Today I'm going back 42 years to 1979 and York City's visit to Leeds Road, Huddersfield to play Huddersfield Town in a Fourth Division fixture. Just look at that programme cover! It's very much of its time and a snip at just 20 pence. The cover is a bit marmite I suspect. You'll either love the retro look or despair at the dreadful turquoise photographic negative style that is more reminiscent of Top of the Pops than West Yorkshire. Guess which camp I'm in!
This was my second of three visits to Leeds Road for a Huddersfield Town match and I never saw the Terriers lose a match there. Leeds Road was used by Town from 1908 until 1994 when it was replaced by the brand new state of the art Kirklees Stadium (known more familiarly as the McAlpine, Galpharm or John Smiths Stadium in recognition of the stadium sponsors). Leeds Road was yet another one that was originally designed and developed by the architect Archibald Leitch who I have mentioned previously (search for his name in my blog). Leeds Road was demolished shortly after the new stadium was opened and has since been redeveloped into a retail park with the location of the original centre spot being marked by a plaque in the car park of a B&Q. Town are not the sole owners of their new stadium having to share ownership with the Huddersfield Giants Rugby League club as well as Kirklees Council and that prevents the football club from making changes to the stadium without the approval of the other owners. The new stadium is probably the finest of the first wave of new stadium builds in England and the sweeping curves of the four stand rooves are in keeping with the dramatic Pennine backdrop. The new stadium looks as handsome today as it did when it first opened 27 years ago.
This was only York's fourth ever League visit to Huddersfield with the two sides rarely finding themselves in the same Division down the years. Invariably York were the poor relation of the two and so it was something of a pleasant experience to see York come away with a point from this game. In front of a healthy crowd of 7,847, the two sides played out an exciting 2-2 draw with both of Huddersfield's goals being scored by Dave Cowling, one of which was a penalty. Former club physiotherapist Mick Buxton was in his first full season as manager of Town.
York's result looks all the better when you consider that the 1979/80 season was a glorious one for Huddersfield. The Terriers ended it as Fourth Division Champions, the last time that they won a Divisional title, scoring 101 goals along the way, the only time that they have exceeded 100 in a season in their entire history. York finished the season well off the pace in 17th place (out of 24)
CRB Match No. 61
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