Huddersfield Town A.F.C.

Huddersfield Town

Full name	Huddersfield Town Association Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Terriers
Founded	15 August 1908 (1908-08-15)
Ground	Kirklees Stadium
Capacity	24,500
Coordinates	53°39′15.0361″N 1°46′5.8605″W / 53.654176694°N 1.768294583°W / 53.654176694; -1.768294583Coordinates: 53°39′15.0361″N 1°46′5.8605″W / 53.654176694°N 1.768294583°W / 53.654176694; -1.768294583
Chairman	Dean Hoyle
Head Coach	David Wagner
League	Premier League
2017–18	Premier League, 16th of 20
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.

In 1926, Huddersfield became the first English club to win three successive league titles, a feat which only three other clubs have matched. The first two league titles were won under manager Herbert Chapman, who also led the club to the FA Cup in 1922. In the late 1950s the club was managed by Bill Shankly and featured Denis Law and Ray Wilson. Following relegation from the First Division in 1972, Huddersfield spent 45 years in the second, third and fourth tiers of English football, before returning to the top flight in 2017 under manager David Wagner.

Nicknamed The Terriers, the club plays in blue and white vertically-striped shirts and white shorts. They play their home games at the Kirklees Stadium.

History

Chart showing the progress of Huddersfield Town A.F.C. through the English football league system.

In 1910, just three years after being founded, Huddersfield entered the Football League for the first time. In November 1919 a fund-raising campaign was needed to avoid a move to Leeds. Citizens of Huddersfield were asked to buy shares in the club for £1 each, and the club staved off the proposed merger. The team went on to reach the 1920 FA Cup Final and win promotion to Division One.

In 1926, Huddersfield became the first English team to win three successive league titles – a feat that only three other clubs (Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United) have been able to match – under the leadership of legendary manager and pioneer Herbert Chapman and his successor Cecil Potter. Huddersfield Town also won the FA Cup and Charity Shield in 1922 and have been runners-up on four other occasions in the FA Cup. During the club's heyday in the 1920s and 1930s, on 27 February 1932 the club achieved a record attendance of 67,037 during their FA Cup 6th round tie against Arsenal at Leeds Road. This attendance has been bettered by only 13 other clubs in the history of the Football League.

After the Second World War, the club began a gradual decline, losing its First Division status in 1952. They came straight back up, but were relegated again three seasons later. Before the start of the 1969–70 season, Huddersfield Town adopted the nickname "The Terriers". They won the Second Division title that season, spending the next two seasons in the top flight. After that they moved up and down through the lower three divisions for 45 years.

In 1998, the club attracted the attention of local businessman Barry Rubery and, after protracted takeover talks, he took over the running of the club, promising significant investment as the club sought Premiership status. However, the club did not make it back to the top flight and fell two divisions. The club was sold by Rubery to David Taylor and under Taylor's ownership, slipped into administration. In the summer of 2003, the Terriers came out of administration under the new ownership of Ken Davy.

In 2010–11, Huddersfield went 43 games unbeaten, the second-highest in the league after Arsenal's 49-match run of 2003–04.

On 26 May 2012, following a penalty shoot-out in the 2012 Football League One play-off Final victory over Sheffield United, Huddersfield were promoted to the Championship. The shoot-out was the longest contested in the current League One play-offs format. After eleven rounds, the final score was 8–7 to Huddersfield, with the winning goal being scored by goalkeeper Alex Smithies.

In November 2015, German-born ex-US international David Wagner was appointed head coach, becoming the first person born outside the British Isles to manage the club in their 107-year history.

On 29 May 2017, the club successfully earned promotion to the Premier League for the first time (since the rebranding in 1992) and the English top flight for the first time since 1972, beating Reading 4–3 on penalties following a 0–0 draw after extra time in the Championship play-off Final.

On 9 May 2018, the club secured safety from relegation, earning another season in the Premier League, following a 1–1 draw against Chelsea.^[1]

Badge and colours

The club spent over five years debating what colour the kit should be. It ranged from salmon pink to plain white or all-blue to white with blue yoke. Eventually in 1913, the club adopted the blue-and-white jersey that remains to this day.

The club badge is based on the coat of arms of Huddersfield. Town first used a badge on its shirts for the 1920 FA Cup Final based on the local Huddersfield Corporation coat of arms. It appeared again with a Yorkshire Rose for the 1922 FA Cup Final and again for the finals of 1928, 1930 and 1938. The club's main colours (blue and white) are evident throughout the badge both in the mantling and in the shield, in the form of stripes. Two Yorkshire White Roses and Castle Hill form part of the history of the club and the area.

Town stuck with the same principal design (blue and white stripes) until 1966, when Scottish manager Tom Johnston introduced all-blue shirts. The next badge did not feature until the 1966–67 season, when the simple "HTFC" adorned the Town's all-blue shirts.

When the club adopted the nickname "The Terriers" for the 1969–70 season, the blue and white stripes returned and with it a red terrier with the words "The Terriers", just in time for their promotion to the big time, the First Division. The terrier sits on top of the crest with a ball on a blanket of blue and white stripes. The Terriers was introduced to the badge shortly after "The Terriers" was adopted as the nickname and mascot of the club.

After relegation to the Fourth Division, Town returned to all-blue shirts with the return of Tom Johnston in 1975. This time they only lasted two seasons and the return of simply "HTFC" badge. This lasted from 1975–1977. Stripes returned from the 1977–78 season and has been the club's home kit ever since. The red Terrier returned to the shirt for the 1978–79 season. In 1980, Town adopted what remains their badge today based on the coat of arms of Huddersfield. This is both the club badge and playing shirt badge and is held in high esteem by Town fans.

In 2000, Town changed badge to a circular design, but that was never popular and following a change of board, returned to the heraldic-style badge. The badge was further redeveloped with a small but significant adaptation in February 2005. The club took the decision to remove "A.F.C." from the text leaving only the wording 'Huddersfield Town'. The current board said that this was in keeping with the time and to make merchandise easier to produce and to make slicker looking promotional material.

Stadium

• Leeds Road (1908–1994)

Kirklees Stadium

• Kirklees Stadium (1994–present)
  • Named "Alfred McAlpine Stadium" (1994–2004)
  • Named "Galpharm Stadium" (2004–2012)
  • Named "John Smith's Stadium" (2012–present)

Huddersfield are the only team to have played at each of the top four levels of English football at two different grounds.^[2][3]

Rivals

Leeds United are considered to be the club's main rival, with Huddersfield having the better head-to-head record of the two teams. Huddersfield have won 32 of the 78 derbies between the two sides with 19 draws and 27 Leeds wins.^[4] Huddersfield's other local rivals are Bradford City; this is due to both clubs having had roughly the same league status for the last couple of decades and therefore it could be argued that they are closest rivals out of the three West Yorkshire teams.

There are smaller rivalries with Barnsley, Roses rivals Oldham Athletic and formerly with near neighbours Halifax Town. Manchester City were also once considered rivals during the time that the two clubs were competing in the old First Division.

Affiliated clubs

• Huddersfield Town Ladies F.C.
• Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Sponsors

Managers

Players

First-team squad

As of 9 August 2018^[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Jonas Lössl 2 DF Tommy Smith (captain) 5 DF Terence Kongolo 6 MF Jonathan Hogg 7 MF Juninho Bacuna 8 MF Philip Billing 9 FW Elias Kachunga 10 MF Aaron Mooy 11 FW Adama Diakhaby 12 GK Ben Hamer 14 MF Ramadan Sobhi 15 DF Chris Löwe 17 MF Rajiv van La Parra

No. Position Player 18 FW Isaac Mbenza (on loan from Montpellier) 19 MF Danny Williams 20 FW Laurent Depoitre 21 MF Alex Pritchard 23 FW Collin Quaner 24 FW Steve Mounié 25 DF Mathias Jørgensen 26 DF Christopher Schindler 27 DF Jon Gorenc Stanković 29 MF Abdelhamid Sabiri 31 GK Ryan Schofield 33 DF Florent Hadergjonaj 37 DF Erik Durm

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 13 GK Joel Coleman (on loan to Shrewsbury Town until 30 June 2019) — MF Jack Payne (on loan to Bradford City until 30 June 2019) — MF Lewis O'Brien (on loan to Bradford City until 30 June 2019)

No. Position Player — MF Regan Booty (on loan to Aldershot Town until 30 June 2019) — FW Rekeil Pyke (on loan to Wrexham until 30 June 2019)

Player achievements

Player of the Year (Hargreaves Memorial Trophy)

Year Winner 1975 Terry Dolan 1976 Terry Gray 1977 Kevin Johnson 1978 Mick Butler 1979 Alan Starling 1980 Malcolm Brown 1981 Mark Lillis 1982 Mick Kennedy 1983 David Burke 1984 Paul Jones 1985 David Burke 1986 Joey Jones 1987 Duncan Shearer 1988 Simon Trevitt 1989 Steve Hardwick

Year Winner 1990 Lee Martin 1991 Graham Mitchell 1992 Iwan Roberts 1993 Neil Parsley 1994 Steve Francis 1995 Ronnie Jepson 1996 Tom Cowan 1997 Tom Cowan 1998 Jon Dyson 1999 Nico Vaesen 2000 Jamie Vincent 2001 Craig Armstrong 2002 Leon Knight 2003 Martin Smith 2004 Jon Worthington

Year Winner 2005 Nathan Clarke 2006 Andy Booth 2007 David Mirfin 2008 Andy Holdsworth 2009 Gary Roberts 2010 Peter Clarke 2011 Peter Clarke 2012 Jordan Rhodes 2013 James Vaughan 2014 Adam Clayton 2015 Jacob Butterfield 2016 Nahki Wells 2017 Aaron Mooy 2018 Christopher Schindler

PFA Team of the Year

The following have been included in the PFA Team of the Year whilst playing for Huddersfield Town:

• 1975–76: Geoff Hutt (Fourth Division)
• 1976–77: Terry Poole (Fourth Division)
• 1979–80: Malcolm Brown, Ian Robins (Fourth Division)
• 1980–81: Malcolm Brown (Third Division)
• 1981–82: Malcolm Brown (Third Division)
• 1982–83: Malcolm Brown (Third Division)
• 1991–92: Simon Charlton, Chris Marsden, Iwan Roberts (Third Division)
• 1992–93: Simon Charlton (Division Two)
• 1994–95: Tom Cowan, Andy Booth (Division Two)
• 2003–04: Efe Sodje (Division Three)
• 2010–11: Anthony Pilkington (League One)
• 2011–12: Jack Hunt, Jordan Rhodes (League One)
• 2016–17: Aaron Mooy (Championship)

League history

• Division 2: 1910–11 – 1919–20
• Division 1: 1920–21 – 1951–52
• Division 2: 1952–53
• Division 1: 1953–54 – 1955–56
• Division 2: 1956–57 – 1969–70
• Division 1: 1970–71 – 1971–72
• Division 2: 1972–73
• Division 3: 1973–74 – 1974–75
• Division 4: 1975–76 – 1979–80
• Division 3: 1980–81 – 1982–83
• Division 2: 1983–84 – 1987–88
• Division 3: 1988–89 – 1991–92
• Division 2 (Third Tier): 1992–93 – 1994–95
• Division 1 (Second Tier): 1995–96 – 2000–01
• Division 2 (Third Tier): 2001–02 – 2002–03
• Division 3 (Fourth Tier): 2003–04
• League One (Third Tier): 2004–05 – 2011–12
• Championship (Second Tier): 2012–13 – 2016–17
• Premier League (First Tier): 2017–18 – 2018–19

Honours

Personnel

Coaching and medical staff

Position	Staff
Head Coach	David Wagner
Assistant Head Coach	Christoph Bühler
First Team Coach	Andrew Hughes
Sporting Director	Olaf Rebbe
Academy Manager	Steve Weaver
Head of Academy Recruitment	Vacant
Head of Goalkeeping	Paul Clements
Head of Strength & Conditioning	Dan Hughes
Head of Sports Science	John Iga
Physiotherapist	Ian Kirkpatrick
First Team Post Match Analyst	Chris West
First Team Opposition Analyst	Jansen Moreno[9]
U23 Manager	Mark Hudson
U18 Manager	Leigh Bromby
Assistant Academy Manager	Graham Yates
Head of Coaching	Vacant
Academy Physiotherapist	Jon Worthington
Player Liaison Officer	Mark Fagan

Last updated: 11 January 2018
Source: Who's Who

References

• "Huddersfield Town – 75 years on – A History of Huddersfield Town" by George S. Binns
• "Huddersfield Town – A Complete Record 1910–1990" ISBN 0-907969-64-X
• "Huddersfield Town – Champions of England 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26" by Jim Brown (published in 2003 by Desert Island Books)

Notes

External links

• Official website
• Supporters Trust
• HTAFC Patrons
• Huddersfield Town Blog