2000–01 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season

Huddersfield Town
2000–01 season
Chairman England Barry Rubery
Manager England Steve Bruce (until 16 October 2000)
Scotland Lou Macari (from 16 October 2000)
Division One 22nd (relegated)
FA Cup Third Round
Worthington Cup First Round
Top goalscorer League:
Delroy Facey
Kevin Gallen (10)
All:
Delroy Facey
Kevin Gallen (10)
Highest home attendance 19,290 vs Birmingham City (6 May 2001)
Lowest home attendance 4,979 vs Oldham Athletic (5 September 2000)
Home colours
Away colours
← 1999–2000
2001–02 →

Huddersfield Town's 2000–01 campaign was their last competitive campaign in the second tier of English football, up until Town's return in the 2012–13 season. Huddersfield finished 22nd following a disastrous final day in which Town lost at home to Birmingham City, while their rivals Stockport County, Portsmouth & Crystal Palace all got their necessary results which sent Town down.

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
1 Belgium GK Nico Vaesen
2 Wales DF Steve Jenkins
3 England DF Jamie Vincent
4 England DF Craig Armstrong
5 England DF Chris Lucketti
6 Suriname DF Ken Monkou
7 England MF Ben Thornley
8 England MF Kenny Irons
9 England FW Martin Smith
10 Suriname MF Dean Gorré
11 Suriname FW Clyde Wijnhard
12 England DF Kevin Gray
No. Position Player
13 Wales GK Martyn Margetson
14 England MF Scott Sellars
16 Grenada FW Delroy Facey
17 England MF Simon Baldry
18 Scotland FW Chris Hay
19 England MF David Beresford
20 Republic of Ireland DF Thomas Heary
21 England DF Jon Dyson
22 England MF Chris Beech
23 England MF Chris Holland
25 England FW Kevin Gallen

Review

The optimism that had surrounded the club just a year earlier had completely dissipated and manager Bruce's ability to turn the tide was seriously in doubt given the side's finish to the previous season. After some less than inspiring signings, among them Kevin Gallen, Huddersfield made a horrific start to the season, winning only one of their first 19 games, (a 3-2 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough Stadium) which saw Steve Bruce lose his job in October after Town went to the bottom of the table following a 1-0 loss to Grimsby Town. Lou Macari, the former Stoke City, Birmingham City, West Ham United and Celtic manager, took over immediately, but results didn't improve. Then in December, a miracle occurred, the loan signing of Zimbabwean international Peter Ndlovu dramatically improved Town's fortunes. They won five out of seven games in December and drew the other two, which brought Macari the Manager of the Month award for December 2000 and helped push the Terriers out of the bottom three. Many thought that a repeat of "The Great Escape" three seasons ago was on the cards again.

However, Town's old manager Warnock (Crystal Palace) snapped Ndlovu up before a permanent deal could be agreed. Then a run of seven games without a win in January and February saw Town slide into trouble again, but Macari pulled a joker from the pack and signed the irreplaceable legend Andy Booth for £200,000 from Sheffield Wednesday. He scored on his debut in a 4-1 win against Portsmouth, but following defeats to promotion chasing Fulham and Blackburn Rovers, Town were in trouble again.

Their next game was against Queens Park Rangers. The Terriers won the game 2-1, which saw QPR relegated along with Tranmere Rovers, but then draws against Wimbledon and West Bromwich Albion saw Town in trouble on the final day. Town needed a win to guarantee 1st Division football, but a disputed goal for Crystal Palace combined with Town's 2-1 defeat by Birmingham City saw Town back down to Division 2.

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
1 Belgium GK Nico Vaesen
2 Wales DF Steve Jenkins
4 England DF Craig Armstrong
5 England DF Chris Lucketti
7 England MF Ben Thornley
8 England MF Kenny Irons
9 England FW Martin Smith
10 Suriname MF Dean Gorré
11 Suriname FW Clyde Wijnhard
12 England DF Kevin Gray
13 Wales GK Martyn Margetson
14 England MF Scott Sellars
No. Position Player
16 Grenada FW Delroy Facey
17 England MF Simon Baldry
18 Scotland FW Chris Hay
19 England MF David Beresford
20 Republic of Ireland DF Thomas Heary
21 England DF Jon Dyson
22 England MF Chris Beech
23 England MF Chris Holland
25 England FW Kevin Gallen
26 England DF Adie Moses
32 England FW Andy Booth

Results

Division One

Date Opponents Home/

Away

Result

F - A

Scorers Attendance Position
12 August 2000 Watford H 1 - 2 Palmer [16 (og)] 13,018 17th
19 August 2000 Sheffield Wednesday A 3 - 2 Smith [6, 39], Gallen [35] 22,704 10th
26 August 2000 Crystal Palace H 1 - 2 Lucketti [25] 10,670 17th
28 August 2000 Stockport County A 0 - 0 6,137 16th
9 September 2000 Bolton Wanderers H 2 - 3 Smith [47], Dyson [76] 12,248 21st
12 September 2000 Wimbledon H 0 - 2 7,592 23rd
16 September 2000 Gillingham A 1 - 2 Gallen [26] 8,503 24th
23 September 2000 Burnley H 0 - 1 14,016 24th
30 September 2000 Norwich City A 1 - 1 Gallen [58] 14,499 22nd
6 October 2000 Barnsley H 1 - 1 Smith [80] 13,556 22nd
14 October 2000 Grimsby Town A 0 - 1 4,911 23rd
17 October 2000 Sheffield United A 0 - 3 14,062 23rd
21 October 2000 Preston North End H 0 - 0 13,161 23rd
24 October 2000 Crewe Alexandra A 0 - 1 5,215 24th
28 October 2000 Blackburn Rovers H 0 - 1 12,287 24th
4 November 2000 Fulham A 0 - 3 13,108 24th
11 November 2000 West Bromwich Albion H 0 - 2 11,801 24th
18 November 2000 Queens Park Rangers A 1 - 1 Gallen [8] 11,543 24th
25 November 2000 Birmingham City A 1 - 2 Armstrong [61] 22,120 24th
2 December 2000 Crewe Alexandra H 3 - 1 Baldry [46], Smith [62], Gallen [68] 10,603 24th
9 December 2000 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 3 - 0 Ndlovu [49, 90], Facey [86] 11,506 24th
13 December 2000 Nottingham Forest A 3 - 1 Ndlovu [57], Gallen [61, 65] 28,372 23rd
16 December 2000 Portsmouth A 1 - 1 Dyson [40] 12,041 24th
23 December 2000 Watford A 2 - 1 Ndlovu [29], Facey [60] 13,371 23rd
26 December 2000 Tranmere Rovers H 3 - 0 Facey [44], Dyson [65], Gallen [71] 12,397 19th
30 December 2000 Sheffield Wednesday H 0 - 0 18,931 19th
13 January 2001 Stockport County H 0 - 0 10,988 19th
3 February 2001 Nottingham Forest H 1 - 1 Facey [45] 13,838 21st
10 February 2001 Bolton Wanderers A 2 - 2 Smith [6], Gallen [23] 14,866 21st
17 February 2001 Gillingham H 2 - 3 Armstrong [16], Smith [45 (pen)] 10,576 23rd
24 February 2001 Burnley A 0 - 1 16,191 23rd
27 February 2001 Tranmere Rovers A 0 - 2 10,621 24th
3 March 2001 Norwich City H 2 - 0 Armstrong [8], Facey [71] 11,122 23rd
6 March 2001 Grimsby Town H 0 - 0 9,494 22nd
10 March 2001 Barnsley A 1 - 3 Morris [10] 15,290 23rd
17 March 2001 Sheffield United H 2 - 1 Smith [25], Facey [78] 13,918 22nd
31 March 2001 Portsmouth H 4 - 1 Booth [56], Facey [71], Gorré [89 (pen)], Baldry [90] 13,199 22nd
3 April 2001 Crystal Palace A 0 - 0 15,324 22nd
7 April 2001 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1 - 0 Facey [10] 19,423 21st
10 April 2001 Preston North End A 0 - 0 15,185 19th
14 April 2001 Fulham H 1 - 2 Facey [78] 15,882 21st
16 April 2001 Blackburn Rovers A 0 - 2 29,426 21st
21 April 2001 Queens Park Rangers H 2 - 1 Gorré [33], Facey [90] 12,846 20th
28 April 2001 West Bromwich Albion A 1 - 1 Booth [7] 17,542 20th
1 May 2001 Wimbledon A 1 - 1 Gallen [74] 4,956 20th
6 May 2001 Birmingham City H 1 - 2 Booth [45] 19,290 22nd

FA Cup

Date Round Opponents Home/

Away

Result

F - A

Scorers Attendance
6 January 2001 Round 3 Bristol City H 0 - 2 9,192

Worthington Cup

Date Round Opponents Home/

Away

Result

F - A

Scorers Attendance
22 August 2000 Round 1 1st Leg Oldham Athletic A 0 - 1 4,255
5 September 2000 Round 1 2nd Leg Oldham Athletic H 0 - 2 4,979
  • Huddersfield lose 3-0 on aggregate

Appearances and goals

Squad No. Name Nation Position League Apps League Goals FA Cup Apps FA Cup Goals League Cup Apps League Cup Goals Total Apps Total Goals
1Nico Vaesen BelgiumGK4501020480
2Steve Jenkins WalesDF3000000300
3Jamie Vincent EnglandDF14 (2)0102017 (2)0
4Craig Armstrong EnglandMF4431010463
5Chris Lucketti EnglandDF4010020421
6Ken Monkou SurinameDF20000020
7Ben Thornley EnglandMF29 (7)0102032 (7)0
8Kenny Irons EnglandMF18 (15)0001019 (15)0
9Martin Smith EnglandFW27 (3)8001028 (3)8
10Dean Gorré SurinameMF23 (11)20 (1)01024 (12)2
11Clyde Wijnhard SurinameFW40001050
12Kevin Gray EnglandDF13 (4)0100014 (4)0
13Martyn Margetson WalesGK1 (1)000001 (1)0
14Jim Brennan CanadaMF0 (2)000000 (2)0
14Scott Sellars EnglandMF6 (8)00 (1)00 (1)06 (10)0
15Kevin Kyle ScotlandFW0 (4)000000 (4)0
15Peter Ndlovu ZimbabweMF64000064
15Lee Morris EnglandFW51000051
16Delroy Facey GrenadaFW22 (12)10101 (1)024 (13)10
17Simon Baldry EnglandMF26 (9)2100 (2)027 (11)2
18Chris Hay ScotlandFW0 (4)000202 (4)0
19David Beresford EnglandMF0 (2)000101 (2)0
20Thomas Heary Republic of IrelandDF25 (3)0102028 (3)0
21Jon Dyson EnglandDF25 (5)3101027 (5)3
22Chris Beech EnglandMF1000010110
23Chris Holland EnglandMF2901010310
24Danny Schofield EnglandMF0 (1)000000 (1)0
25Kevin Gallen EnglandFW30 (8)10100031 (8)10
26Robert Kozluk EnglandDF1400000140
26Adie Moses EnglandDF10 (2)0000010 (2)0
32Andy Booth EnglandFW83000083
34Michael Senior EnglandMF0 (4)000000 (4)0

References