1961. The floodlights were dubbed the
"Dennis Law floodlights" with Law's transfer to Manchester City
rumoured to have helped pay for them. The first ever 'floodlit' match in
Huddersfield was a brilliant 2-1 FA Cup 3rd Round reply victory over high
flying Wolverhampton Wanderers. 46,155 turned up on Wednesday January 11,
1961 to see the Terriers beat Wolves in cold and frosty conditions. The
floodlighting system cost £23,000 to install (installation was by local
company John Cooke and Son), and were ready just 3 or 4 hours before the
start of the Town v Wolves match. It was a
proud night for Huddersfield in which then manager Eddie Boot said "I am
really proud of my team. They were magnificent". Derek Stokes on three
minutes gave Town the lead, but the visitors equalised. The Wolves goal came
from Murray via the penalty spot (43 minutes), 8 minutes after Town could
have taken a 2-0 lead with Stokes missing a penalty - after Mike O'Grady was
pulled down. The first
floodlit winner came from Mike O'Grady in the 76th minute of the Leeds Road
cup-tie, following a period of sustained Wolves pressure.
Town
Terriers are born
For the
start of the 1969 season Huddersfield Town changed it's nickname to the
Terriers, introducing the terrier onto the club crest as it remains today.
The Terrier was introduced to the Town badge topping the Terriers crest that
was based on the Huddersfield Corporation Coat of Arms and it is how the
badge looks in present days despite the inclusion of the crest in a shield. The
nickname 'The Terriers' replacing the previous 'The Town' was introduce on
September 27, 1969 before an home league match with Bolton. The new nickname
and crest enjoyed instant success as the Terriers won their place back into
the 'top flight' as Town won the Second Division Championship.
The
original floodlights at Leeds Road lasted just one year, as two of the
original pylons blew down following a gale. All four were replaced by the
pylons shown in the photo of the Cowshed End stand below and these lasted the
test of time until the closure of Leeds Road stadium in 1994. Alan
Thompson, a well travelled football observer, locally born and
internationally known as a football journalist once wrote the following about
Leeds Road: "The
more I see of football grounds, the more I conclude that each has its own
character and identity, a personality of it's own. Thus Wembley is a works
outing, Highbury all highbrow, Stamford Bridge pure vaudeville, Maine Road
middles class and Anfield a working class club. Further afield the Bernabeu
in Madrid is the corrida at fiesta, all grace and civility, whilst be
contrast the San Siro in Milan is wild, untamed and wanton. And
Leeds Road? Ah - Leeds Road is the home of my dreams!"
Terriers
leave Leeds Road for new home
Although
the Leeds Road ground is now gone and replaced with the new home - The
Galpharm Stadium (formally known as McAlpine Stadium, during planning and
construction Kirklees Stadium) - there is a brass plaque in the car park of
the retail park, built on the grounds of the old stadium which signifies the
centre spot of Leeds Road. At the
height of Leeds Road the attendance's hit over 65,000, but the capacity was
cut over the years that by the final match in 1994 the stadium capacity stood
at just over 18,000. The rugby league club had joined the football club at
Leeds Road in 1992 after leaving their Fartown home of 114 years. The
Terriers played 1,554 league matches at Leeds Road before making the short
move to the new stadium for the start of the 1994-1995 season. The first
ever football league match at the new stadium took place with just the two
'side' stands were built to be occupied, the South Stand was built, but
without seats. On the second afternoon of the 1994/1995 season Wycombe
Wanderers were the visitors to the new build and spoilt the Terriers party as
the visitors secured a 1-0 victory. 13,334 turned up to the new stadium to
witness history in the making. Andy Booth
scored Town's first ever goal at the new stadium on August 30, 1994. It was
during the second competitive match against Leyton Orient which the Terriers
won 2-1. But the
Terriers would end that season with promotion via the play-off's. Town won
promotion to the old First Division (now The Championship or second tier of
English football) with a 2-1 victory over Bristol Rovers at Wembley. The
play-offs were a nervy affair for Town fans who had seen Town defeat second
placed Brentford on penalties down in London after both legs ended 1-1. Steve
Francis saved twice and Darren Bullock scored the winning penalty. The
Terriers had finished 5th in the league table that season. It was
also during this season that Town player Iain Dunn made English football
history. Popular Dunn became the first ever player to score a golden goal in
the professional game in England during the second round of the Members Cup -
sponsored by Autowindscreens at the time.
Disbelief
came for Town following a poor 2002/2003 season. After missing out in the
play-off semi-final's the previous season and seeing the then manager
replaced, Town struggled throughout the season, saw the new manager sacked,
endured financial misery and was relegated to England's bottom division (for
only the second time in the history of the club). Town has also had many
'Great Escapes' in their history. For
additional information relating to the 'second' home of Huddersfield Town AFC
click here.
Sad
times as Town enter administration Although
after the end of the 2002-2003 season Town was placed into Administration.
Town came out of Administration on Thursday July 31 2003, when Consortium
leader -who became the new club chairman- Ken Davy had worked diligently to
help bring Town out of Administration. A consortium
led by the town's Rugby League Club Chairman (Ken Davy) and former club
chairman Terry Fisher brought a new era and with hopefully more prosperous
outcomes on the playing pitch for the Terriers, when they successfully
brought Town out of Administration in June 2003. Town was
put into Administration following delayed payment of wages the Huddersfield
Town players in early 2003. In order to save the club a group of supporter's
set-up to Huddersfield Town Survival Trust. They also brought passion back to
the club with the appointment as manager of the highly popular Peter Jackson. After a
terrific season Town secured promotion back to the second division with a
penalties victory over Mansfield Town at the Millennium Stadium in 2003/2004. With
Town's relative financial security safe, the Survival Trust decided in April
2004 to change their identity and logo to read "Huddersfield Town
Supporters Trust", just 4 weeks later Town missed out narrowly on
automatic promotion, under 12 months since they nearly went out of existence
and had just eight professional players. McAlpine
is renamed Galpharm in 2004 Following
the expiration of the 10-year deal of the McAlpine sponsorship of the Town
stadium in July 2004, it was announced on July 30 2004 that Galpharm would
become the new sponsors of the stadium that hosts home matches for
Huddersfield Town AFC. In 2000,
Huddersfield Town introduced the new circular design of the famous
Huddersfield Town crest. After a change in board on March 14, 2002 it was
decided following a poll of supporters that the old 'traditional' badge
(1970's) of the Terriers would again be used as the only badge of
Huddersfield Town Association Football Club. In
February 2005 the current Town board announced that they would be removing
the wording AFC from the badge designed in 1970. This was said to be in
keeping with the times and to make merchandise easier to produce and to make slicker looking promotional material.
2008:
100 years of football, 100 years of memories, 100 years of Huddersfield Town During the
summer of 2008 the Terriers will enjoy a Centenary pre-season including
contesting the Herbert Chapman Trophy with Arsenal FC and introducing special
commemorative kits for the 100 years celebration of the club. Also in the
summer of 2008 Huddersfield Town will introduce it's first ever video wall
bring the club and the stadium right up to date with media enhancements (replacing the old scoreboard) - a life-span
away from the old wooden 'manual' scoreboard at Leeds Road (click here for a
photo of the Leeds Rd scoreboard). In April
2008 the club received a much needed financial boost as life-long Town
millionaire Dean Hoyle came on board as major shareholder of the club and
will become chairman from the 2009/2010 season. Hoyle and fellow shareholder
Ken Davy gave supporters a dream deal with the 2008/2009 season tickets with
adult ones costing from just £100. The
centenary season ticket deal seemed to rebuild the club and re-ignite the
passion as Town fans bought season tickets in their thousands combining in
record season ticket sales of in excess of 16,000. The deal captured the
imagination of everyone connected with Town as a new feel good factor was
instilled in the club and it almost felt like Town were being reborn before
the very eyes. Terriers make Football League History Under the management of Lee Clark, Huddersfield Town made history on November 19, 2011 becoming the record holder of the Football League's unbeaten run. The 43 match run easily surpassed the club's previous highest of Huddersfield
has had some memorable figures at Leeds Road and then the McAlpine Stadium,
some names, some faces Town supporters will never forget. Formed in 1908,
who's home was Leeds Road until the 1994/1995 season move to the Alfred
McAlpine Stadium, Town supporters young and old have memories only Town could
have created! Past
names ... Players
Town fans will never forget include Clem Stephenson, Billy Smith, David
Steele, George Brown, Billy Watson, Tommy Wilson (the 1920'2/1930's captain),
Roy Goodall and Joe Walter the last survivor of the thrice-championship team.
To commemorate Huddersfield Town's past and their former Leeds Road home they
created the excellent double video "The Final Whistle". Other
names from later years: Nicholson, Greaves, Worthington, Cherry, Brown,
Buxton, Wheeler, McEvoy, McGarry, Wilson, Metcalfe, Glazzard, Law, Kindon,
Roberts, Jackson, Starbuck, Warnock, Booth, Jepson, Francis, Bullock and
Stewart.
KEY HISTORICAL FACTS Formed 1908 Entered Football League 1910 Current Stadium Galpharm Stadium (August 1994) Previous Stadium Leeds Road (1908-May 1994) Biggest victory 10-1, versus Blackpool (13/12/1930) Record Crowd For A Home Game 67,037 (versus Arsenal, FA Cup Sixth Round,
27/02/1932) Record Transfer Fee Paid £1.2m, Marcus Stewart (July 1996, Bristol
Rovers) Record Transfer Received £2.75m, Marcus Stewart (February 2000,
Ipswich) Oldest Player W H (Billy) Smith (39yr, 1934) Youngest Player Dennis Law (15yr 10mth, 1956) Most Capped Player Jimmy Nicholson (31, Northern Ireland) Most Overall Appearances Billy Smith (574, 1914-1934) Most League Appearances Billy Smith (521, 1914-1934) Most Goals - Overall George Brown (159, 1921-1929) Most League Goals - Overall George Brown (142, 1921-1929) Most League Goals - In A
Single Season George Brown (35, 1925-1926) Most Overall Goals - In A
Single Season Dave Magnall (42, 1931-1932) (including 33
in the league) Record Galpharm (McAlpine)
Attendance (overall) 24,163 (Great Britain 12-18 Australia,
Ashes Match, Rugby League, 22/10/2003) Record Galpharm (McAlpine)
Attendance (for a Town game) 23,678 (Liverpool FA Cup 3rd round, 1999) Average League Home Gates
throughout the club's history
STADIUMS - THE CHANGING FACE! 1994-Present The Galpharm Stadium (formally McAlpine
Stadium) 1908-1994 Leeds Road For information relating to the current season, season statistics and other information please click here |
