| Bob 70-71 Home
Latest
News
70-71
Teams
A-Z
Players
Search
the Site
FAQs
Quiz
Thirty
Years Ago!
Articles
Where
are they now?
Quizlet
Links
Guestbook
E-mail me
Chat
About
Bob 70-71
|
Caught In Time
Featured
in the back of the Sports section of the Sunday Times,
the Caught in Time
series features a picture of a famous team, offers a
profile of each player, and answers the question 'Where
are they now?'.
Promoted
Huddersfield join the big time, 1970
by Derek
Clements
Every so
often, a manager moulds a team that clicks. Sometimes it
can be the start of something big, but all too often it's
a fleeting moment, gone before the fans can raise their
hopes too high as hard-pressed chairmen are forced to
sell the jewels to balance the books. And so it was with
Huddersfield Town. A club with a rich history, they had
beer, a locomotive and a cargo ship named after them in
the 1920s. But by the time the Beatles came along,
Huddersfield couldn't give their name away.
That all changed in the 1969-70 season. Huddersfield were
languishing in the Second Division, under the managership
of Ian Greaves (Huddersfield Town manager), who had arrived in
1968; there was little to suggest he could succeed where
many others had failed.
But then a funny thing happened. As the 1969-70 season
progressed. Huddersfield found themselves in exclusive
company, notwithstanding a defeat in the third round of
the FA Cup at the hands of Aldershot, of the Fourth
Division. The turning point came when they lost to
Millwall — after that, they went undefeated during
their final nine games and were promoted as champions.
Sadly, it didn't last. Before they knew it, they were
plumbing the depths of the Fourth Division.
Their star was a young striker with a passion for Elvis
Presley. If his passions had ended there, the Frank
Worthington story might have had a different ending, but
he could give George Best a run for his money on all
fronts. A self-confessed womantser (he once seduced a
Swedish teenager and her mother) and party animal, he
later admitted using dope and cocaine.
The club wasted little time cashing in on its prized
asset. With Worthington went any lingering hopes
Huddersfield might have had for a long-term future in the
big time. Greaves would go on to manage Bolton, Oxford,
Wolves and Mansfield. Aged 72, he lives in retirement in
Bolton,
He singles out Worthington as the player who made the
difference. "Frank was brilliant. I had him twice
— once as a kid at Huddersfield and when I took him
from Leicester to Bolton with me. He was spot-on. Before
I took over as manager of Huddersfield, I remember seeing
him sweeping up with the ground staff. One day he came
in, wearing a pair of boots to have a kick-about. I said.
'What are you doing?' 'I am going to play for England',
he replied. He must have been only 15 at the time, but 1
never doubted him.
"He did not do himself justice. He should have done
more. He was a lazy player, but very, very skilful. Very
flamboyant. With a little bit more mental application, he
would have played for England for many years. It was not
all wasted, though, because he did a great job for me at
Bollon."
1 Ray Mielczarek (Huddersfield Town)
Central defender signed from Wrexham, played just 26
games for Huddersfield, scoring a solitary goal, before
moving to Roihcrham United. He won one Wales cap before
his career was ended by injury, after which he worked in
security. He then trained as a driving instructor and,
aged 59, drives an ambulance in Wrexham
2 Steve Smith (Huddersfield
Town)
Local boy who began his career with the club in 1964. He
played 342 games and scored 30 goals, before spells with
Bolton and Halifax. Returned to Leeds Road, where he
filled several roles, including chief scout, youth
manager, reserve manager and eventually manager. Saved
club from relegation, but was sacked to make way for
Malcolm MacDonald. He works for the Premier League
3 Dennis Clarke (Huddersfield
Town)
Signed from West Brom, full-back Clarke played 172 games
for the Terriers before moving to Birmingham City. The
Stockton-bom 57-year-old is a partner in a property
company and lives in Birmingham
4 Roy Ellam (Huddersfield
Town)
Centre-half who spent his career in Yorkshire. Signed
from Bradford and played 224 games before joining Leeds,
later returning to Huddersfield. Now 62, he was last
heard of working as a pub landlord. (See update.)
5 David Lawson (Huddersfield Town)
The goalkeeper played 51 games for Huddersfield before
being spotted by Everton, where he spent five years,
before a brief stint at Luton and three years at
Slockport County, for whom he played 106 times. Now aged
57, he is semi-retired and fives in the Midlands
6 Terry Poole (Huddersfield
Town)
First-choice keeper signed from Manchester United and
played 207 games for Town, ending his career with Bolton.
He became manager of a cash-and-carry video whole-
saler near Chesterfield, the town of his birth, and at 55
lives in Yorkshire
7 Dick Krzywicki (Huddersfield Town)
The winger was born in Penly in Wales and played 47 times
for Huddersfield, scoring seven goals. He had spells at
West Brom, Scunthorpe, Northampton Town and Lincoln City
and won eight caps. Works in engineering and coaches
youngsters
8 Trevor Cherry (Huddersfield Town)
Cherry established himself at Leeds, with whom he would
win 27 caps. A quality defender with a habit of scoring
important goals, he played 680 games for Huddersfield,
Leeds and Bradford City, scoring 36 times. He was a
Huddersfield director until 2002. Aged 57, he runs a
sports promotions company in the town
9 Brian Greenhalgh (Huddersfield Town)
Much travelled forward, born in Chesterfield, who played
only 1 5 games for Town. His career look in 245 games and
77 goals for Preston, Asion Villa, Leicester, Cambridge
United, Bournemouth. Torquay and Watford. The 58-year-old
is a scout, having worked for Everton and Watford
10 Frank Worthington (Huddersfield Town)
Just 21 during the promotion season, but he clearly had
something special. Also played for Leicester, Bolton,
Birmingham, Leeds, Sunderland. Southampton, Brighton,
Tran-mere, Preston and Stockport. Played more than 800
games, scoring more than 250 goals and winning eight
caps. Ac 56, he is in demand as an after-dinner speaker
11 Jimmy Lawson (Huddersfield
Town)
Winger who also played for Middlesbrough and Halifax,
Lawson enjoyed scoring goals, notching 42 in 245 games
for the club. Works for a company that makes fork lift
trucks
12 Jimmy McGill (Huddersfield
Town)
Gritty midfielder whose career also took him to Arsenal,
Hull Ciiy and Halifax Town. After hanging up his boots he
became a welder
13 Jimmy Nicholson (Huddersfield Town)
Born in Belfast, Nicholson joined Manchester United in
1960 and was signed by Huddersfield four years later. The
mid-fielder remained with the club for 10 years and
played 281 league games for them, scoring 25 goals. He
won 41 Northern Ireland caps, finishing his career at
Bury. Aged 62. he manages a sports centre in Sale
14 Bob Hoy (Huddersfield
Town)
Hoy was a winger who also played for Blackburn Rovers. He
shocked colleagues by quitting the game in his late
twenties to become a nightclub singer working the
Yorkshire circuit
15 Colin Dobson (Huddersfield
Town)
Middlesbrough-born winger who started 1961 with Sheffield
Wednesday before joining Huddersfield, for whom he played
155 games, scoring 50 goals. Also played for Brighton and
Bristol Rovers. Now aged 65, he is Stoke City's chief
scoul
16 Geoff Hutt (Huddersfield
Town)
The full-hack spent most of his career with Huddersfield,
for whom he played 245 games. Also had spells with
Blackburn Rovers, York City and Halifax Town. Aged 55, he
became a delivery driver for a greetings card firm
From The
Sunday Times 15 May 2005, p. 26
Sports Section.
Return to
the Caught In Time Index
Thanks to
Paul Gilespie for sending this article to me.
|
|
