[Archived] Huddersfield Town 3-1 FT

[Modi]

Travel back in time and you’ll discover an interesting fact about the teams facing off at Ewood on Wednesday 21st September, both clubs were the first “threepeaters” in the top two football competitions. Rovers were the first team to win the FA Cup three times running, whilst Huddersfield Town hold the honour of the being the first team to win the league three years in a row.

However, this is the League Cup and fortunes have not been as kind historically to the two teams. Whilst Rovers had a memorable win against Spurs in 2002, last season they suffered a forgettable loss at the first hurdle to lowly Bournemouth. Town, on the other hand have never won the League Cup (their best performance was in 1967/68 when they reached the semis) and they lost to local rivals Leeds in the first round in 2004/05.

BRFCS.com looked hard and long to try and find an expert on Huddersfield Town matters, but had to settle on Chris Rowan a life-long supporter of the Terriers. He also has the great honour to sit about 5 ft away from Modi’s desk in Halifax.

*****************

M: Hello Christopher and thank you for agreeing to take part in this discussion on the forthcoming Blackburn Rovers vs Huddersfield Town Carling Cup match.

C: This discussion is now participated in under protest (see above paragraph). Hello.

M: First off, how do you think this years going? It doesn’t look like it’s a season that is one of merely survival for your boys.

C: As we head towards October the first few games have offered us some encouraging enlightenment towards how things might pan out for the rest of the season. We're looking solid at home, apart from a 'blip' against Scunthorpe, though we were suffering from the curse of fatal death - the manager of the month award! We are looking useful away from home too, picking up a win at Doncaster, when we didn't play particularly well and having a comfortable win away at Oldham, both of which are places we have generally struggled at in recent visits. We're sitting in 4th place as I write these notes and still feel there's a lot more to come from Town, especially in terms of some of the key players we have to come back from injuries.

M: Would you say that the teams fortunes have been regenerated since Peter Jackson came back a couple of years ago?

C: Regenerated is certainly an apt way of putting things, we were dead on our knees, on the brink of liquidation, with no season tickets sold and a professional playing squad of eight, just days before the Division 3 (now League 2) season kicked off. Jacko has steered us full circle since those days and after a promotion via the play-off's in his first year, narrowly missing the play off's last year, we're now firmly on the promotion hunt again this season.

M: But don’t you think it’s odd your manager makes the man of the match award at Ewood each week?

C: Do I detect an element of jest in this question? So long as it's one of Peter Jackson's blue and white gems that is man of the match and not one of your sponsors selections, that will hopefully point towards a successful crusade across to the wrong side of the Pennines for the Terriers.

M: Moving onto the match, which Town players will grip Rovers in a hand of fear? Do you have any deadly assassins in front of goal, for example?

C: It can't have escaped any opposing team's attentions that we have Pawel Abbot banging the goals away up front. Pav has picked up from where he left off last season and already has seven goals to his credit this time round. Pav is like a robot, in that what chances you give him he will score. He isn't work-shy either in that he is never prepared to give up the chase on lost causes and create something out of nothing. Sadly I think we are yet to settle on a suitable and consistent partner for him, we have Taylor-Fletcher, a recent summer recruit from Lincoln who seems to need five chances before putting one away. Of course there is local folk hero Andy Booth who seems to play three, miss ten, play three, miss ten - through injury these days, he is always an ariel threat to any opposition, although more in terms of the creation of chances rather than in their execution. The whole team has a very young average age, probably around 23 and with many of the first team home grown products, if we can keep them together for the foreseeable future, then we could have some interesting times on the horizon.

M: One former player who will no doubt be kicking himself for missing the match is Jon Stead who rose through the ranks at Huddersfield, then joined Rovers before there was a parting of the ways in the summer. Do you miss Steady?

C: Steady, for me personally, isn't missed. I think Jacko conducted some excellent business in replacing Stead with Pawel Abbott. For me Stead would always try and do too much on the ball (although the same could be said of Pav!) For me Steady only had one trick, lashing in a 20 yard shot - OK so it's a useful trick to have, but I prefer Abbott's all round game. Jon would no doubt have found this cup tie the greatest show in the galaxy had he still been a Rovers player, but it looks like Town, Rovers and Steady have all moved on now, good luck to him at Sunderland this season, it looks like they will need it!

M: How much do you know about the players at Ewood or is it a mission into the unknown?

C: I remember, what was it - twelve years ago or so... when Rovers won the Premiership and I could have probably named half of the people involved at the club. Now I would struggle to name half of your starting eleven. I don't tend to watch too much Match of the Day; I only concentrate on the important leagues! So to answer your question, I don’t know too much about the players at Ewood. Had I approached this interview in a professional manner then I would have looked your squad up online but, bah – that’s too much effort to go to. Lets see how many I can name without looking: Brad Friedel?, Robbie Savage, that striker from Ipswich who’s name I know but just can’t even begin to try and spell (ex-Sheff Weds too), Oh yeah, Tugay, hmmm struggling now… has Mark Hughes retired yet? Actually that brings me to another point, I expect nothing but a battlefield on the pitch, Mark Hughes was a dirty player on the odd occasion I witnessed him live, and I understand there’s something of a disciplinary cloud lurking over Rovers at the moment? One thing Town have done well is kept their discipline this season. That said Efe Sodje (Offie Sodje!) is now wearing a green and white bandana for Yeovil instead of a blue and white one for Town.

M: Some clubs have criticised Rovers robust style of play and act as if World War Three has broken out. Are you aware of this, and can your team take a good kicking?

C: Oops! See above. To expand on the topic though, yes we do seem to be able to take a good kicking, elbowing or whatever else anyone has thrown at us this season. I think we have had five players at least dismissed on opposing teams to us this season, so we’re quite used to it. None of the dismissals teams have suffered against us could be really complained about either; they’ve all been for raised hands in a players face or a raised elbow etc. My advice is put £5 on Rovers to finish without the full compliment of players! So let the war games continue - we seem to fair quite well.

M: It’s often said that the crowd at a football match can be like a 12th man. With pretty poor attendances at Blackburn, I think it unlikely for there to be more than 8,000 there on Wednesday. Will playing an almost invisible enemy help the Terriers?

C: It could well inspire the Terriers, though I think trying to prove themselves against Premiership opposition should be incentive enough. Ewood Park is a decent enough ground to visit these days, allowing for one side which is in a state of decay, it’s a shame we haven’t met a few rounds down the line and there might have been more interest from both sides.

M: The last time the two clubs met was in 2001 when Rovers won 2-0 on Easter Monday. Rovers were promoted that year, Town relegated. Do you see this match as the chance to exorcise any daemons?

C: Well it’s always nice to win a game, regardless of past results, I knew we lost the last time we met, but I couldn’t have told you the score – I don’t think Town would perceive Blackburn as the enemy of the world, despite the way our seasons both panned out.

M: Whilst it wouldn’t be the end of the world for Rovers to lose, fans would prefer not to go out as they did against Bournemouth last year. What do you think the scoreline will be?

C: 1-0 to Town, with Danny Schofield scoring with his left foot from 26.3 yards out, on the left hand side of the penalty box, in open play, in the 16th minute of the first half, following a fracas between Robbie Savage and Terry Yorath on the touchline (some kind of Welsh thing). Oh and the attendance will be 10683 with 1453 supporting the Terriers.

M: Thank you Christopher. Best of luck for the rest of the season and I hope Huddersfield Town becomes a Boom Town. Any final comments?

C: Meglos!

[Martin]

Excellent preview Modi.

I fear Bournemouth all over again.

I hope the fans will snap up the excellently priced tickets and we'll see 12,000 there. Here's hoping.........

Oh yes, and Jansen to score - the perfect stage for his second/third/fourth coming.

[greggyk]

always hated Huddersfield after that time they beat us 3-2 when we came back from 2-0 down only for them lot to score in last minuite.

I think it was at that point that it finally hit me how badly things had gone wrong in only a few short years.

Oh and yes, a good preview Modi. They all seem to be good nowdays though

[den]

Had some good strikers in the past, have Huddersfield. Law, Worthington and, as some rovers fans will remember, Alan Gilliver.

Your mate heard of them, Modi?

[1864roverite]

Huddersfield to feel the force of the Ewood Youth

3-0 Rovers, 8900 crowd

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

2-0 Rovers... Bellamy to cause havoc!!

8,500

[Ianrally]

Had some good strikers in the past, have Huddersfield. Law, Worthington and, as some rovers fans will remember, Alan Gilliver.

Your mate heard of them, Modi?

347413[/snapback]

What a memory Den lad. The one and only Denis the menace Law. I wonder how many folks will know who the manager of Town was when Denis started at Leeds Road?

Great peview as always. We are truly blessed on this site with excellent previews.

[Modi]

I think anyone who knows anything about footie has heard of Law & Worthington (so that probably rules Chris out!!!)

My barber is 70 and he *entertains* me with stories of yesteryear at Leeds Road. If we draw Town in the FA Cup, I'll try and get him to do an interview as well!

[jim mk2]

What a memory Den lad. The one and only Denis the menace Law. I wonder how many folks will know who the manager of Town was when Denis started at Leeds Road?

347434[/snapback]

Herbert Chapman ?

Or more likely Bill Shankly.

[den]

Shankley's my bet.

[den]

I often think we should have a forum called "codgers corner", where all the old git's can disappear for an hour or two.

I can imagine all the old timers, - Theno, Me, Jim, Billy, Whittle blue, Dave Birch, Paul, Bazza and a few more [candidates please], can go and spend a quiet hour or two, reminiscing and dozing.

[AggyBlue]

I take it you've not grown up yet Den Does your Mum know you visit this forum

[SAS]

should be a win

3-1 rovers

should also be over 10k attendence

[Mike Graham]

I often think we should have a forum called "codgers corner", where all the old git's can disappear for an hour or two.

I can imagine all the old timers, - Theno, Me, Jim, Billy, Whittle blue, Dave Birch, Paul, Bazza and a few more [candidates please], can go and spend a quiet hour or two, reminiscing and dozing.

347479[/snapback]

Oooh may I join "The Codgers Corner" please...it could be a section within the BRISA perhaps?

8,350

1-v-0

[MCMC1875]

3-0

4,179

+ 329 stewards

+ 87 catering/bar

+ 11 programme sellers (extremely well hidden/disguised as usual)

+ 7 Ladbrokes

[pick32]

4-0 rovers

kuqix2

jansen

johnson

attendance 11200

[SouthAussieRover]

Rovers 3 Huddersfield 0

Attendance 9,001

Get that codgers forum formed then you and those you name can depress each other to your hearts content

Edited September 17, 2005 by SouthAussieRover

[American]

Rovers 3 Newcastle 2

Attendance 19,001

Get that codgers forum formed then you and those you name can depress each other to your hearts content

347530[/snapback]

Wrong thread. Though I would find 19,001 impressive for a mid-week league cup match.

[SouthAussieRover]

So would I American

Den, put me down for that old codgers corner as me eyesights failing.

[Paul]

I often think we should have a forum called "codgers corner", where all the old git's can disappear for an hour or two.

I can imagine all the old timers, - Theno, Me, Jim, Billy, Whittle blue, Dave Birch, Paul, Bazza and a few more [candidates please], can go and spend a quiet hour or two, reminiscing and dozing.

347479[/snapback]

[BRFC4EVA]

Decieded to go to this one and put my money into Blackburn, rather than go to bolton (as Paul once advised me) last weekend. I hope its a good win, after all, that would be great value for money considering im paying £5 for a ticket

Edited September 17, 2005 by BRFC4EVA

[Paul]

Well I've been chewing it over and I really have to go. In fact I think this could be more fun than some PL fixtures. It's the cup, no replay so both sides have to go for a win, the boys want to go on the BBE so that settles it.

Staying away is just impossible, though I'd be sweating if it was more than a tenner.

[den]

So would I American

Den, put me down for that old codgers corner as me eyesights failing.

347539[/snapback]

You've got to have more than your eyesight failing, to join us. Haven't you Paul.

[Paul]

I only need glasses for reading - trouble is it's for my own hand-writing these days

[Fife Rover]

What a memory Den lad. The one and only Denis the menace Law. I wonder how many folks will know who the manager of Town was when Denis started at Leeds Road?

Great peview as always. We are truly blessed on this site with excellent previews.

347434[/snapback]

My memory is getting bad these days, but could it have been Bill Shankly?