1972–73 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season

Huddersfield Town
1972–73 season
Chairman England Frank Drabble
England Stanley Kinder
Manager England Ian Greaves
Division Two 21st (relegted)
FA Cup Third Round
Football League Cup Second Round
Top goalscorer League:
Alan Gowling (17)
All:
Alan Gowling (17)
Highest home attendance 13,689 vs Burnley (14 April 1973)
Lowest home attendance 3,871 vs Luton Town (20 January 1973)

Huddersfield Town's 1972–73 campaign saw Town get relegeated for the second season in a row, which saw them drop into the 3rd Division for the first time in their history. Despite the 17 goals of new signing Alan Gowling from Manchester United, Town were relegated by goal average from Cardiff City, who ironically were beaten by Town to the 1st Division title in 1924.

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. Position Player
-- England GK Gary Pierce
-- England GK Terry Poole
-- England GK Chris Wood
-- England DF Dennis Clarke
-- England DF Geoff Hutt
-- England DF Alan Jones
-- England DF Dave Lyon
-- England DF Brian Marshall
-- England DF Grahame McGifford
-- Wales MF Mike Barry
-- England MF Les Chapman
No. Position Player
-- England MF Terry Dolan
-- England MF Bobby Hoy
-- Northern Ireland MF Jimmy Nicholson
-- England MF Graham Pugh
-- England MF Steve Smith
-- England FW John Dungworth
-- Republic of Ireland FW Mick Fairclough
-- England FW Alan Gowling
-- Wales FW Dick Krzywicki
-- England FW Jimmy Lawson
-- England FW Dave Smith

Review

Following the relegation of Town from 1st Division at the end of the previous season, Town's three most experienced players, Trevor Cherry, Roy Ellam and Frank Worthington all left for pastures new, but the money received from their transfers was used to sign the experience of Alan Gowling from Manchester United and Graham Pugh from Sheffield Wednesday. However, a rise back up to Division 1 had a bad start, with Town drawing most of their opening matches and not making any realistic ground on any of the promotion chasing teams such as Burnley and Queens Park Rangers.

Town had only 7 wins in the league by the end of the season, with Town needing to win the last game of the season at home to Portsmouth to have any chance of Town avoiding the unthinkable drop to Division 3. Town beat Pompey 2–0 thanks to goals from Mick Fairclough and new signing Phil Summerill gave Town the needed win, but they had to wait on other results to go their way. Cardiff City got their needed result from their game in hand, which relegated Town on goal average. It was revenge on Town, who pipped Cardiff to the 1st Division title in 1924. They finished 21st with 33 points, getting relegated to Division 3 with Brighton & Hove Albion.

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. Position Player
-- England GK Gary Pierce
-- England GK Terry Poole
-- England GK Chris Wood
-- England DF Dennis Clarke
-- England DF Paul Garner
-- England DF Geoff Hutt
-- England DF Alan Jones
-- England DF Dave Lyon
-- England DF Brian Marshall
-- England DF Grahame McGifford
-- England DF John Saunders
-- Wales MF Mike Barry
-- England MF Les Chapman
No. Position Player
-- England MF Terry Dolan
-- England MF Bobby Hoy
-- Northern Ireland MF Jimmy Nicholson
-- England MF Graham Pugh
-- England MF Paul Smith
-- England MF Steve Smith
-- England FW John Dungworth
-- Republic of Ireland FW Mick Fairclough
-- England FW Alan Gowling
-- Wales FW Dick Krzywicki
-- England FW Jimmy Lawson
-- England FW Dave Smith
-- England FW Phil Summerill

Results

Division Two

Date Opponents Home/

Away

Result

F–A

Scorers Attendance Position
12 August 1972 Blackpool H 1–0 Krzywicki 12,840 1st
19 August 1972 Aston Villa A 0–2 34,843 15th
26 August 1972 Carlisle United H 1–1 D. Smith 9,483 13th
30 August 1972 Portsmouth A 2–1 Gowling (2) 16,419 8th
2 September 1972 Luton Town A 1–4 Gowling 8,133 13th
9 September 1972 Oxford United H 2–0 D. Smith (2) 7,356 9th
16 September 1972 Fulham A 1–1 D. Smith 7,071 9th
19 September 1972 Swindon Town H 1–1 Lawson 7,992 10th
23 September 1972 Sunderland H 1–1 Chapman 10,145 10th
27 September 1972 Sheffield Wednesday A 2–3 Gowling, Chapman 22,185 11th
30 September 1972 Bristol City A 0–0 12,406 11th
7 October 1972 Nottingham Forest A 1–1 Gowling 7,931 13th
14 October 1972 Brighton & Hove Albion H 0–2 7,935 15th
21 October 1972 Middlesbrough A 1–2 Dungworth 9,907 15th
28 October 1972 Orient H 1–1 Gowling (pen) 6,232 15th
4 November 1972 Sheffield United H 1–0 Gowling 12,806 14th
11 November 1972 Swindon Town A 1–1 Gowling 9,673 13th
14 November 1972 Bristol City H 0–1 5,692 14th
18 November 1972 Cardiff City H 2–1 Pugh, Krzywicki 5,886 13th
25 November 1972 Millwall A 0–1 9,112 16th
2 December 1972 Preston North End H 0–0 6,900 14th
23 December 1972 Hull City H 1–3 Gowling 6,827 17th
30 December 1972 Aston Villa H 1–1 Gowling 9,719 18th
6 January 1973 Carlisle United A 0–0 6,986 18th
20 January 1973 Luton Town H 1–2 Hutt 3,871 19th
27 January 1973 Oxford United A 0–2 8,107 20th
3 February 1973 Burnley A 1–2 Gowling (pen) 14,589 20th
6 February 1973 Queens Park Rangers A 1–3 Gowling 13,539 20th
10 February 1973 Fulham H 1–0 Saunders 6,469 20th
17 February 1973 Blackpool A 1–1 Hoy 8,593 18th
3 March 1973 Nottingham Forest H 1–1 Summerill 7,473 21st
6 March 1973 Queens Park Rangers H 2–2 Summerill, S. Smith 8,627 18th
10 March 1973 Brighton & Hove Albion A 1–2 Gowling 10,053 20th
17 March 1973 Middlesbrough H 1–1 Gowling (pen) 7,193 20th
24 March 1973 Orient A 1–3 Gowling 5,497 20th
31 March 1973 Millwall H 1–0 Gowling 5,551 20th
7 April 1973 Preston North End A 0–0 7,896 20th
10 April 1973 Sunderland A 0–3 32,251 20th
14 April 1973 Burnley H 0–2 13,689 20th
21 April 1973 Cardiff City A 1–4 Gowling 12,379 21st
23 April 1973 Hull City A 0–0 7,480 21st
28 April 1973 Portsmouth H 2–0 Fairclough, Summerill 8,993 20th
  • Town dropped to 21st after Cardiff City's last game, which was at a later date.

FA Cup

Date Round Opponents Home/

Away

Result

F–A

Scorers Attendance
13 January 1973 Round 3 Carlisle United A 2–2 Fairclough (2) 9,557
16 January 1973 Round 3 Replay Carlisle United H 0–1 13,555

Football League Cup

Date Round Opponents Home/

Away

Result

F–A

Scorers Attendance
6 September 1972 Round 2 Tottenham Hotspur A 1–2 Pugh 21,422

Appearances and goals

Name Nation Position League Apps League Goals FA Cup Apps FA Cup Goals League Cup Apps League Cup Goals Total Apps Total Goals
Mike Barry WalesMF1702000190
Les Chapman EnglandMF2220010232
Dennis Clarke EnglandDF3102000330
Terry Dolan EnglandMF21 (2)0201024 (2)0
John Dungworth EnglandFW13 (3)1000013 (3)1
Mick Fairclough Republic of IrelandFW14 (6)1221017 (6)3
Paul Garner EnglandDF20000020
Alan Gowling EnglandFW421720104517
Bobby Hoy EnglandMF1912000211
Geoff Hutt EnglandDF3512010381
Alan Jones EnglandDF80000080
Dick Krzywicki WalesMF8 (1)200008 (1)2
Jimmy Lawson EnglandMF2212010251
Dave Lyon EnglandDF2001010220
Brian Marshall EnglandDF30000030
Grahame McGifford EnglandDF0 (1)000000 (1)0
Jimmy Nicholson Northern IrelandMF2600010270
Gary Pierce EnglandGK1300010140
Terry Poole EnglandGK2202000240
Graham Pugh EnglandMF3710011382
John Saunders EnglandDF2011000211
Dave Smith EnglandMF18 (4)4201021 (4)4
Paul Smith EnglandMF0 (1)000000 (1)0
Steve Smith EnglandMF29 (1)1000029 (1)1
Phil Summerill EnglandFW13 (3)3000013 (3)3
Chris Wood EnglandGK70000070