Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield Town AFC is a football club formed in 1908 in the town of the same name in West Yorkshire, which was the birthplace of Rugby League in 1891, perhaps explaining the relatively late introduction of a senior football club to the town. A new ground at Leeds Road was quickly developed.

In 1909, Town joined the Midland League and then the Football League a season later. The 1919-20 season saw Huddersfield promoted to the top flight as well as reaching the FA Cup Final, where they were defeated 1-0 by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. 

All this just a year after the club was nearly moved to Elland Road to replace the defunct Leeds City club because of poor crowds. Fans had to raise funds to reform the club.

In 1921-22, Town lifted the famous trophy as Preston North End were seen off 1-0 at the same venue with a Billy Smith penalty under manager Herbert Chapman, who had previously been in charge at rivals Leeds City until they were disbanded owing to financial irregularities.

By now, Chapman had been installed as team manager. He led Town to the League title in 1923-24 and 1924-25 before leaving to join Arsenal during the following campaign. However, Huddersfield still completed their hat trick under Cecil Potter.

Huddersfield were runners-up three times in the FA Cup in a short period in the Wembley finals. In 1927-28, Blackburn Rovers won 3-1 with Jack Chaplin in charge of the side and Alex Jackson scoring the consolation goal. Clem Stephenson was appointed as manager before Arsenal were the victors with a 2-0 margin in 1929-30. 

Town then went down 1-0 to Preston North End after extra time in the 1937-38 final. Leeds Road was extended to cope with growing support for the club after the War to see the side managed by George Stephenson, as Town remained in Division One until 1951-52, when they were relegated. 

However, they regained their top-tier status at the first attempt with Scotsman Andy Beattie as manager. Their spell only lasted three seasons before they went down again in 1955-56 after Bill Shankly had taken over as manager of a team that included the future World Cup winner Ray Wilson. 

Shankly nurtured the start of the career of Denis Law before leaving for Liverpool in 1959. Law was sold to Manchester City in 1961, which paid for floodlights to be installed at Leeds Road. Eddie Boot took over from Shankly. Tom Johnston was appointed in October 1964, before Ian Greaves replaced him in June 1968.

He introduced young local talent as Town returned to Division One in 1969-70, with an exciting side including Frank Worthington and Trevor Cherry. ‘The Terriers’ were relegated in 1971-72 at the start of a terrible decade for the club. Town went down again in 1972-73 and were relegated to Division Four in 1974-75. 

This meant that they had become the first League champions to find themselves in the bottom tier of English football. Bobby Collins, and then Johnston in a second spell, took charge of the side before the arrival of  Mick Buxton in August 1978, who oversaw a gradual improvement. 

 

The 1979-80 season saw the team lift the Division Four title to begin the fightback. In 1982-83, Town fought their way back to Division Two with Mark Lillis the terrace hero. Remarkably, Buxton was dismissed in December 1986 for failing to reach Division One. Town were relegated once again at the end of the 1987-88 season under the stewardship of Malcolm Macdonald.

Eoin Hand became manager until 1992 to be replaced by Ian Ross, who took the side to the playoffs in 1991-92, where they lost out to Peterborough United in the semi-final. In April 1994, Town played their last ever game at Leeds Road against Blackpool before moving a few hundred yards to the newly built Alfred McAlpine Stadium, which was to be shared with Huddersfield Giants Rugby League Club. 

The same season saw The Terriers reach Wembley for the first time since 1938 for the Football League Trophy Final with Neil Warnock in charge of the side. The game ended with Swansea City winning on penalties, despite the best efforts of local hero Andy Booth.

They went one better in 1994-95 after seeing off Brentford by defeating Bristol Rovers 2-1 in the play-off final with goals from Booth and Chris Billy to finally register a win at Wembley. Brian Horton and then Peter Jackson both had a couple of seasons at the helm, followed by one under Steve Bruce.

Town remained in the newly titled second-tier Division One until 2001, when they were relegated once more, by which time Lou Macari was manager. In their first season back in the third tier, Town missed out in the play-off semi-finals to Brentford

Worse was to follow with relegation to Division Three in 2002-03. The latest boss, Mel Machin, was sacked following that disappointment, with Peter Jackson returning. Town won the 2003-04 play-off final against Mansfield Town on penalties at the Millennium Stadium following a 0-0 draw after earlier defeating Lincoln City to make an immediate return to the third tier. 

The McAlpine was renamed The Galpharm Stadium in a new sponsorship deal at the same time. In 2005-06, Barnsley defeated Town in the semi-finals of the playoffs, with Jackson being replaced by Lee Clark. Local businessman and lifelong fan Dean Hoyle bought the club in 2009.

Clark put a good side together, although they lost once more in the playoff semi-finals in 2009-10, this time to Millwall. The team continued to improve and went one step further in 2010-11. Their long winning run was ended by Peterborough United in the Old Trafford showpiece after defeating AFC Bournemouth.

New and old. My drawings of Town's stadiums and playing kits.
Click on the images to enlarge them.

 

Clark was controversially sacked in February 2012, with Simon Grayson coming in to replace him. The goals of Jordan Rhodes in an unaltered squad took Town to Wembley after defeating Milton Keynes Dons, where they eventually beat Sheffield United 8-7 on penalties in the play-off final in May 2012.

Grayson was dismissed in Town’s first season back in the second tier in January 2013 to be replaced by Mark Robins. Robins was surprisingly dismissed after just one game of the 2014-15 season, with former Charlton boss Chris Powell arriving in September 2014. He led the side to a sixteenth-place finish.

Powell lasted until November 2015, when he was dismissed harshly in the view of many Town fans. Former USA international and Borussia Dortmund coach David Wagner was appointed as head coach at the rebranded John Smith's Stadium. Wagner spent his first few months assessing the side before bringing in a plethora of new players, with many coming in on loan from Premier League clubs. 

He took the team to the play-offs in the 2016-17 season. Sheffield Wednesday were defeated in the semi-final before Huddersfield beat Reading at Wembley, with both ties going to penalties, as Town returned to the top flight of English football for the first time since 1972. 

Wagner's team managed to stay up upon their return with a sixteenth-place finish as Steve Mounié led the scoring chart. Town were relegated in 2018-19 with Wagner departing in the second half of the season. Jan Siewart took over until August 2019.

With the side in trouble, Danny Cowley was appointed as manager after Hoyle sold the club to businessman Phil Hodgkinson. Cowley led the team to survival but was replaced in July 2020 by Leeds United assistant coach Carlos Corberán.

Corberán’s side, captained by Jonathan Hogg, finished third in 2021-22, defeating Luton Town before losing 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in the final at Wembley. There then followed upheaval and several managerial changes over the next few years as Town looked to maintain their second-tier status.

Danny Schofield took charge of team affairs in June 2022, lasting until September of that year when Mark Fotheringham was appointed. Neil Warnock returned in February, once again to save a team from relegation, as form improved dramatically. In June 2023, owner Dean Hoyle, who had returned in 2020, wiped out up to £40 million of debt. 

This kept the club out of administration before he sold it to American investor Kevin M. Nagle. Warnock departed in September 2023 to be replaced by Darren Moore. The appointment failed with Andre Breitenreiter becoming the new Town manager in February 2024, with the side being relegated a few months later. Michael Duff became the manager in May 2024.

He was succeeded a year later by Lee Grant, who was replaced by Liam Manning in January 2026.

Huddersfield Town AFC will play in EFL League One in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

at Leeds Road

Bradford City 4 Hull City 2 (Saturday 14th September 1985) Division Two (att: 4,930)

Click here to read about my first visit to Leeds Road while Bradford City were in temporary residence.

Huddersfield Town 2 Hull City 1 (Saturday 25th February 1986) Division Two (att: 4,418)

We returned on the coach later in the season for the Tigers' clash with Town. Once again, we were placed on the open end. David Cork and Terry Curran scored the goals for the hosts, with Garreth Roberts netting for the Tigers.

Huddersfield Town 0 Hull City 2 (Tuesday 20th October 1987) Division Two (att: 8,033)

Again, the coach took the strain on a freezing cold evening. Thankfully, Huddersfield had placed us in The Cowshed, which allowed us to create an excellent atmosphere as City put in a superb performance.

Les Thompson and Garry Parker did their best to warm us with the City goals. Sadly, on returning to the coach, we found that the heating was broken, meaning we all travelled in coats and hats as ice formed on the inside of the windows!

Huddersfield Town 0 Scarborough 2 (Saturday 13th August 1989) Yorkshire & Humberside Cup (att: 2,143)

Boro were buzzing after a debut League season, and with Neil Warnock’s new signings. Things were certainly looking up.

The Gas Club in Scarborough had decided to spend some of its wealth on purchasing a minibus. It looked like a great investment and a bonus for our regular Boro travelling party. How little we knew!

Everything went to plan as we arrived in good time on a lovely day and stopped for a couple of beers at a pub on the way into town. We parked behind the Main Stand, which was handy as that was the only part of the ground open on the day.

Boro put in a masterful display as Gary Brook and an own goal sealed the victory. While we were happy, we were also mindful that the locals were not especially appreciative of what they were witnessing. I was not massively impressed by some Boro fans baiting them.

At full time, we stuck together and got to the bus, but it was clear that we were about to have problems. We told our driver, Kev Phillips, to drive through, no matter what got in the way. We got to the junction of Bradley Mills Road and Leeds Road, with gangs running down the road with missiles, seeing that we were stuck at the traffic lights. 

We shouted for him to go, but being the polite bloke he is, he didn’t disobey the traffic cop. Within seconds, half of our bus windows had been put through.

We had to follow the police back to their station to offer statements before travelling to the Autoglass depot near Elland Road in Leeds to have our new windows fitted. We stopped briefly for a much-needed beer on the way home, but we were a quiet party on the ride home.

The minibus was eventually sold for scrap after an underwhelming spell at the club. It broke down at the Charity Shield at Wembley just a week later, leaving some of the same fellas who’d been on the Huddersfield trip needing to pay for a train home.

Huddersfield Town 1 Scarborough 2 (Tuesday 21st February 1989) Football League Trophy Northern Section Quarter Final (att: 4,665)

We once again travelled by minibus, but thankfully, a large contingent of Seadogs travelled to the game, meaning that we were placed on the open end.

Boro had a good team once again, while Town were struggling. Goals from Steve Adams and Gary Brook sent us home happy as Martin Russell tore the visitors apart with a masterful display, with Craig Maskell netting for the Terriers.

However, the highlight of the evening involved a Boro fan originally from Huddersfield who’d taken his own minibus earlier in the day for a good drink. Amongst their throng was an inflatable doll, who was dressed in a full Boro kit. 

There was much jollity, although the stewards were getting a bit bored when our fan cavorted with his friend, tripped up on the terraces, and had to be carted off to the hospital to have his ankle put in a pot!

at Kirklees Stadium

REM Concert (Tuesday 25th July 1995)

The Alfred McAlpine Stadium was still pretty new, so when a company in Scarborough advertised a trip to the gig, a few of us who drank in the Gas Club decided to go.

We set off just before lunch and arrived around 2pm, allowing us plenty of time in a pub over the road from the stadium on a beautiful afternoon. We headed to the stadium around 5pm to catch the end of Echobelly and then The Beautiful South, who stood in for Oasis, who had withdrawn a day earlier after yet another row between the Gallagher brothers.

The stadium was three-sided at the time of the concert. The Riverside Stand was a two-tier construction, with boxes dividing the levels. It contained the players' facilities and the directors' box. Opposite was the Kilner Bank Stand. This was a single tier of seats with the TV gantry hanging from the roof. 

To the left was the North Stand. Again, this was a single tier of steep seating, which was allocated to visiting fans on a match day. Each stand was semi-circular with large white piping above the roofs, which met in the corners, forming the base to the floodlight pylons.

We took up seats in the Kilner Bank Stand, although I also had a wander on the pitch. The facilities on the concourse were very good. REM played an excellent set, with Michael Stipe gaining local popularity by donning a Huddersfield Town shirt at the end of the gig. We got home in the early hours after an enjoyable but very long day out.

Huddersfield Town 0 Reading 1 (Saturday 14th December 2013) Football League Championship (att: 13,572)

I was slowly closing in on completing the ninety-two League grounds, and found myself with a random Saturday off from my annual leave. My old pal Martin Kaye, a Town fan, told me to get in touch when I was going to visit. He kindly booked the tickets, while I booked my travel.

My body was aching after a long Friday night out, taking plenty of stick from a couple of Aussie mates over The Ashes when I arrived at St Pancras. The Megabus journey took me by train to East Midlands Parkway before a coach transferred me to Huddersfield Bus Station at around 12.45.

Kado was awaiting my arrival in The Head of Steam, and after a quick pint, we moved on to the excellent Sportsman, which was voted the town's CAMRA pub of the year three times on the bounce. Sadly, the George Hotel, where the game of rugby league was formed, was closed as it was changing management. 

We then continued to The Gas Club, where it cost £1 day's membership to enter the large function room, which reminded me in many ways of the old Scarborough establishment. After a couple of pints, we walked the ten minutes to the stadium.

Kado, enjoying his day out!

Our seats were downstairs in the Riverside Stand and cost £24. An excellent programme set me back a further £3. To our left was the South Stand, which had been added since my previous visit. 

It was the tallest of all four stands with a steep upper tier and a temporary seating deck at the front that could be removed for events such as concerts. Again, it was of a semi-circular shape to match the other three stands.

Our view was good, and we had plenty of legroom owing to the relatively low attendance. Looking across to the stand opposite, with the trees behind it, and the driveway up to the stadium, had more of a look of a continental venue rather than an industrial northern town.

The game was tight. Reading looked impressive going forward. The Russian Pavel Pogrebnyak was excellent as he used his strength. Town got into some decent positions, but their final ball and crossing left a little to be desired, much to the annoyance of the bloke behind us. 

I had never heard anyone slate his own team as much as this guy. The slightest error was pounced upon. I nearly choked on my meat and potato pie at one point, as I was desperately trying not to laugh at his outbursts.

Pogrebnyak set up Billy Sharp to nod home after thirty-two minutes to the joy of the 495 travelling Royals fans. I offered the opinion that I could see the game ending 1-1 as we took shelter on the concourse.

Town gave it a go in the second period, but were badly missing the firepower of the injured James Vaughan. Reading looked dangerous on the break, but it didn’t look to be Town’s day when Martin Paterson had a shot that hit the foot of the post. 

Our moaner blamed the forward. He cleared off ten minutes before full time, no doubt to complain if his tea wasn’t up to scratch. He had the persona of Ripping Yarns ‘Golden Graham of Barnstoneworth United.

At full time, we managed to get back to the stunning old railway station and catch the 5.17 train to Leeds, where we relaxed and watched some of the Hull City v Stoke City match. My train back was booked for 7.05, so Martin joined me until he alighted for home at Doncaster.

The train back to London was a real human zoo, including an eclectic mixture of fans of different clubs. Some very obnoxious Royals fans who seemed to think they followed a big club all of a sudden were being extremely rude to an innocent, polite middle-aged Swindon fan. 

I listened to a nice older Reading fan chat to that rarest of things, a polite and interesting Leeds fan who once owned the Mildenhall Speedway team. Three noisy, drunk slappers got on at Newark to spoil the serenity, so I scarpered and sat by some delightful Orient fans, including just about the perfect family. 

I mused to myself that the filming of a live TV reality show on trains heading back after football would surely make for far more interesting, if scary viewing than the guff they currently commission? It had been yet another case of a top day out marred by a poor football game, although the stadium really was one of my favourites.

The images of Leeds Road have been taken from the pages of the internet, as I failed to take my camera with me on my visits.

Hampton & Richmond Borough

Hampton & Richmond Borough FC is a non-league football club who were formed in 1921 as Hampton FC. The club is based in Hampton, which is located on the north bank of the River Thames, around fifteen miles southwest of central London.

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After many years of playing in local competitions, the 'Beavers’ entered the Surrey Senior League in 1959. After winning the championship, the club progressed to the Spartan League in 1964. This move proved most successful as Hampton won the title in 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, and 1969-70, leading to a move to the Athenian League in 1971.

Two years later, Hampton were elected to the newly formed second division of the Isthmian League. In 1989-90, the club suffered its first relegation down to the third tier, but it regained its status a year later.

The 1995-96 campaign saw another promotion, this time to Division One, with the rise continuing with promotion to the Premier Division in 1997-98. The club added Richmond to adopt their present title in 1999 in an attempt to gain greater awareness and sponsorship opportunities with long-serving boss Chick Botley at the helm.

The club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time in 2000-01, going out to Barnet. In the summer of 2003, former West Ham United and England midfielder Alan Devonshire took over as manager, overseeing previously unknown successes after being relegated to Division One South the previous season.

Following the reorganisation of non-league football, The Beavers were placed in the Premier Division for the 2004-05 campaign. The team reached the play-offs, defeating Heybridge Swifts before being defeated by Fisher Athletic.

However, Hampton were not to be denied and were promoted to Conference South as Isthmian League champions in April 2006-07, thanks to victory on the final day of the season against Slough Town. In 2007-08, the Beavers made another first-round FA Cup appearance, losing out at home to Dagenham & Redbridge.

The 2008-09 season almost saw Hampton promoted once more, but they bowed out in the final of the playoffs. Victory over Chelmsford City could not be replicated in the final against Hayes & Yeading United.

My drawing of The Beveree, along with team kits from over the years.
Click on the image to enlarge it.

After a couple of disappointing seasons, Devonshire left the club to take on the role at Braintree Town in the Conference National. Hampton were relegated back to the Isthmian League at the end of the 2011-12 season under manager Mark Harper.

Harper resigned in April 2013 to be replaced by joint-managers Paul Barry and Darren Powell after a successful interim spell. However, the pair only lasted until the following September before former Kingstonian boss Alan Dowson was appointed.

Dowson’s side averted relegation before lifting the Isthmian League crown in 2015-16. Fine form from youngsters Jamal Lowe and Nicke Kabamba earned them moves to Portsmouth. The team reached the playoffs in 2016-17, going out in the semi-final to Ebbsfleet United.

Former chairman Graham Wood returned after a spell at Gateshead to lead a local consortium that funded a promotion push. The extra finance aided Hampton to gain a playoff place at the end of the 2017-18 season.

Wins against Truro City and Chelmsford City before missing out on promotion after losing in the final to Braintree Town at The Beveree after a penalty shootout. Two days later, Dowson resigned to take the manager’s job at Woking.

Hendon manager Gary McCann, who had also suffered playoff heartbreak on penalties, was appointed as the new manager at Hampton, signing many of his old team to join him. The Beavers reached the FA Cup first round, going down at home to Oldham Athletic in front of live TV cameras.

Chairman Wood stood down, leading to a cut in the playing budget, with Jacques Le Bars taking over. The club was bought by Ramayana Ventures in December 2022, following a mid-table finish the previous season. McCann was relieved of his duties in January 2023 to be replaced by Mel Gwinnett. 

The new man led his side to ninth place in 2023-24 before he was replaced by Alan Julian. Dowson returned as manager in December 2025.

Hampton & Richmond Borough FC will play in the National League South in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Hampton & Richmond Borough 0 Walton & Hersham 2 (Tuesday 29th December 1999) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 353)

Finding myself off work after returning from a Christmas visit to Scarborough, I found myself at a loose end, wanting to go to a match somewhere. It was a very cold evening, but a trip down to Hampton seemed appealing at the time.

I arrived fairly early and had a couple of beers and a whisky to keep out the chill before feeding at the snack bar. Some gents were complaining in the clubhouse as Fulham fans who’d just visited a ‘brutal’ Sheffield United side under Neil Warnock, which made me laugh.

The Beveree was a really nice venue. The Clubhouse End had a small raised seated Alan Simpson Stand, named after the loyal clubman and joint Steptoe & Son writer. The far side was flat, hard standing with a cover towards the near end. There was more of the same behind the far goal. 

The Popular Side had a seated stand in the centre and a decent-sized covered standing area at the near end. In all honesty, I can’t remember too much about the game, apart from the cold. Despite this, I found it a worthwhile night out.

Tuesday 6th September 2006

One regret I had from my visits to so many games was that I’d never taken any photos as a reminder. With a new digital camera in my possession, I’d already set out to put this right with a day out using my free travel pass from work whenever the opportunity arose.

I chose a pleasant late summer's day to visit the western extremes of London. Using my pass, I caught the train to Richmond and then a bus down to Hampton. The gates at The Beveree were open, and I got chatting to a pleasant club official.

Brentford's reserve team was to play a friendly behind closed doors later in the day, so he was preparing the facilities. The pitch looked immaculate. I was welcomed inside to take my photos before I headed off on the bus for a short ride to the home of Metropolitan Police to continue my quest.

Hampton & Richmond Borough 1 Dartford 2 (Tuesday 5th December 2019) National League South (att: 451)

They say that twenty-four hours is a long time in politics! Well, it’s nothing compared to how fast things can move and change in the world of non-league football. Hendon, the local side I followed, was having an extended awful run, save for an occasional improvement. It looked like the board was likely to keep the faith with manager Jimmy Gray. 

However, I woke after the night shift to find the news that he’d departed. While I didn’t always agree with the team’s tactics, I was gutted for Jimmy. He was a good man and never anything but 100% honest. The club would do well to find anyone who would work as hard as he did.

As it transpired, I’d already arranged to go to a match. It was high time that I made an effort to head to Hampton to see how former Hendon boss Gary McCann was getting on with the coaching team who followed him to the banks of the Thames.

A few of us had bumped into Gary and Fabio Valenti at the Hayes & Yeading against Hendon League match a couple of weeks previously, and it was a bit of a strange but really heart-warming experience.

They were wonderful and made things easy in what could have been an uncomfortable situation. Their move obviously left a few scars at Silver Jubilee Park. I don’t doubt that it was just as difficult for them. Time is a great healer, and I wanted to go and cheer for them in appreciation in return.

My pal Tony Foster was driving. We arrived just before kick-off owing to heavy traffic. Tony found a parking spot the other side of the church before we marched the five minutes or so towards the ground, where admission was £13 with a programme, a further £2.50.

The Beveree had the feel of a proper local football ground. Extra seating had been put down further along the main side to comply with the requirements for National League football, along with a cover behind the far goal. The rear section of terracing, where we stood, was being relaid and cordoned off.

The Darts fitted into the manager theme, as they’d recently appointed Steve King as their new boss, a man with a reputation for big spending. Indeed, he’d already taken new men to Princes Park, a couple of whom would have a big bearing on the match.

As mentioned, non-league football, along with players and management, sometimes doesn’t stop for breath. McCann had signed seven of his play-off side from Hendon, yet none remained for less than eighteen months later. Referee Sunny Gill, who I thought had a really good game, booked visiting forward Ky Marsh-Brown early in the piece. 

Hampton went on the offensive, with Charlie Wassmer and Matt Young both seeing headers go narrowly wide. Up at the other end, Dartford went perilously close to breaking the deadlock when a Norman Wabo header from a Marsh-Brown cross scraped the outside of the woodwork. It was developing into a good high-intensity encounter.

It was the Darts who opened the scoring after twenty-five minutes. Play between Cameron Brodie and Liam Gordon afforded Marsh-Brown the opportunity to fire low past keeper Dan Lincoln at his near post. However, the Beavers were level within a couple of minutes. Good movement from Tyrone Lewthwaite allowed him room in the box. 

He drew forward goalie Mark Smith before laying the ball square to Sam Deadfield, who slotted home into the unguarded net. It was time for me to go for a walk around the ground, both to take photos and to head round to the benches, hoping to catch a word at half time and say hello to old friends without interrupting their work.

Gary turned briefly towards the crowd in typical Gary fashion after a slack bit of play. He saw me and came straight across and said sorry for what had happened with Jimmy. Then Freddie Hyatt and Dave Smalley both took time with genuine embraces. It meant the world and epitomised their class. It was cathartic, even. 

I felt like I weighed a few stone less as I popped into Hammonds Bar to grab a pint and head back round to re-join my mate. If only I were! Meanwhile, the visitors retook the lead ten minutes before the interval. Wassmer's clumsy challenge upended the excellent signing from Eastbourne Borough, Elliott Romain. The striker got up and kept his composure to put away the spot kick despite Lincoln getting a good hand on it.

Lincoln went on to make two fantastic stops from Romain before half-time to keep his side in the game; first from a volley and then from an overhead kick. It was top-quality stuff with plenty of fireworks being provided on Guy Fawkes Night. At the break, I noticed a famous figure down against the pitchside fence. It was veteran commentator and Woking FC coach Martin Tyler. 

What a genuine, friendly football man with amazing knowledge he turned out to be. We chatted about how he started out taking over from Keith Macklin at Yorkshire TV when I was a young viewer, and how his career moved forward, as well as lots of non-league stuff and his current coaching, and previously when he and Alan Dowson were in situ at the Beveree.

He knew all about Scarborough and the rebirth of the new club, mentioning Neil Warnock and his impact in the area. His knowledge of Hendon was also impressive, though he wasn’t a fan of clubs using 3G pitches. Grabbing another pint before the start of the second half, I bumped into Tony, Gary McCann’s father-in-law, and a tremendous fan of his teams. 

I was having a cracking night. Even the real ale was top class. My pal Tony had also been chatting extensively with the bloke standing alongside us. Originally from Liverpool, he was the Dad of Dartford’s Cameron Brodie, so we ended up getting the lowdown on all things happening at the Kent club.

Tom Bonner blocked a Lewthwaite effort as the hosts pressed forward, looking for an equaliser. Romain continued to be a pest to the Beavers' defence with his physique and all-around play, setting up Gordon, who saw his effort saved by the legs of Lincoln. The Darts looked to shore up their defence to hold on to all three points. 

Ruaridh Donaldson fizzed a thirty-yarder over the Dartford bar with ten minutes left on the clock before a visitors’ break was well defended as the game came to an end. The pyrotechnics lit up the sky over the Thames as we walked back to the bar, with the temperature dropping. We’d been royally entertained, and I left in good form, delighted with the entire experience.

Dartford’s win lifted them to five points outside the play-offs. I was dropped off by Tony in time for me to head to Kingsbury for a beer before bedtime. The following evening, I was heading to Farnborough v Hendon. The Dons board hadn’t mucked about and had appointed Biggleswade Town boss Lee Allinson as the new manager after he’d resigned his post.

However, my thoughts were with the previous couple of managers and their backroom staff. All proper football people who’ve given me agonies and ecstasy from the terraces, but always gave nothing less than 100%. 

Hampton & Richmond Borough 2 Tonbridge Angels 0 (Tuesday 17th December 2019) FA Trophy Round One Replay (att: 238)

It’s a strange phenomenon, but I often go years without visiting a place, football ground, pub or restaurant, but find myself back within a few weeks, as exemplified with a quick return to the Beveree.

The weather had played its part. My originally intended match, Westfield v Tooting & Mitcham United, had fallen foul to the weather. When Tony said he was driving down to Hampton, I jumped at the opportunity, especially as I was off work the following day.

The traffic was light. Perhaps people were starting to knock off before Christmas? The good news was that there was time for me to enjoy a couple of the most palatable pints of Faversham Pale Ale before kick-off.

Hampton led 2-0 in the first game, going into stoppage time before somehow surrendering the lead; thus, necessitating the replay. They made their intentions clear from the off under the lights and went ahead in eight minutes through Danilo Orsi-Dadomo.

The goal brought a grin to my face. Former Hampton and Hendon defender Rian Bray, someone Gary McCann and his coaching team knew all about, had been exposed for pace. Perhaps a deliberate ploy from the home staff? Ryan Hill was having an excellent game up front for the Beavers, continually stretching the visiting defence. 

Angels were giving it a good go and looked dangerous for spells, cheered on by their supporters who were not huge fans of the referee. Home keeper Dan Lincoln made a couple of tidy saves before the interval when I caught up with Dave Smalley and grabbed another pint. The goalie coach must have been pleased with his student, as he made another important stop shortly into the second half.

More excellent play from Hill secured the tie when he laid square for Ruaridh Donaldson to double the lead just after the hour mark. The Hampton defence was put under quite a bit of pressure in the closing stages, and one good chance went begging.

An extended amount of stoppage time was added when a Tonbridge player needed treatment before being stretchered off. Boro closed out the remaining time to secure a second-round tie away to Yeovil Town. I was dropped back at West Harrow station so I could head to Kingsbury for a nightcap or two.

Matlock Town

Matlock Town FC is a non-league football club based in the former spa town of the same name in Derbyshire. The club was formed in 1878, originally as Matlock FC, joining the Midland Alliance in 1892.

The league disbanded just one year later, so Matlock joined the Midland League. Following World War Two the club added ‘Town’ to their title. As a Midland Counties League club, Matlock reached the FA Cup first round for the first time in 1960-61, going out to Crook Town.

‘The Gladiators’ joined the Midland League once again in 1961, as the move paid dividends as Town were crowned league champions in 1961-62. They repeated the feat in 1968-69 before becoming members of the Northern Premier League. 

The 1974-75 season saw Matlock go on a tremendous FA Trophy run, defeating the likes of King's Lynn, Tamworth, Ilford, Goole Town, and Burton Albion on the way to Wembley. Town beat favourites Scarborough 4-0 in an incredible final.

The side was led by former Sheffield Wednesday and England defender Peter Swan, who had previously been banned from the game for his part in match-fixing in the early 70’s. The team contained three brothers: Tom, Mick, and Nick Fenoughty.

The same season had seen Blackburn Rovers leave Causeway Lane in the first round of the FA Cup with a 4-1 victory. In 1976-77, under the management of Tom Fenoughty, Town reached the third round of the FA Cup after seeing off Telford United and Wigan Athletic, before hammering Mansfield Town 5-2 at Field Mill.

The run ended in a 5-1 defeat away to Carlisle United. Swan returned for a second spell in charge in 1980-81 before Matlock were runners-up in the Northern Premier League in 1984-85, around the time that Mick Wadsworth started out his managerial career.

My drawing of Causeway Lane, club crests, and Matlock team playing kits.
For a larger impression, click on the image.

Another FA Cup round one appearance came in 1989-90, with Matlock going down 4-1 away to Scunthorpe United. The team remained in the top division of their league competition before being relegated in 1995-96. Imre Varadi took charge of the team for the following couple of years. In 2003-04, the Gladiators ended in second place in the league under manager Ernie Moss to return to the Premier Division.

The pairing of Phil Brown and player Gareth Williams took over the role, remaining in charge until 2008, when replaced by former Premier League winner Mark Atkins, as several mid-table finishes ensued. Further, joint managers Martin Foster and Dave Rushbury took charge for the start of the 2014-15 season.

Mark Hume replaced the duo in January 2015, remaining in charge until May 2016, when he was replaced by further joint-managers, Glenn Kirkwood and Craig Hopkins, who remained at the helm until April 2018, when Dave Hoole was put in charge of the team.

Causeway Lane took on sponsors named Geoquip Stadium and then Reynolds Stadium to raise finances. Dave Frecklington became the new Matlock manager in September 2018 at the newly titled Autoworld Arena. Steve Kittrick was the next man in the manager’s chair, arriving at the DCJ Group Insurance Arena in May 2019.

2020 saw another change of ground sponsorship, with the Proctor Cars Stadium welcoming new manager Paul Phillips in January of that year. It was a tragic month for the club as midfielder Jordan Sinnott was attacked and died of head injuries on a night out. Matlock sat in twentieth position when the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons ended early owing to the outbreak of Coronavirus.

Phillips departed in September 2022, a few months after his side lost in the semifinals of the playoffs to Scarborough Athletic. Three months later, Martin Carruthers was appointed, taking the Gladiators to the 2022-23 playoffs, where they again lost their semifinal tie, this time to Warrington Town.

Nicky Law arrived as the new Matlock boss in May 2024, lasting a few months before Ryan Cresswell was brought in to replace him. He was succeeded by Adam Clayton in May 2025 after the side was relegated. A year later, Matlock reached the playoffs, where they were defeated in the semi-finals at home to Bradford (Park Avenue). 

Graham Drury was then appointed as manager, before resigning a week later.

Matlock Town FC will play in the Northern Premier League East Division in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Matlock Town 6 Scarborough 0 (Monday 7th May 1979) Northern Premier League (att:602)

Scarborough’s spell as a Northern Premier League club was coming to an end, and this penultimate game was played on a Bank Holiday Monday. I had travelled with my Dad and brothers, Paul and Nick, on the Supporters Club coach.

It was pouring down with rain when we arrived at Causeway Lane, so we didn’t get the benefits of seeing its aesthetic qualities. We got there not long before kick-off and scurried straight round to the Main Stand.

This stand stood on the halfway line and was seated. There was open terracing on either side. Behind the left-hand goal was open flat hard standing, with the cricket ground behind the other end. On the far Causeway Lane Side was a long, low cover with a few seats at one end, with the rest for standing spectators.

No programmes were available, but a friendly local dug out some back issues for me. I recall being impressed as there was a snack bar at the back of our stand, as well as one on the other side. Boro were absolutely blown away. A young Steve Gosling in goal was no match for the big, bustling forwards, who headed home. The score was either four or five at the interval. It was certainly an eye-opener as we looked forward to our first season in the Alliance Premier League, now the Football Conference.

Since my Visit

A roof and terrace were both erected behind the goal in the 1980's. A new Main Stand replaced the old wooden structure in the 2000's.

The photos on this page have been scanned from a book and via Google Maps, as I didn't take a camera on my visit.