1946–47 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season

Huddersfield Town's 1946–47 campaign was the first full season since the end of World War II, but Town would have little to cheer during the season. Under David Steele, Town were in the relegation zone for majority of the season, but because of the even worse displays of relegation candidates Brentford and Leeds United saw Town live to fight another day in Division 1.

Huddersfield Town
1946–47 season
ChairmanEngland Philip Wood
ManagerScotland David Steele
Football League First Division20th
FA CupThird round
(knocked out by Barnsley)
Top goalscorerLeague: Jimmy Glazzard (11)
All: Jimmy Glazzard (11)
Highest home attendance39,944 vs Barnsley (7 January 1947)
Lowest home attendance4,172 vs Portsmouth (29 January 1947)
Biggest win5–1 vs Charlton Athletic (2 November 1946)
Biggest defeat0–5 vs Leeds United (5 October 1946)
1–6 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (12 October 1946)

Squad at the start of the season

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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 Don Clegg
-- GK   ENG Bob Hesford
-- GK   EIR Brendan McManus
-- DF   ENG Graham Bailey
-- DF   ENG Jeff Barker
-- DF   ENG Eddie Boot
-- DF   ENG Tom Briggs
-- DF   ENG George Green
-- DF   IRL Bill Hayes
-- DF   ENG George Howe
-- DF   ENG Alf Newbold
-- DF   ENG John Simpson
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- DF   ENG Les Smith
-- DF   ENG Albert Watson
-- MF   ENG Albert Bateman
-- MF   ENG Eddie Carr
-- MF   ENG Vic Metcalfe
-- MF   ENG George Skelton
-- FW   ENG Lewis Brook
-- FW   ENG Jimmy Glazzard
-- FW   ENG Joe Poole
-- FW   ENG Billy Price
-- FW   SCO Frank Reid
-- FW   ENG Arnold Rodgers

Review

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David Steele had been Town manager since 1943, but this was his first season in league football management with the Leeds Road club and it would be his last in Huddersfield. Town lost 5 of their opening league matches, but oddly enough won the other game 5–2 against Derby County. During October, Town lost 4 matches and conceded 19 goals in a 5–0 defeat against Leeds United, a 6–1 loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers and 4–1 defeats to Liverpool and Middlesbrough.

Following that run, Town beat Charlton Athletic 5–1, but Town's form never made any dramatic improvements and even lost an FA Cup tie at home to Barnsley. Luckily during that season, Town were up against 2 worse teams in the relegation dogfight in Brentford and Leeds United, who were more than 7 points behind Town by the end of the season. This however didn't stop Steele from resigning at the end of the season.

Squad at the end of the season

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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 Don Clegg
-- GK   ENG Bob Hesford
-- GK   EIR Brendan McManus
-- DF   ENG Graham Bailey
-- DF   ENG Jeff Barker
-- DF   ENG Eddie Boot
-- DF   ENG Tom Briggs
-- DF   ENG George Green
-- DF   IRL Bill Hayes
-- DF   ENG George Hepplewhite
-- DF   ENG George Howe
-- DF   ENG Joe Lodge
-- DF   ENG John Simpson
-- DF   ENG Les Smith
-- DF   ENG Alan Stewart
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- DF   ENG Albert Watson
-- MF   ENG Albert Bateman
-- MF   ENG Eddie Carr
-- MF   SCO Harry McShane
-- MF   ENG Vic Metcalfe
-- MF   ENG George Skelton
-- FW   ENG Lewis Brook
-- FW   EIR Peter Doherty
-- FW   ENG Jimmy Glazzard
-- FW   ENG Billy Price
-- FW   SCO Frank Reid
-- FW   ENG Arnold Rodgers
-- FW   ENG Arthur Thompson
-- FW   ENG Maurice Tompkin
-- FW   ENG Alf Whittingham

Results

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Date Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance Position
31 August 1946 Blackpool H 1–3 Glazzard 14,378 17th
4 September 1946 Sunderland A 0–3 37,595 21st
7 September 1946 Brentford A 0–2 31,264 22nd
11 September 1946 Derby County H 5–2 McShane, Glazzard, Price (2), Bateman 18,748 17th
14 September 1946 Blackburn Rovers H 0–1 17,368 20th
21 September 1946 Portsmouth A 1–3 Glazzard 30,591 22nd
25 September 1946 Sunderland H 0–0 15,551 21st
28 September 1946 Everton H 1–0 Glazzard 19,208 18th
5 October 1946 Leeds United A 0–5 30,622 22nd
12 October 1946 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1–6 Bateman 37,690 22nd
19 October 1946 Liverpool H 1–4 Brook 17,323 22nd
26 October 1946 Middlesbrough A 1–4 Tompkin 36,694 22nd
2 November 1946 Charlton Athletic H 5–1 Rodgers (3), Bateman, Glazzard 16,944 22nd
9 November 1946 Grimsby Town A 0–1 14,815 22nd
16 November 1946 Preston North End H 3–0 Rodgers (2), Thompson 17,733 22nd
23 November 1946 Manchester United A 2–5 Thompson, Glazzard 39,216 22nd
30 November 1946 Stoke City H 1–0 Metcalfe 26,767 22nd
7 December 1946 Bolton Wanderers A 0–4 21,975 22nd
14 December 1946 Chelsea H 1–4 Bateman 9,011 22nd
21 December 1946 Sheffield United A 2–2 Bateman, Glazzard 23,980 22nd
25 December 1946 Aston Villa A 2–2 Glazzard, Rodgers 29,906 22nd
26 December 1946 Aston Villa H 1–0 Rodgers 39,606 20th
28 December 1946 Blackpool A 1–2 Metcalfe 24,558 21st
4 January 1947 Brentford H 3–0 Rodgers (2), Glazzard 27,759 21st
18 January 1947 Blackburn Rovers A 2–2 Glazzard, Metcalfe 24,218 21st
29 January 1947 Portsmouth H 1–2 Doherty 4,172 21st
1 February 1947 Everton A 0–1 37,205 21st
22 February 1947 Liverpool A 0–1 35,000 21st
8 March 1947 Charlton Athletic A 3–0 Thompson, Bateman, Doherty 27,805 20th
15 March 1947 Grimsby Town H 3–2 Bateman, Doherty, Whittingham 17,204 20th
22 March 1947 Preston North End A 2–6 Doherty, Whittingham 25,460 20th
29 March 1947 Manchester United H 2–2 Whittingham, Doherty 18,509 20th
4 April 1947 Arsenal A 2–1 Metcalfe, Doherty (pen) 46,105 20th
5 April 1947 Stoke City A 0–3 29,257 20th
7 April 1947 Arsenal H 0–0 33,381 20th
12 April 1947 Bolton Wanderers H 1–0 Whittingham 21,639 20th
19 April 1947 Chelsea A 0–1 38,903 20th
26 April 1947 Sheffield United H 1–1 Whittingham 18,406 20th
3 May 1947 Derby County A 0–1 16,883 20th
10 May 1947 Leeds United H 1–0 Doherty (pen) 20,596 19th
17 May 1947 Middlesbrough H 3–1 Whittingham (2), Glazzard 16,328 19th
26 May 1947 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 0–1 25,401 19th
Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
11 January 1947 Round 3 Barnsley H 3–4 Doherty (2), Bateman 39,944

Appearances and goals

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Name Nation Position League Apps League Goals FA Cup Apps FA Cup Goals Total Apps Total Goals
Graham Bailey   England DF 33 0 1 0 34 0
Jeff Barker   England DF 32 0 1 0 33 0
Albert Bateman   England MF 40 7 1 1 41 8
Eddie Boot   England DF 40 0 1 0 41 0
Tom Briggs   England DF 15 0 0 0 15 0
Lewis Brook   England FW 6 1 0 0 6 1
Eddie Carr   England MF 2 0 0 0 2 0
Don Clegg   England GK 1 0 0 0 1 0
Peter Doherty   Ireland FW 19 7 1 2 20 9
Jimmy Glazzard   England FW 31 11 1 0 32 11
George Green   England DF 2 0 0 0 2 0
Bill Hayes   Republic of Ireland DF 18 0 0 0 18 0
George Hepplewhite   England DF 23 0 1 0 24 0
Bob Hesford   England GK 40 0 1 0 41 0
George Howe   England DF 10 0 0 0 10 0
Joe Lodge   England DF 1 0 0 0 1 0
Brendan McManus   Ireland GK 1 0 0 0 1 0
Harry McShane   Scotland MF 15 1 0 0 15 1
Vic Metcalfe   England MF 27 4 1 0 28 4
Alf Newbold   England DF 2 0 0 0 2 0
Joe Poole   England FW 2 0 0 0 2 0
Billy Price   England FW 9 2 0 0 9 2
Frank Reid   Scotland FW 2 0 0 0 2 0
Arnold Rodgers   England FW 13 9 1 0 14 9
John Simpson   England DF 5 0 0 0 5 0
George Skelton   England FW 1 0 0 0 1 0
Les Smith   England DF 16 0 0 0 16 0
Alan Stewart   England DF 7 0 1 0 8 0
Arthur Thompson   England FW 18 3 0 0 18 3
Maurice Tompkin   England FW 10 1 0 0 10 1
Albert Watson   England DF 6 0 0 0 6 0
Alf Whittingham   England FW 15 7 0 0 15 7