1969–70 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season explained

Season:1969–70
League Result:1st (promoted)
Cup1 Result:Third round
Cup2 Result:Second round
League Topscorer:Frank Worthington (18)
Season Topscorer:Frank Worthington (19)
Highest Attendance:30,907 vs Sheffield United (26 December 1969)
Lowest Attendance:10,206 vs Bristol City (30 August 1969)
Largest Win:4–0 vs Charlton Athletic (11 October 1969)
4–0 vs Portsmouth (15 November 1969)
Largest Loss:1–4 vs Aston Villa (8 October 1969)
Nextseason:1970–71

Huddersfield Town's 1969–70 campaign saw Town crowned as champions of Division 2. They outclassed the rest of the division and finished 7 points clear of 2nd placed Blackpool. Town's team were largely unchanged for most of the season, with 7 members of the team (Dennis Clarke, Roy Ellam, Geoff Hutt, Jimmy McGill, Jimmy Nicholson, Terry Poole and Frank Worthington) played every league match that season. They gained promotion to the 1st Division for the first time since the 1955-56 season.

Review

Following a successful end to the previous season, many were hoping that Town could possibly mount a serious promotion challenge to Division 1. A good start to the season followed with 3 wins from the first 3 games against Oxford United, Aston Villa and Preston North End. A loss at Leeds Road against Blackburn Rovers would be Town's only home defeat of the season, but following another loss against Queens Park Rangers saw Town stumble slightly, but they then went on a run of 1 loss in 13 matches, which saw Town climb to the summit of the table in November, but an indifferent spell in December saw Town slip to third by the end of the yeay, which then saw Town only lose one more league match during the season.

Amongst the impressive statistics from the season, Town used only 15 players during the league season and 7 of them (Clarke, Ellam, Hutt, McGill, Nicholson, Poole and Worthington) played every match. Town clinched promotion with a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough, which was followed up by a 2-0 win at Blackburn Rovers, which clinched the title, the first trophy they had won since winning the Division 1 title for the third time, back in 1926. They finished the season 60 points, 7 clear of 2nd placed Blackpool.

Results

Division Two

DateOpponentsHome/
Away
Result
F - A
ScorersAttendancePosition
9 August 1969Oxford UnitedA2 - 1Cherry, Dobson9,8978th
16 August 1969Aston VillaH2 - 0Hoy, Worthington13,3642nd
19 August 1969Preston North EndH3 - 2Hoy, Worthington, Cranston (og)13,0502nd
23 August 1969Sheffield UnitedA0 - 022,5283rd
26 August 1969Blackburn RoversH0 - 115,4865th
30 August 1969Bristol CityH3 - 0Hoy, Bush (og), Dobson10,2063rd
6 September 1969Queens Park RangersA2 - 4McGill, Worthington18,7466th
13 September 1969BlackpoolH2 - 0Dobson (2, 1 pen)10,5756th
17 September 1969WatfordA1 - 1Clarke17,5483rd
20 September 1969Leicester CityA1 - 1McGill24,5524th
27 September 1969Bolton WanderersH1 - 0Dobson12,3264th
4 October 1969Carlisle UnitedA2 - 0Nicholson, Dobson9,7124th
8 October 1969Aston VillaA1 - 4Lawson23,1925th
11 October 1969Charlton AthleticH4 - 0McGill, Worthington, Lawson, Ellam10,4144th
18 October 1969MiddlesbroughH0 - 012,2694th
25 October 1969Hull CityA3 - 2Worthington (2), Hoy11,3752nd
1 November 1969MillwallH0 - 014,1581st
8 November 1969Norwich CityA2 - 1Hoy, Dobson13,6461st
10 November 1969Preston North EndA3 - 1Worthington (2), Lawson12,7501st
15 November 1969PortsmouthH4 - 0Hutt, Hoy, Dobson, Cherry12,5641st
22 November 1969Swindon TownA1 - 2Worthington19,2791st
6 December 1969Birmingham CityA2 - 2Worthington, Hoy24,9562nd
13 December 1969BlackpoolA0 - 212,5873rd
26 December 1969Sheffield UnitedH2 - 1Smith (2)30,9073rd
27 December 1969Bristol CityA2 - 1Smith, Worthington20,5411st
17 January 1970Bolton WanderersA1 - 1McGill14,2722nd
20 January 1970Queens Park RangersH2 - 0Worthington (2)21,6991st
24 January 1970Cardiff CityH1 - 0Nicholson21,7881st
31 January 1970Carlisle UnitedH1 - 0Smith17,3701st
7 February 1970Charlton AthleticA2 - 1Nicholson, Worthington10,9641st
21 February 1970Norwich CityH1 - 1Clarke16,0601st
24 February 1970Oxford UnitedH1 - 0Dobson (pen)17,4811st
28 February 1970MillwallA0 - 111,9811st
10 March 1970Leicester CityH1 - 1Worthington20,9651st
14 March 1970Cardiff CityA1 - 0Harris (og)26,0041st
21 March 1970Birmingham CityH2 - 0Lawson (2)18,5021st
24 March 1970Swindon TownH1 - 1Krzywicki24,8541st
28 March 1970PortsmouthA3 - 1Worthington, Krzywicki, Ellam17,3261st
30 March 1970Hull CityH2 - 2Smith, Cherry26,0461st
31 March 1970MiddlesbroughA1 - 1Smith27,5191st
4 April 1970Blackburn RoversA2 - 0Worthington (2)15,1251st
14 April 1970WatfordH3 - 1Krzywicki (2), Lawson27,9161st
DateRoundOpponentsHome/
Away
Result
F - A
ScorersAttendance
3 January 1970Round 3AldershotH1 - 1Smith16,757
12 January 1970Round 3 ReplayAldershotA1 - 3Worthington14,332

Appearances and goals

NameNationPositionLeague AppsLeague GoalsFA Cup AppsFA Cup GoalsLeague Cup AppsLeague Cup GoalsTotal AppsTotal Goals
Les ChapmanMF2 (8)010003 (8)0
Trevor CherryDF4032000423
Dennis ClarkeDF4222010452
Colin DobsonFW3191010339
Roy EllamDF4221010442
Brian GreenhalghFW50000050
Bobby HoyMF2870010297
Geoff HuttDF4212010451
Dick KrzywickiMF5 (1)400005 (1)4
Jimmy LawsonMF38 (2)6201041 (2)6
Jimmy McGillMF4242000444
Ray MielczarekDF00101020
Jimmy NicholsonMF4232010453
Terry PooleGK4202010450
Steve SmithMF19 (4)5211022 (4)6
Frank WorthingtonFW421821104519