Opponent Bio: Huddersfield

Huddersfield Town Athletic Football Club was founded in 1908 and much of its success came in the clubs early years. The Club moved into its full-time stadium, Leeds Road, in 1908 and soon joined the Football League. After the first World War, the club nearly collapsed due to loss of income and was saved by investment from it's supporters.  Without this, the club would have moved to Leeds. In the first season after the War, the club achieved promotion by finishing second behind Tottenham Hotspur.  Huddersfield Town also made its first FA Cup final appearance.

In the 1920's Huddersfield Town went from strength to strength under the management of firstly Herbert Chapman and later Cecil Potter and in 1922 they secured their first silverware with an FA Cup final win over Preston North End. The club also went on to win the First Division in 1924 and would retain the title in 1925 and 1926, one of only four clubs to retain the title for three seasons with our beloved Bolton Wanderers coming third in 1925.

This would really be as good as it got (so far) for the Yorkshire club,  the outbreak of the Second World War changed the picture of English Football and when the league was resumed, the club could not maintain it's success. Huddersfield Town dramatically slumped until it's subsequent relegation in 1952 under the management of Andy Beattie, who had taken over from the Board of Directors late on within that season. Beattie left Huddersfield in 1956 and was succeeded by managerial great Bill Shankly. Shankly slowly rebuilt at Huddersfield and gradually improved their final position with each season.  His work had not gone unnoticed however, and he left to join Liverpool in 1959.  He would become one of football's iconic managers and a true working class hero.

Huddersfield would continue to compete in the Second Tier until 1970, when Ian Greaves led them to promotion by winning the Second Division by 7 points over Crystal Palace.  Greaves kept Huddersfield in the top flight for two seasons before being relegated twice in a row which, unsurprisingly, saw him leave the club. This would be Huddersfield's last entry into the top flight.

The modern Huddersfield Town has competed mainly in the second and third tier, with one year spent in the fourth. Notably, under the management of Lee Clark during the 2011-2012 season, the club embarked on a 43 game unbeaten run but fell narrowly short on Promotion to the Championship.  This success was aided in no small measure by the goals of Jordan Rhodes. 

The following season, under the guidance of former Leeds United manager Simon Grayson (after a cruel sacking of Lee Clark with Huddersfield still competing at the higher end of the League One table) they did achieve the promotion they craved with an enthralling League One Play-Off Final win that was settled with an 8-7 penalty shoot-out. After promotion and with Huddersfield Town struggling, Grayson was sacked and replaced Mark Robins, who successfully steered The Terriers to safety and brings his Huddersfield side to the Reebok on Tuesday night.

TRIVIA:

Huddersfield Town and Bolton Wanderers were supposed to meet in the 1926 Charity Shield Final, however the FA favoured an Amateurs vs. Professionals tie.  The match standard was so poor  and poorly attended the FA reverted back to the FA Cup winner vs. First Division winner format and only once used the previous format again.

MAJOR HONOURS:

League Champions: 1924, 1925, 1926

FA Cup: 1922

FA Charity Shield: 1922

STATS (LEAGUE):

FORM: LWLLL

GOALS: James Vaughan 10

ASSISTS: Adam Hammill  7

DISCIPLINE: James Vaughan 2 Yellow 1 Red

SHOTS: James Vaughan 21 (20 On Target / 1 Woodwork)