1974–75 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season

Huddersfield Town's 1974–75 campaign saw Town relegated to the 4th Division for the first time in the club's history. Following Ian Greaves' resignation at the end of the previous season, Bobby Collins took charge at Leeds Road, but couldn't stop Town's alarming slide to Division 4. Town finished bottom of the table, 6 points from safety and 5 points from 2nd bottom team Watford.

Huddersfield Town
1974–75 season
Chairman Stanley Kinder
Keith Longbottom
Manager Bobby Collins
Division Three24th (relegated)
FA CupFirst Round
Football League CupSecond Round
Top goalscorerLeague:
Alan Gowling (17)

All:
Alan Gowling (19)
Highest home attendance15,013 vs Leeds United (10 September 1974)
Lowest home attendance2,455 vs Aldershot (22 April 1975)

Squad at the start of the season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
-- GK  ENG Terry Poole
-- GK  ENG Dick Taylor
-- DF  ENG Roy Ellam
-- DF  ENG Paul Garner
-- DF  ENG Peter Hart
-- DF  ENG Geoff Hutt
-- DF  ENG Brian Marshall
-- DF  ENG Grahame McGifford
-- DF  ENG John Saunders
-- MF  ENG Les Chapman
-- MF  ENG Terry Dolan
-- MF  ENG Martin Fowler
-- MF  ENG Bobby Hoy
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF  ENG Lloyd Maitland
-- MF  ENG Graham Pugh
-- MF  ENG Steve Smith
-- MF  ENG Steve Spriggs
-- FW  ENG John Dungworth
-- FW  EIR Mick Fairclough
-- FW  ENG Franny Firth
-- FW  ENG Alan Gowling
-- FW  ENG Terry Gray
-- FW  ENG Jimmy Lawson
-- FW  ENG Bob Newton
-- FW  ENG Phil Summerill

Review

Following Ian Greaves' resignation at the end of the previous season, Town hired ex-Leeds United player and Scotland international Bobby Collins in his first managerial post. Following mid-table mediocrity the previous season, Town were hoping for a good start to mount a serious promotion challenge. But the start of the season saw Town lose 6 of their opening 8 league games. They then went on a 6-match unbeaten run, but that would be as good as it got for Town for the rest of the season. Even the 17 goals of Alan Gowling, the top scorer from the previous 2 seasons couldn't help Town's alarming slide.

In January 1975, ex-manager Tom Johnston was brought in as General Manager to help his fellow countryman, but even he couldn't change Town's fortunes as the team only won 4 out of their 22 games in 1975. Therefore, Town got relegated to Division 4 for the first time in their history. They also became the first team to win the 1st Division and play in the bottom tier of the Football League. They finished 24th with only 32 points, 5 behind Watford and Tranmere Rovers. 33 different players were used during the season, a record that would stand until the 1996–97 season.

Squad at the end of the season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
-- GK  ENG Terry Poole
-- GK  ENG Dick Taylor
-- DF  ENG Paul Garner
-- DF  ENG Peter Hart
-- DF  ENG Geoff Hutt
-- DF  ENG Brian Marshall
-- DF  ENG Grahame McGifford
-- DF  ENG John Saunders
-- MF  ENG Les Chapman
-- MF  ENG Terry Dolan
-- MF  ENG Martin Fowler
-- MF  ENG Bobby Hoy
-- MF  ENG Lloyd Maitland
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF  ENG Brian O'Neil
-- MF  ENG Steve Smith
-- MF  ENG Steve Spriggs
-- FW  ENG John Dungworth
-- FW  ENG Barry Endean
-- FW  EIR Mick Fairclough
-- FW  ENG Franny Firth
-- FW  ENG Colin Garwood
-- FW  ENG Alan Gowling
-- FW  ENG Terry Gray
-- FW  ENG Jimmy Lawson
-- FW  SCO Billy McGinley
-- FW  ENG Bob Newton

Results

Division Three

Date Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance Position
17 August 1974 Peterborough United H 1–2 Summerill 7,334 17th
24 August 1974 Aldershot A 0–1 3,909 23rd
31 August 1974 Watford H 3–1 Chapman, Hoy, Dolan 5,007 15th
7 September 1974 Charlton Athletic A 0–1 6,551 23rd
14 September 1974 Chesterfield H 2–0 Hoy (2) 5,962 16th
21 September 1974 Bury A 0–3 5,956 22nd
28 September 1974 Crystal Palace H 0–1 6,524 23rd
1 October 1974 Plymouth Argyle A 0–2 5,324 23rd
5 October 1974 Grimsby Town A 2–1 Gowling, MacLeod 4,901 24th
12 October 1974 Brighton & Hove Albion H 1–0 Garner 6,544 21st
19 October 1974 Tranmere Rovers A 2–1 Gray, Gowling 2,833 21st
22 October 1974 Wrexham H 0–0 5,873 20th
26 October 1974 Swindon Town H 2–2 Gowling (2) 5,792 19th
2 November 1974 Hereford United A 1–1 Gowling 7,471 19th
4 November 1974 Wrexham A 0–3 4,777 19th
9 November 1974 Colchester United H 3–2 Gowling (pen), Gray, Dolan 5,233 17th
16 November 1974 Halifax Town A 1–2 Ellam 6,827 19th
30 November 1974 Preston North End A 0–4 7,958 22nd
3 December 1974 Bournemouth H 2–2 McGinley, Lawson 3,804 21st
7 December 1974 Gillingham H 0–2 4,761 21st
14 December 1974 Port Vale A 0–4 3,986 22nd
21 December 1974 Walsall H 3–2 Gowling (3) 3,627 19th
26 December 1974 Chesterfield A 0–3 4,593 23rd
28 December 1974 Blackburn Rovers H 1–2 O'Neil 8,122 23rd
4 January 1975 Bournemouth A 1–1 O'Neil 5,078 22nd
11 January 1975 Gillingham A 2–3 Garwood (2) 7,960 23rd
18 January 1975 Preston North End H 0–1 7,654 23rd
1 February 1975 Colchester United A 2–3 Gowling (2 pens) 3,921 24th
8 February 1975 Hereford United H 2–1 Fowler, Lawson 4,893 24th
15 February 1975 Southend United A 0–1 4,316 24th
22 February 1975 Halifax Town H 1–2 Gowling (pen) 7,931 24th
28 February 1975 Watford A 0–1 4,345 24th
4 March 1975 Southend United H 4–1 Gowling, Maitland, Ellam, Belfitt 4,538 24th
8 March 1975 Port Vale H 3–1 Garner, Gowling (pen), Dolan 6,705 23rd
15 March 1975 Crystal Palace A 1–1 Lawson 15,043 23rd
19 March 1975 Peterborough United A 1–2 Endean 4,894 23rd
22 March 1975 Charlton Athletic H 1–3 Belfitt 6,546 23rd
28 March 1975 Blackburn Rovers A 1–1 Dolan 16,746 24th
29 March 1975 Walsall A 0–2 4,140 24th
1 April 1975 Bury H 0–0 5,666 23rd
5 April 1975 Swindon Town A 1–4 Gray 7,009 23rd
8 April 1975 Plymouth Argyle H 0–2 2,947 23rd
12 April 1975 Grimsby Town H 1–0 Gowling 3,961 24th
19 April 1975 Brighton & Hove Albion A 0–2 10,822 24th
22 April 1975 Aldershot H 2–2 Gowling (2) 2,455 24th
26 April 1975 Tranmere Rovers H 0–0 2,960 24th

FA Cup

Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
23 November 1974 Round 1 Grimsby Town A 0–1 5,541

Football League Cup

Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
21 August 1974 Round 1 York City A 2–0 Saunders, Summerill 5,570
10 September 1974 Round 2 Leeds United H 1–1 Gowling 15,013
24 September 1974 Round 2 Replay Leeds United A 1–1 Gowling 18,496
7 October 1974 Round 2 2nd Replay Leeds United A 1–2 McGinley 14,599

Appearances and goals

NameNationPositionLeague AppsLeague GoalsFA Cup AppsFA Cup GoalsLeague Cup AppsLeague Cup GoalsTotal AppsTotal Goals
Rod Belfitt EnglandFW62000062
Les Chapman EnglandMF1511040201
Terry Dolan EnglandMF4641040514
John Dungworth EnglandFW40000040
Roy Ellam EnglandDF1821020212
Barry Endean EnglandMF6 (2)100006 (2)1
Mick Fairclough Republic of IrelandFW3 (1)000003 (1)0
Franny Firth EnglandFW10000010
Martin Fowler EnglandMF14 (2)1000014 (2)1
Paul Garner EnglandDF3520040392
Colin Garwood EnglandFW10 (6)2000010 (6)2
Alan Gowling EnglandFW411710424619
Terry Gray EnglandFW24 (8)3100 (2)025 (10)3
Peter Hart EnglandMF1300000130
Bobby Hoy EnglandMF23 (1)3104028 (1)3
Geoff Hutt EnglandDF2801030320
Jimmy Lawson EnglandMF17 (3)3000017 (3)3
Ally MacLeod ScotlandFW3 (1)100003 (1)1
Lloyd Maitland EnglandMF1210000121
Brian Marshall EnglandDF30000030
Grahame McGifford EnglandDF2201010240
Billy McGinley ScotlandFW11 (4)1002 (1)113 (5)2
Bob Newton EnglandFW2 (1)000002 (1)0
Brian O'Neil EnglandMF22 (1)2000022 (1)2
Terry Poole EnglandGK2400040280
Graham Pugh EnglandMF1501030190
John Saunders EnglandDF4101041461
Steve Smith EnglandMF1600020180
Steve Spriggs EnglandMF2 (2)000103 (2)0
Phil Summerill EnglandFW6 (2)100218 (2)2
Alan Sweeney ScotlandDF10000010
Dick Taylor EnglandGK2101000220
John Turner EnglandGK10000010
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