The stadium's main stand - The Riverside

The Terriers remained in the top flight until 1952, though they never managed to win another League Championship. They bounced back from relegation the very next season, and finished 3rd in Division 1 a year later. By the end of the '55-'56 season they had returned to the Second Division however, where they stayed until 1970 when once again they were promoted, this time as Division Two champions. The year previously Huddersfield reached the semi-finals of the League Cup before being knocked out by Arsenal.

If the 1920's were sublime for The Terriers, then the 70's were surely the club's nadir. Relegation was followed by relegation which in turn was followed by relegation - only 5 years after being promoted up into Division One Huddersfield found themselves back in Division Four and playing in front of less than two thousand fans - from the sublime to the ridiculous in half a decade.

Into the modern era and once again Town found themselves on the up - under Mick Buxton the club won the Fourth Division title and two years later won promotion from the Third Division. The yo-yoing continued with relegation back to Division Three two seasons later, where the club remained until league reorganisation saw it become the new Division Two in 1992. At the same time, with Leeds Road now very much looking its age and capacity forever being reduced in the name of safety, the new McAlpine Stadium started to be constructed, the club agreeing to groundshare with the local rugby league side. By 1994 the building was complete and The Terriers moved into the McAlpine, reaching the final of the Autoglass Trophy the same year.

Twelve months later and Huddersfield were back at Wembley, beating Bristol Rovers 2-1 to win the play-off final and promotion to Division One. Several years of consolidation followed, but yet again things went wrong. Steve Bruce was brought in to his first managerial post and though he started well results soon deteriorated and he was replaced by Lou Macari. The Scot couldn't rescue the situation however and Huddersfield found themselves back in the Second Division for 2002. Macari was himself fired at the end of the that season for failing to get the club out of the division, something managed with ease by his replacement Mick Wadsworth 12 months later - but unfortunately at the wrong end of the table.

Opposite the main stand is the Kilner Stand

To be fair to Wadsworth there was not much he could do at the McAlpine with money worries being the biggest barrier to progress. A new board took over after multi-millionaire owner Barry Ruberry withdrew his financial support from the club, and eventually put the club into administration. For a while the prospects looked extremely bleak, but with former owner Ruberry writing off the millions the club owed him personally, and a new consortium in charge, Huddersfield Town survived.

Peter Jackson returned as manager in 2003, the former Terriers boss a popular choice amongst fans. Cash was still tight however and although Huddersfield were undoubtedly one of the bigger clubs in the bottom division he did well to get them straight into the play-offs. A very tight semi-final against Lincoln City was won 4-3 on aggregate. The Final at the Millennium Stadium versus Mansfield Town ended 0-0 and it was penalties that took the Terriers up.

With the Alfred MacAlpine renamed after new sponsors the Galpharm Stadium Huddersfield had a solid season in the renamed League One in 2004-05. They were our prediction for the title in 2005-06, but in the end only made the play-offs. That they ended up slipping outside the automatics was in no small part due to ourselves. On the penultimate game of that season, the Glovers pulled back from 1-0 down at the Galpharm to win 1-2 and confirm our League One status and to condemn the Terriers to the play-off lottery. As with most teams who find entering the play-offs a disappointment rather than a bonus, they didn't make it through them.

Last season (2006-07) the wheels came well and truly off at the Galpharm. Again Huddersfield were expected to challenge. Few would have expected them to have finished 15th. The knives were out for both manager Peter Jackson and the Terriers board as early as our visit in September, with demonstrations outside the stadium after the game. After their season slipped away, Jackson got his marching orders and in came former Barnsley boss Andy Ritchie. He only oversaw the final four games of last season, and so Huddersfield will be one of the toughest teams to predict in League One. Will they be regalvanised under new management, or does the malaise that has existed since that 2005-06 play-off defeat have deeper roots?

The South Stand for away fans - just about spacious enough for 347 on a weekday evening

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RECENT RESULTS

05/04/2008	Doncaster Rovers	Home	CCL1	D	2-2	10279		Williams 7, Holdsworth 61
12/04/2008	Port Vale	Away	CCL1	D	0-0	4150
15/04/2008	Leeds United	Home	CCL1	W	1-0	16413		Holdsworth 76
19/04/2008	Tranmere Rovers	Home	CCL1	W	1-0	8315		Booth 61
26/04/2008	Walsall	Home	CCL1	W	2-0	9969		Schofield 41, Booth 56
03/05/2008	Luton Town	Away	CCL1	W	1-0	6539		Jevons 77

FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

CLUB GOALSCORERS

Name	LGE	FAC	FAT	LGC	CC	Total
Andy Booth	9	0	0	0	0	9
Luke Beckett	8	0	0	0	0	8
Phil Jevons	7	0	0	0	0	7
Andy Holdsworth	3	0	0	0	0	3
Malvin Kamara	3	0	0	0	0	3
Danny Cadamarteri	3	0	0	0	0	3
Ronnie Wallwork	3	0	0	0	0	3
Michael Collins	2	0	0	0	0	2
Danny Schofield	2	0	0	0	0	2
Nathan Clarke	2	0	0	0	0	2
Chris Brandon	2	0	0	0	0	2
Robbie Williams	2	0	0	0	0	2
David Mirfin	1	0	0	0	0	1
Robert Page	1	0	0	0	0	1
Richard Keogh	1	0	0	0	0	1
James Berrett	1	0	0	0	0	1

ATTENDANCE STATISTICS

Highest League Attendance: 16413, vs Leeds United, 15/04/2008
Lowest League Attendance: 6004, vs Brighton and Hove Albion, 18/03/2008
Average League Attendance: 9391

CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS

Games Without A Win:	0		Games Without A Home Win:	0
Games Without An Away Win:	0		Games Without Defeat:	6
Games Without A Home Defeat:	5		Games Without An Away Defeat:	2
Games Without A Draw:	4		Games Without A Score Draw:	5
Games Without A No-Score Draw:	4		Games Without Scoring:	0
Games Without Conceding:	5		Home Results Sequence:	LWDWWW
Away Results Sequence:	WLWLDW		Overall Results Sequence:	DDWWWW

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347 found the way for a mid-weeker

If coming from the East along M62 : you can carry on to Junction 24 (see directions from there above) or exit at Junction 25. If taking the J25 option take the A644 south (signed Huddersfield and Dewsbury) and after a mile and a half at the roundabout take the second exit (A62, signed Huddersfield). Follow the A62 into Huddersfield. This is Leeds Road and brings you within sight of the Stadium and car parking. Thistle Street (on your left) takes you towards the ground.

Coming up the M1 from the South : a possibility, to cut off the M1 / M62 loop, is to exit the M1 at Junction 38, following the A637 signs for Huddersfield. After about six miles turn right onto the A462. After another 3 miles this becomes the A629 after you've passed Fenay Bridge and are coming into the outskirts of Huddersfield. You should start picking up signs for the Stadium. Go onto Southgate Ring Road, then turn onto the A62 (Leeds Road). Thistle Street (on your right) takes you towards the ground.

The one time we tried to cut out the M1 / M62 loop and go 'cross country' - on a trip to The Shay as it happens, not Huddersfield - it wasn't a great success and we've subsequently just followed the motorways round. Longer in terms of mileage, but simpler, and just as quick if not quicker in terms of time.

Parking

There is a fair sized official car park at the ground which charges £4.00. There's also a number of 'unofficial' car parks around the stadium area. Charges seemed to be completely variable in these and made up randomly on the spot depending on who you were, what you looked like etc. It also wasn't entirely clear (at least to us) where the official car parking ended and unofficial operators began.
We have found this one of the best ever large stadiums to get out of and away from speedily on our previous visits.

By Rail

You can just about do Huddersfield as a day trip. Typically on the way out, you'll go from Yeovil Junction via Salisbury, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester or a little later from Pen Mill via Castle Cary, Westbury, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, arriving Huddersfield 13.14. The return journey will take you via Wakefield, Birmingham, Bristol, Salisbury, arriving back at Yeovil Junction. Do look at Engineering works though - you're using pretty much the first and last services of the day and so anything like that could make things 'interesting'.

For South-East Glovers there are services out of St Pancras and Euston. The Euston line and Virgin, changing at Manchester Piccadilly on to the Transpennine, is the simplest and quickest, around the four hours.

The ground is a 15-20 minute walk from Huddersfield train station. After coming out of the Station, turn left past the front of the George Hotel. Go straight over the crossroads into Northumberland Street and walk down across the Ring Road straight on into Leeds Road. Turn right down Gasworks Street. Go straight over the crossroads and pass between the Spinners Arms and the Market Tavern towards the stadium.

By Bus

Buses Nos. 201, 203 and 207 stop on Leeds Road five minutes walk from the stadium, whilst Football Specials run from Market Street in the town centre to the ground on matchdays at fifteen minute intervals.

By Taxi

A selection of Huddersfield taxi companies can be found here.

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Club Bar :

There is a concourse bar for the use of away supporters in the Travel World Gardner Merchant Stand (if it's still called that) at the Galpharm Stadium.

Local Pubs :

Note to all smokers: With the national ban on smoking that came in on July 1st 2007, we're obviously still updating the guides to amend the referencing to "smoking" and "non-smoking" areas. You can take it as read that if it is indoors, it will be a non-smoking area! If we find that a pub has a designated outdoor smoking area, we'll make reference to it, but initially at least, knowledge is going to be sketchy. If anyone knows whether any of the pubs listed below have allocated such facilities, please let us know.

Cherry Tree: Huddersfield's Wetherspoon outlet in the centre of town. Very large pub that takes up most of the ground floor of a Seventies looking office block - and styled internally in a similar fashion. Opening Sunday –Thursday 9.00 a.m. – 12.00 midnight, Friday - Saturday 9.00 a.m. – 1.00 a.m. Cherry Tree, Pearl Assurance House, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 1BA. Tel: 01484 448190. Map: Click Here.

Flyboat: Sort of on the way from the station to the stadium, and popular with football and rugby league fans on matchdays, it's a back street style public house. Drinking only - no food. Opening times were 5.00 p.m. - 11.00 p.m. Monday - Thursday and 12.00 noon - 11.00 p.m. Friday & Saturday before the law change. The beer is Tetley's and there is pool, darts and Sky Sports. Flyboat, 6, Colne Street, Aspley, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 3BS. Tel: 01484 353494. Map: Click Here.

Excellent pub - our Huddersfield recommendation © Hugh Gleave Head of Steam: The Head of Steam chain is a small pubco (currently five outlets) that runs real ale establishments close to or even in railway stations. On visiting one can see the Wetherspoon influence, but they have a rather different character - live music and comedy often feature. The Huddersfield version has seven handpumps. Holt and Robinson Bitter are always on, with five guests, generally specialising in small independent breweries. For the 'lager boys' there's Stella Artois, Staropramen, Grolsch, Budweiser and Carling. The draught cider is Stowford Press, but if you ask they sometimes have something rather better behind the bar. For those into Belgian bottled beers, especially of the Trappist Monasteries, these pubs are a bit of a Mecca (to mix our religions). Opening times are 11 a.m - 12.30 a.m. Monday - Thursday, and 11 a.m. - 2.00 a.m. Friday & Saturday. Sunday is 12.00 noon to 10.30 p.m. There are four rooms : The Buffet is the actual station buffet bar; The Family Room - as it says; The Lounge - where the live acts perform; The Bar. The full food menu is served Monday – Friday 11.30 a.m. – 9.30 p.m., Saturday 11.30 a.m. – 5.00 p.m., Sunday 12.00 noon – 4.30 p.m. Howerever The Buffet opens from 8.30 a.m. with a partial menu, and the 'snack' menu continues in the evening through to closing time. Mini beer festivals are frequent, and at Huddersfield you can sit out and drink on an area of the station itself.......though why anyone would want to? Wheelchair friendly. Cash machine. If you haven't come across a Head of Steam pub before think a lively vibrant version of a Wetherspoon, before that chain became over large, and rather dull and staid. However, although reasonable, don't expect Wetherspoon prices. Thoroughly recommended. Head of Steam, St. George's Square, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 1JB. Tel: 01484 454533. Fax: 01484 451701. Email: huddersfield@theheadofsteam.co.uk. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

Lloyds No.1 Bar: Lloyds No.1 is the standard name for part of the Wetherspoon chain supposedly aimed at a slightly younger market, though in all honesty the differences between these and ordinary Wetherspoon pubs are minimal. This one has a child certificate. Opening is Mon–Sat 9.00 a.m. – 2.00 a.m. Monday - Saturday, 9.00 a.m. – 12.30 a.m. Sunday. Lloyds No.1 Bar, King Street, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 2PZ. Tel: 01484 411020. Map: Click Here.

Right next to The Spinners Arms © Hugh Gleave Market Tavern: One of a pair of pubs (the other is the Spinners Arms, below) you are likely to walk past or between on the approach to the stadium. As one would expect from its location very much a home fans pub. Open 'all day'. No further details. Market Tavern, 98, Leeds Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 6NN. Tel: 01484 420452. Map: Click Here.

Largest selection of real ales in town © Rat and Ratchet: This was a brew pub, but in 2004 the brewing plant was sold off separately to a pub in Nuneaton, and the pub itself bought by the local independent Ossett Brewery as one of its seven tied outlets. Still the biggest choice of real ales in the area, it carries up to five of Ossett's own beers, Timothy Taylor Bitter and Landlord, Greene King Abbot and up to four guests including a mild. Generally has a real cider on. To be found on the south side of the town centre, close to the railway station and with its own parking. Food is lunchtimes only Wednesday - Saturday, except there's also a Curry Night on Wednesdays. Rat and Ratchet, 40, Chapel Hill, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 3EB. Tel: 01484 542400. Map: Click Here.

Slubber's Arms: Only tied Timothy Taylor house in town it naturally features their beers, with Landlord, Best Bitter and Golden Best as well as a guest. Food available lunchtimes. Five or so minutes walk from the stadium on the edge of the town centre. Slubber's Arms, 1, Halifax Old Road, Hillhouse, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 6HW. Tel: 01484 429032. Map: Click Here.

Home fans pub close to the stadium © Hugh Gleave Spinners Arms: Next door to the Market Tavern (above). Closed and 'To Let' on our two 2006 visits. Hence if we find it still closed in 2007, it is probably time to remove it from this guide! Spinners Arms, 100, Leeds Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 6NN. Tel: 01484 421062. Map: Click Here.

Star Inn: South of the town centre about a mile and a half from the stadium. Opening is 5.00 p.m. - 11.00 p.m. Tuesday - Friday, 12.00 noon - 3.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. - 11.00 p.m. Saturday, 12.00 noon - 3.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. - 10.30 p.m. Sunday. Regular beers are Timothy Taylor Landlord and Best, Eastwood & Saunders Best and Brewers Gold from Pictish. There are regularly changing and very wide ranging guests on each week. Lagers are Hoegaarden, Lindeboom and Carling, and there's Guinness and Strongbow. Several festivals a year. Beer garden. Star Inn, 7, Albert Street, Lockwood, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 3PJ. Tel: 01484 545443. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

One of two pubs at the station © Hugh Gleave Station Tavern: Not one but two pubs can be found in Huddersfield station - see Head of Steam above. This one was open 11.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m. Thursday - Saturday, 11.30 a.m. - 10.00 p.m. Monday - Wednesday, 12.00 noon - 10.30 p.m. Sunday under the old licensing laws. Current opening hours not known. Beers are Taylor Landlord and Best, plus up to six guests. There is wheelchair access, parking, pool, TV and a piano. Live music on occasion. Huddersfield station is a 15 minute walk away from the Galpharm Stadium. Station Tavern, St. George's Square, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 1JB. Tel: 01484 511058. Map: Click Here.

The Gas Sports & Social Club: Dellboy at an away game? That's rare. Dellboy full of the joys of spring? That's even rarer. He couldn't stop talking about the Gas Club when we ran into him at half-time at the Galpharm ~ so we promised it a mention to shut him up. There was some band on........ but by this time we'd stopped listening. Fortunately some other people said it was a good venue as well - so we actually have listed it. Small entrance charge of a few quid. The Gas Sports & Social Club, Gasworks Street, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 6NA. Map: Click Here.

White Cross Inn: North-eastern outskirts of Huddersfield, on the juction of the Leeds Road (A62) and Bradley Road for those who prefer venues out of town. If leaving the M62 at Junction 25 you'll pass this pub on the journey in to the ground. There is parking and wheelchair access. Opening was all day from 11.45 a.m. - 11.00 p.m. under the old licensing laws. Food is served lunchtimes. There is pool, and beers are Tetley and up to four guests. Has an annual beer festival, but the last one was held in February so we'll be lucky if we find there's another one on now. White Cross Inn, 2, Bradley Road, Bradley, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD2 1XD. Tel: 01484 425728. Map: Click Here.

Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You :

Generally I've preferred the trips oop North westwards of the Pennines to those to the east - nicer towns and friendlier locals. However Huddersfield is a bit on an exception. It won't win any beauty contests, but hasn't the sullen threat of a Barnsley, the decaying seediness of a Rotherham or the chip-on-the-shoulder of a Doncaster. The locals have the gloomy resignation that if something can go wrong it will go wrong one finds amongst football supporters everywhere - but seems to be cultivated to perfection as a way of life by those from the North.

Top-Tip :

The Galpharm is another must-see venue. If you didn't get there the last three times (and what's your bl**dy excuse?) God has gifted you yet another opportunity.

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