Joining Scunthorpe United in promotion will go down to the wire. Nottingham Forest's victory and Bristol City's defeat leaves Forest behind second placed City by just one point. Although on paper City have the easier match next Saturday at home to relegated Rotherham United.

In the play-off zone, Blackpool and Yeovil Town have confirmed their place following victory. The other two places will be either Bristol City or Nottingham Forest (the other will be automatically promoted) and one from Oldham Athletic and Swansea City - the Lancashire side by virtue of a superior goal difference are keeping the Welsh side out.

Joining Luton in relegation from the Championship are Southend United who lost to Luton this afternoon. Also all but down is Town's West Yorkshire neighbours Leeds United, who need a miracle to stay up having drawn this afternoon at home, in their final match against Derby.

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Young second year Academy product Lucas Akins became the latest player to be given his Town debut as he replaced Luke Beckett on 83 minutes of yesterday evening's 1-1 draw at Northampton. The under 18 leading scorer impressed Terriers boss Andy Ritchie, who saw David Mirfin score the Town equaliser on 75 minutes - the first goal from a defender this season.

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Following the change of management, Andy Ritchie has decided that the Sweden tour is not right for his plans and the club as taken the decision to cancel the tour. Ritchie is keen to use all the available time including bringing in a number of new players as he plans to inject pace into the squad, as Town play 'total, attack football' next season. The new season begins on August 11th.

The tour which was announced in February by former first team boss Peter Jackson was due to begin on July 8th, but Ritchie believes that a home based pre-season is what the players require to get them fitter for the start of next season.

Town have now arranged a home based scheduled the highlight been the Yorkshire Day (August 1) Fun Day at the Galpharm Stadium which will end with a first team match against Blackburn Rovers. The Blackburn Rovers match is been regarded as the start of the Clubs "99 years and counting" celebrations before the centenary season in 2008.

Premiership side Blackburn was the team that officially opened the Galpharm Stadium back in 1994. The 2007 friendly is to kick-off at 19:45.

On the Saturday (August 4th) Town will make the short trip to Field Mill to face Mansfield Town in a friendly. The match will kick-off at 15:00 and will be a repeat of the 2003/2004 Play-off Final that the Terriers won in Cardiff on penalties and it was the Stags who knocked the Terriers out of the Carling Cup this season at the Galpharm.

The reserves will travel to Farsley Celtic on August 7th.

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Not only will today's match be new manager Andy Ritchie's first in front of his home fans at the Galpharm Stadium it as also been chosen as the trial match for a big screen. The big screen will be in place between the Antich and Pink Link Stands and will show the Millwall match live today. It will also be in place for the Giants Super League match tomorrow.

The club are said to be excited by this addition to the stadium infrastructure and although only a trial are asking for supporter feedback in a bid to make it a permanent fixture.

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New manager Andy Ritchie has publicly matched the board's expectation of him by claiming he is here to get Town into the Championship. He did that with Barnsley and following a mediocre season and the sacking of Peter Jackson Ritchie hopes to do that with Town.

Ritchie knows that today's match will be difficult with the Lions still focused on the play-off's but a win today could be a fillip for not only the rest of the season but into next season as well giving the home support some hope and aspirations going into the summer break.

The new manager has said that the view of the board is the same as his view and is looking for a number of new faces in the summer as the hard work and his difficult task of rebuilding the playing staff kicks on. One plan of Ritchie is to add real pace into the side, something Terriers fans have been asking for during both transfer windows and Peter Jackson failed to deliver on.

Ritchie has called on his players to put in a performance today and be positive aiming for a victory as he recalls injured striker Gary Taylor-Fletcher who still easily leads the site's player of the season vote. Taylor-Fletcher will lead the attack aiming to add to his 11 goals this season - the last two months ago. It will be a Taylor-Fletcher Luke Beckett partnership for Town this afternoon with Andy Booth struggling through injury.

Andy Holdsworth should also return from injury.

Town have won just one of their last nine matches and Ritchie is planning on giving the home support something to celebrate by making that two in ten!

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Loan-player Frank Sinclair has seen his deal from Burnley extended. The defender who joined the Terriers in March is hoping for a contract in the summer having seeing his deal change following the mew management appointment.

Sinclair was given the contract that if he played nine matches for Town he would be given a contract in the summer, that as now changed to 12 matches.

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Former caretaker manager Gerry Murphy as been handed the prestigious title of "Director of Football Development". Murphy who has led the Academy excellently over the past few years will take full responsibility of taking Town juniors up to 21. Murphy will also have the reports produced on opponents and oversee scouting.

This appointment adds to the change in management level at Huddersfield Town and will add to the coaching and development of the younger players, many of whom have lost their way in recent years.

The new Mitre kit will feature a round neck collar, darker blue and thicker stripes and a more practical plain white back to ease identification of players names and numbers. The arms are plain blue. The crest will feature on a shield, with 'HTFC' on the back and the Thrice Championship stars proudly above the Town badge.

Shorts are the traditional white with blue trims whilst the socks are blue and white hoops featuring 'HTFC' and Mitre stitching and cool panel mechanism.

Retailing at around the £32 mark it will be available from June 30th but pre-orders can be made either by contacting the club or shopping online via the official website. Season ticket holders will be given priority and will also get a free gift. The Town retail staff hope that this new fresh design will appeal to supporters of all ages. The away strip is still to be announced.

The company that is planning to open it's doors on it's first land site later this year in Huddersfield have created a record shirt sponsorship deal for the football club to launch an exciting marketing campaign.

CasionRed.com that will replace Yorkshire Building Society from next season will also become the club's official online casino, betting and poker partner and looking forward to taking the "club forward".

The clubs director of Business Development Sean Jarvis commented on the deal on htafc.com "We are thrilled that we have secured an excellent deal with a dynamic national company operating in a growing industry".

CasionRed's chief executive Nicolas Boyes-Hunter is a local man and is hoping for a three year deal but as admitted that they will be "monitoring things closely". The new main club sponsors hope to enhance the matchday experience at the Galpharm Stadium and hope to increase attendance's for the club - of course the new manager has a big part to play in this as well.

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Ritchie who many believe was harshly sacked as Barnsley boss earlier this season guided the Tykes to play-off success last season knocking out the Terriers in the semi-final stage will be given funds to improve next season playing squad. The aim of appointment is simple, the Terriers board want success and Ritchie will not have a long time to prove his worth.

Ritchie takes over the position vacated by the sacking last month of Peter Jackson is aiming to play quality attacking football to bring back the stay away supporters to the Galpharm Stadium and shares the view of the board that Championship football is a must for a club of Town's size.

The 46 year old who was in the stands on Monday to watch the home defeat by Blackpool will have a tough job in turning around the fortunes of a club that so nearly secured promotion last season, but this as failed to deceive.

Potential was a factor in the former Manchester United striker joining the club and his roots in academy football at a West Yorkshire neighbour was clearly a factor that the Town board was impressed with when offering Ritchie the position after losing out last week on Phil Parkinson.

Ritchie had over 30 years as a playing career which spanned five clubs. It began in 1977 as an apprentice at Old Trafford and ended after a second spell with Oldham in 2001 where he player managed. In 573 appearances (plus a further 88 from the subs bench) he scored 210 goals.

As a manager Town his is third club having managed Oldham and Barnsley. In his 267 matches he has won 88, drawn 76 with 103 losses. Ritchie was sacked by Oldham after guiding them to the top position in the league and his former employees in South Yorkshire were approached prior to his sacking over his availability to take over the reigns at Sheffield Wednesday.

Andy Ritchie becomes the 32nd manager in the proud history of Huddersfield Town and should be first team boss for the centenary season in 2008.

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The match at Glanford Park on Saturday will be all ticket.

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After the disappointing of Phil Parkinson's u-turn last week Huddersfield Town will later this week announce that the other leading candidate Andy Ritchie will be the new man to replace Peter Jackson as first team manager.

It is understood that the former Barnsley manager was offered the position and has accepted. More news to follow on this later this week, so pleas keep checking the site for further details.

Mitre better known for their football's such as the legendary Delta and multiplex range return to football kit production with not only the Terriers kit but championship side Ipswich Town.

Mitre whose roots were founded in Huddersfield in 1817 as a leather tannery by Benjamin Crook, have a long standing reputation for producing quality sportswear and have been the leading name in ball manufacturing since 1949 having began production of balls in 1863 and they made the boots for a certain Dennis Law.

Mitre moved it's manufacturing plant from Huddersfield in 2001 after a 200-year association with the town after the Pentland group purchased the company and with it updated the 'Delta' logo and moved two years ago to Finchley and they continue to supply The Football League and The Scottish Premier League with balls.

The company now based in London will supply the kit until May 2011 and will feature merchandise as well as home and away kits, training and bench wear.

The new kit will be unveiled by the club on Monday April 16.

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On loan left back Andrew Taylor has been recalled by Premiership side Blackburn Rovers and returns to Ewood Park. Town 'keeper Paul Rachbuka who is on loan at Blackpool returns to the Galpharm Stadium after sustaining an hamstring injury that prematurely ends his season.

The board called a press conference for 09:30 BST this morning to announce the man who would replace Peter Jackson as manager of Huddersfield Town. But after a re-think Parkinson will not be that man after prior being shown around the facilities which impressed him and shaking hands on a deal.

Parkinson had told the Town board that he was accepting the position, but called late in the morning to say he had a re-think - Town chairman Ken Davy believes Charlton offered him a "significant" monetary increase to keep him at The Valley.

The club has called this a frustrating time and the search continues for the new manager of Huddersfield Town AFC. The club did not have chance to cancel the pre-arranged press call (a time agreed with Charlton) and vice chairman Andrew Watson as well as Davy was left to announce Parkinson's "change of heart".

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March 2007 news archived