Whilst the summer of 1970 was a World Cup one with holders England going out in the quarter finals, after losing a two goal lead to, who else, West Germany, Town fans had even more important matters on their mind.

Huddersfield Town Football Club as spring beckoned that Tuesday evening of April 14th saw Leeds Road preside over a night to match any in living memory. Her young Terriers were crowned 2nd Division Champions and with it the prize of elevation to the elite of English football - the 1st Division.

Some 14 years earlier in April 1956 despite a terrific late burst which brought four consecutive wins at the season's end an inferior goal average to Aston Villa saw us relegated to the 2nd Division for just the second time in our history.

Now we were back where as oft is said 'Town really belonged'. Back in the big time and ready to mix it with the best. Whilst the playing squad was virtually that, that had gained promotion with just the addition of three younger players, Mick Barry, Alan Jones and Brian Mahoney with Terry Dolan to join from Bradford PA in October. It was our grand old girl, Leeds Road, which was to undergo the biggest change.

As our last season in the first division had seen the huge East Terrace, covered, so the prelude to elite soccer saw further structural changes as the much loved Paddock in front of the Main Stand was bulldozed, thus enabling the entire main stand side to become all-seater.

For a good few unique folk the loss of the Paddock was a tremendous disappointment as this small Terrace area running the full length of the Town pitch and situated between touch line and main stand, divided only by the players tunnel, was theirs. Even at Reserve home games you could find the regulars standing around the tea hut looking out watching the players of tomorrow encompassed in their own special place.

It could not have been easy for any of these Town stalwarts finding a new spot from which to support. At least one arena remained untouched for I well remember standing in the centre circle looking down towards the Cow Shed and enlightening any Town official who cared to listen that our end was for us and no others.

There had been talk of the need to divide our much-loved Cow Shed so it could also incorporate away fans.

Well it was discussed but thankfully common sense prevailed and I think we had much to thank the newly appointed Secretary, formerly Club Promotions Office, Bill Brook for keeping the status quo. It was Mr Brook along with, I believe Lawrence O'Toole, who in the October of 1969 had been the people behind the birth of the mascot and nickname of The Terriers.

Our new Secretary took up the reins that had been in the hands for very many years of a most charming and dear servant of Huddersfield Town Mr Tony Galvin.

The date was August 15th 1970, a day we had often dreamed about but could never quite expect. So near, yet so far but today it was for real. Huddersfield Town opened up their First Division campaign at Leeds Road against their promotion partners Blackpool and Jimmy Armfield and Co were duly despatched 3-0. Local hero Steve Smith got the ball rolling with a couple and Frankie, Frankie, Frankie, Frankie Worthington put away a penalty. Some 22,000 plus went home happy and laughed as Boss Ian Greaves quipped "One thing about this first division soccer - it is much quicker!"

Come Tuesday and we had to pinch ourselves, as Dreamland did not cover the elation as our Town went Top of the League with a resounding 3-1 hammering of visitors Southampton.

Another couple of thousand on the gate, further goals from Smith & Worthington added to one from Dick Krzywicki made it another of those special nights under the Leeds Road floodlights.

Though to this day I still believed the scoreline to be blank for our south coast visitors, as I can not recall any reply from the Saints.

At late evening that 18^th August the top of the First Division looked like this, savour every minute of it.

1 Huddersfield Town (home) P:2 W:2 D:0 L:0 GF:6 GA:1 (away) P:0 W:0 D:0 L:0 GF:0 GA:0 Pts 4.

It is always something special to be a follower of Huddersfield Town but those first few days of the 1970-71 season, special to begin with as they recorded our return to the pinnacle of league Football in England were unbelievable.

Today those memories are still as precious, as wonderful as ever-encapsulated midway through the second half of the Tuesday night fixture as the Popular side suddenly as one let out "Hhh uuu ddd ersfield" over and over again, "Hhh uuu ddd ersfield".

It made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, it made every nerve in your body tingle.

This did not happen at Town, we are most happy when moaning and having a go. Yet here we had the huge East Terrace, a choir in its own right bellowing out its appreciation of the football we were witnessing before us on the lush green grass of Leeds Road. That the chant then went around the entire ground just made for a moment of history in Town folklore.

The Cow Shed had quickly picked up on what was occurring but then, them opposite in the all-seater Main Stand were at it.

My Mum and Dad who were up there were later to tell me 'It was as if the whole ground, the entire Town following were as one, transformed, transfixed'.

This to me is one of my abiding memories of following our great club, one I wish I had a magic wand to ensure replication time and time again as our fans are not the easiest to get going.

A good moan perhaps, yes. But getting behind the lads at all times no.

Just behind us in second place in Division One with three points from 2 away games was Liverpool. Where would the fixture list take us on the second Saturday of the new season? For our very first away match but Anfield and a Top of the Table clash at that. Does that sound good or what, certainly you could not have written it even in Roy of the Rovers.

Not in doubt in the minds of the thousands of Town fans that journeyed over the top and along the 62 and East Lancs Road into Liverpool that day was the very real test that faced our lads that afternoon. Led by former Town boss and football legend Bill Shankly there were some tasty names in the Reds squad. Clemence, Lawler, Lloyd, Hughes, Tommy Smith!

Ouch as Frank Worthington would say of his first meeting with one of the hardest of hard men in any era of English football. But had not Blackpool just a couple of days after their opening day defeat at Leeds Road held the Scousers to a goal less draw which drew a superb crowd of nearly 29,000 to Bloomfield Road. Food for though and encouragement to our young side as we aimed to show the big boys just what we were all about.

By ten past three on August 22nd we had started to get an idea of what First Division life had in store. For most of the opening minutes we had looked fine and were more than equal to the task in hand. But then McLaughlin opened the scoring and added a second just before the break. Alan Evans proved equal to his team mate adding two more in the last 15minutes of the match.

Liverpool 4 Huddersfield Town 0. Before 52,628 spectators, the highest attendance we would play before anywhere in 70-71 and would only be beaten at Anfield when Everton crossed Stanley Park and then by just 1,149. Manchester United would attract 87 fewer!

Emphatic, in the end yes. Disappointing? Again yes.

But despite the scoreline our lads had put together some good football without really threatening the home goal whereas when the home sides opportunities came they took them and the likes of Hughes and Smith ensured the 'Pool never loosened their grip. It must also be remembered that at the season's end Liverpool would finish 5th.

One worry that stood out for me was when we looked like getting a foothold in the match how easily at times the home players seemed to brush our lads off the ball. When our top striker was, somewhat easily, dispossessed on the edge of the area in front of the Kop it made me feel if big Frank can not keep hold on the ball when we are threatening we are going to have our work cut out for us up front this season.

This First Division football, it didn't get any easier as Tuesday night brought a trip to the capital to take on The Arsenal.

A Gunners side, like Liverpool the previous Saturday laden with talent from Bob Wilson in goal, to George Graham in midfield. Up front the likes of Radford, Kennedy and George. We ended up the wrong end of a 0-1 scoreline which despite it been a defeat was much less harsh certainly in the goals against column.

A week Tuesday past we had been Top of the League now we had slipped to 9^th with a record of played 4. At home played 2 won 2 goals for 6 against 1, on our travels played 2 lost 2 for none against 5 Points 4. Our goal average was 1.00 half that of Manchester City who also had four points but were in 4th position in the League having played a game less.

Was it a start we would have settled for before August came in? Really there was no half measure, we were either right up there or well down. Despite the goals conceded in Lancashire we had looked pretty steady defensively and potent in attack if only at home. Away we were very much lacking in the attacking third but hey we had played 2 of the teams that would be right up there at the end of the season and the following Saturday/Tuesday fixtures were both at Leeds Road.

Make that four unbeaten at home but just two more points as both Derby and then in midweek Tottenham came to Leeds Road and left with honours even. At least on the Tuesday evening Steve Smith's goal ended the three match run without a goal as he netted his 4th of the campaign.

Whilst the 26,701 crowd for the Spurs visit was 1,296 down on the Rams attendance it meant nearly 102,000 had turned up at Leeds Road for the opening four First Division matches.

After the euphoria of the 3-1 win over Southampton and going top of the table Town would not take full points again until mid October, our 12th match of the season. A Jimmy McGill goal, his one and only of the season, proving the difference over visitors Ipswich Town. If you add the nine games in-between plus the two FL Cup-ties with Nottingham Forest we failed to score in eight of them.

The draw for this 2nd round tie that paired Town with Forest had actually been made in the Town Boardroom. Coming second last out of the hat meant we were at home where it finished 0-0 for us to go onto Nottingham for the replay and loose 0-2. By now we had dropped to 18^th place, level on 10 points with Manchester United but just a slightly worse Goal Average by 0.02 attracting a seasons low of 17,944 for the visit of Bobby Robson's men.

For quite a large chunk of this run Town was without Trevor Cherry, whose place at 6 was taken by right back Denis Clarke. Youngster Alan Jones was given the number 2 shirt, having made his debut at the end of September when another Steve Smith goal had ensured a share of the spoils at Leeds Road against West Ham United.

Our former YMCA youngster was back within 6 weeks which following a cartilage operation was nothing but remarkable. In those days an operation was the only treatment nothing like the keyhole surgery - in and out - of today. But showed what a tough cookie we had and the desire he had in wanting to get back out there and rejoin the fight to get the Town up the table.

Blackpool and the seaside beckoned and we hit the net twice, the first time we had scored more than once in a game since the second game of the season. It wasn't enough to give us a win but the goals from Steve Smith his sixth and last of the season despite playing in all but the very final fixture of the season and a third from Worthington ensured we stayed 18th whilst the Tangerines were next to bottom.

Forest were next up and the visitors were again part of a 0-0 scoreline, followed by a 1-3 defeat at Stoke. A fourth of the season for Frank Worthington. But we were still hanging on to that spot four places from the bottom with Ipswich and Derby both just a point behind. In the relegation places were Blackpool and Burnley on 8 and 6 points respectively.

After 67 consecutive matches for Huddersfield Town captain and Player of the Year, my idol, Jimmy Nicholson was dropped for the visit of Chelsea on November 7th when Steve Smith took over the skippers number 4 shirt with Bobby Hoy in for his first appearance of the season at 7.

Town manager Ian Greaves had already tried to find a scoring blend with initially Jimmy Lawson replacing Les Chapman then Colin Dobson got a run of 5 matches before making his very final Town league appearance in the home game with the 'Pensioners'. His final appearance as he made a substitute appearance replacing Dick Krzywicki in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup at Leeds Road against Stoke City in January.

Though it would be the summer of 1972 before he moved on to Bristol Rovers as player/coach having made 167 appearances for us, 7 as a sub scoring 52 goals. Colin Dobson was one of those players who you could call the consummate professional and provided Town fans with some six years of skill, trickery and delightful entertainment.

The midfield majesty of Jimmy Nick had been the hallmark of Town's Championship season so arriving at Leeds Road on November 7th following a few days break with family in Wiltshire hearing of his dropping was a shock, as it was for most Town fans.

When those wonderful notes that depict the start of Sports Parade at 5 o'clock on a Saturday evening were heard little surprise was shown by the football world when the headlines announced Chelsea had moved up to 4th in the table. A result of their 1-0 win at Huddersfield, the Yorkshire club dropping to 20th.

How wrong could they be, how darned unfair.

Yes the score was correct but nothing else. The Londoners had performed daylight robbery for Town had turned in a magnificent performance.

Steve Smith was superb in his new midfield role, pulling the strings and orchestrating a show that belied our League position and all that went with it. The result stunk but it left us just one place above the relegation pair of Blackpool on 8 points and bottom of the table Burnley with just 6 points, half of our total and just one home win all season to their name.

Where were we next week? Turf Moor, Burnley.

Manager Ian Greaves had always insisted the glass was half full, that his young charges were positive in thought and deed and despite the latest loss and being near the foot of the table he was delighted with the performance last Saturday. The players had expressed themselves and proved more than a match for there high flying opponents it was now just a matter of turning all of this into results.

He was confident that he and Henry Cockburn would do all they possibly could to ensure his players felt the same so they could continue to go out and play there football without fear.

The next two Saturday's were to put the smiles back on the faces of all Town followers as first Burnley were beaten 3-2 with Bobby Hoy getting a brace on his first away outing, Jimmy Lawson getting the other.

Then, just like now, a trip to Old Trafford to take on the Red Devils tends to made the heart beat that little bit faster go but the Gaffer was well aware of this and was having none of the inferiority crap.

Though Frank Worthington put just what it meant to the players when in his book 'One Hump or Two' he recalls the visit to Salford. "But it was at Old Trafford on a cold November day before 45,000 people that I really knew I had arrived. George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law all strutted their stuff".

As I say Greavsie was having none of it and as the team arrived at the ground the Gaffer stood up in the coach and told his Terriers straight. 'You are here by right. No one has given you this fixture you have earned it and I want you to go out there this afternoon and show everybody why. And before you get off this bus get your heads high your chest out and go in there proud and knowing you deserve to be here'.

I'll let Worthy finish off "... with Bestie scoring for them and none other than Bobby Hoy grabbing one for us in a satisfying 1-1 draw". I'll say we did ourselves proud and could have come away with both points given a little bit of luck. Despite his goal the home side's wing wizard was more than matched by Geoff Hutt whilst in our goalscorer we had someone the neutral not knowing the players could have thought was the international player.

The good run was to continue as both Merseyside clubs were to come to Yorkshire whilst in-between we went north to St James Park where for the only time in a run of seven games since the visit of Chelsea would we taste defeat. But putting the ball in the onion bag was the continuing problem though Worthington still on a high from Old Trafford notched his 5th of the season against Everton in a 1-1 draw.

0-2 at Newcastle before a surprisingly low 21,254 crowd after which we entertained Liverpool.

Again we failed to score but so did the visitors showing how far we had come since that first away game of the season. Defensively we were pretty sound especially so when you think the pressure put on the team when we knew that scoring goals in nearly half of our games had proved impossible.

Still we had a happy Christmas as Boxing Day took us to Maine Road and a further point won even if we did not score in a 1-1 draw! The man responsible for putting the ball in his own City net was their own skipper Tony Book. There were many Town fans among the 40,091 crowd who went home to turkey sandwiches well pleased with their afternoon among the Blue half of Manchester.

The table that evening showed Town still in 15th place with 20 points from 23 played 5 wins, 10 draws and 8 defeats.

Next time in Those Were The Days - New Year 1971 and its FA Cup time at Leeds Road.

We hope you have enjoyed our "Those Were The Days" articles, and find them an interesting look at some special memories of Town through the years. Memories that will not, and can not be forgotten - and memories only our beloved Town could have created