Terriers to the Top

[MJ4H]

7/10/2005 HUDDERSFIELD HIRE JONES AS MANAGER

The Huddersfield Town Terriers announced today that Matt Jones, an unknown upstart from the USA, will be the team's new manager. Chairman Ken Davy mentioned in his introduction of Jones to the media that he expects the team to achieve a respectable position in the League One table this season. Neither promotion nor relegation are likely to be a concern this year, so it is a good time for a change.

7/10/2005 HUDDERSFIELD CONTENT WITH SQUAD

News of the transfer budget was leaked to the press today along with the likely wage budget. New manager Matt Jones will have only $95,000 to spend on bringing in new talent. Given this tiny sum, Jones will likely stay with most of the current squad for this season. Wages will be kept in the neighborhood of $2,300,000 per year.

7/10/2005 LIVERPOOL DRAW HAVNAR BOLTFELAG IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFYING ROUND

Liverpool must travel to Faroe Islands to play against the standout Havnar Boltfelag squad in a qualification match for the European Champions League competition. The winner of this match will play either Zrinkjski (Bosnia and Herzegovina) or Rabotnicki (FYR of Macedonia). Liverpool should be heavy favorites in this and the upcoming matches.

7/13/2005 CROUCH'S HALFTIME STRIKE BEATS HB

Peter Crouch scored in the 44th minute to help Liverpool win the first leg match in the Faroe Islands over underdog HB. Liverpool overcame a red card in the 10th minute for Luis Garcia to notch the single goal victory. The away goal should give Liverpool a huge advantage for the second leg at Anfield.

7/16/2005 TERRIERS TACKLE LEAGUE TWO SIDE MACCLESFIELD IN FRIENDLY

New manager Matt Jones said he likes to let his assistant managers show their stuff in friendly matches, and he plans to allow lead assistant Terry Yorath handle most of the managing duties. Jones explained that it gives him a chance to see what his assistants excel at and how they handle in-game situations under match conditions.

A late goal for Macclesfield broke a 1-1 stalemate and handed the Terriers a friendly match defeat in their opener. Pawel Abbott scored for the home side in the 54th minute to equalize.

7/19/2005 HUDDS DEFENDER MIRFIN DRAWING ATTENTION

Premier League side Portsmouth are rumored to be casting an eye towards one of the Terriers' own. Dave Mirfin mentioned that he was intrigued by the idea of moving up to such a big stage, but new manager Matt Jones attempted to calm the rumors by issuing a hands-off warning. "Mirfin is absolutely the soul of our back line, and we can't afford to be without him. We will be doing everything we can to keep him home and happy."

David Mirfin

[MJ4H]

7/19/2005 CHAMPIONSHIP SQUAD ASSERTS SUPERIORITY IN FRIENDLY

Preston North End dimmed the spirits of the Terriers today in the first match of the season at home. Dave Hibbert scored both goals in a 7 minute span, late in the second half, to secure the victory for the Championship side.

7/20/2005 MIRFIN CONTINUES TO ATTRACT ATTENTION

Another Premier League team, this time Wigan Athletic, have come calling about David Mirfin. Huddersfield manager Matt Jones reconfirmed his stance that Mirfin is not for sale at any price.

7/20/2005 LIVERPOOL CRUISE BY HB

Liverpool easily progressed to the next match in Champions League Qualification today with a 3-0 win at home. The three goals were enough for a 4-0 aggregate victory. Next on the slate for the Reds is Rabotnicki.

7/22/2005 HUDDERSFIELD NOTCH FIRST FRIENDLY VICTORY

Scottish side Dundee were the victims today as the Terriers finally got a victory in preseason friendly play, 2-1. Pawel Abbott opened the scoring in the 14th minute and Matthew Young broke a 1-1 tie with a penalty kick in the 83rd minute.

7/27/2005 LIVERPOOL STUNNED BY RABOTNICKI

Rabotnicki picked up an unlikely victory over Liverpool, 2-1 today. The second leg should provide a lot of spark. Liverpool's single away goal could be key.

7/29/2005 HUDDERSFIELD TUNE UP AGAINST CONFERENCE SIDE WEYMOUTH

Pawel Abbott and Anthony Lloyd scored goals in today's friendly against Conference South squad Weymouth. Bad news for the Terriers came near the end of the first half as striker Andy Booth came off with a groin strain. He will miss at least 2 weeks and maybe up to a month of play.

Pawel Abbott



8/2/2005 SCARBOROUGH HOST TERRIERS IN FRIENDLY

Conference National squad Scarborough held Huddersfield scoreless today, but likewise were unable to break through. Hudds manager Matt Jones commented on his team's lathargic performance following the game, twice mentioning that his players could not seem to gain possession from the home side througout the match. Huddersfield open League One play in 4 days at home against Brentford.

[MJ4H]

8/3/2005 LIVERPOOL BLAST PAST RABOTNICKI

Peter Crouch, Jamie Carragher, and Djibril Cisse all scored, and despite playing with ten men, Liverpool put away Rabotnicki to move through to the thrid qualifying stage of the European Champions League today. John Arne Riise was sent off just before halftime, though the Reds already led 2-0. Cisse added one in the 54th minute to seal the deal.

8/5/2005 HUDDERSFIELD DRAW LEAGUE TWO SIDE ROCHDALE IN LEAGUE CUP

The match is scheduled to take place on 8/24/2005 at Spotland in Rochdale.

8/5/2005 BOOTH, RACHUBKA OUT FOR BRENTFORD MATCH

Keeper Paul Rachubka and Forward Andy Booth will not be among those on the field or bench for Huddersfield in their league opener against Brentford. Jones mentioned being disappointed that Rachubka didn't make it back in time for the match, but having full confidence in backup keeper Phil Senior, who will play in tomorrow's match. Rachubka has been recovering from a back strain and should be back in action very soon. Gary Taylor-Fletcher is expected to replace Andy Booth in the lineup. Speedy reserve Junior Mendes could also see action as a substitute at the forward spot.

8/6/2005 BRENTFORD VISITS THE GALPHARM STADIUM TO OPEN LEAGUE ONE PLAY

Brentford, a tough match-up for the Terriers in their opener, come out in a 4-4-2 formation with attacking runs from the outside midfielders. Huddersfield show their opponents a straight up diamond 4-4-2 formation. Unfortunately, a mistake by James Hand and fill-in keeper Phil Senior leads to an early goal for Brentford, finished easily by Ryan Jarvis in the 13th minute. Gary Taylor-Fletcher burns one home in the 34th minute to equalize, and, despite Brentford having slightly more of the play, the teams go into halftime tied 1-1.

In the 66th minute, due to fatigue issues, Mark Hudson and Junior Mendes come on to replace Pawel Abbott and James Hand. A rather uneventful second half passes mostly without incident. After Ahmed picks up a yellow in addition to being exhausted and not playing well, Lee Fowler is brought on to replace him in the 90th minute to clean up safely. Four minutes of added time see nothing special until Chris Brandon narrowly misses the top bar just before time expires. Huddersfield were slightly disappointed to come away with just a draw, but will certainly take the result against a tough opponent in their opener with a new manager.

Game Day 1 Highlights, Huddersfield vs. Brentford

[MJ4H]

8/6/2005 LEAGUE ONE OFF TO EXCITING START


Gambling website totalbet.com has released their odds for promotion for this season. The favorites are Tranmere at 6 to 4. Other serious contenders are Nottingham Forest (7 to 4), Brentford, Bristol City, and Hartlepool (each 2 to 1), and Huddersfield (10 to 1). It would be an uphill battle, but finishing in the playoff spots is at least a very acheiveable goal for the Terriers this season, according to the oddsmakers.

8/9/2005 FORMER CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM GILLINGHAM NEXT FOR TERRIERS

Gillingham have been tagged as favorites for the upcoming match with Huddersfield at Priestfield. Huddersfield will still be without two key players, Paul Rachubka and Andy Booth.

8/9/2005 HUDDERSFIELD TRAVELS TO PRIESTFIELD TO TAKE ON GILLINGHAM

Two key injuries still plague the Terriers as they travel to Gillingham. The same lineup will be submitted for the match as was submitted for the Brentford match, but Jones will have a close eye on a couple of players that didn't perform to his expectations in the opener.

Mendes comes on for an over-worked Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Nathan Clarke makes his debut replacing Andy Holdsworth who picked up an injury in the 16th minute. The scoring is opened in the 28th minute when Pawel Abbott intercepts a bad backpass and knocks it home from a good distance. The first half comes to a close with chances being just about even, but Gillingham having slightly more possession.

Mendes gets on the scoresheet for Huddersfield in the 53rd minute as he pounds home a rebound off of a Pawel Abbott shot to give the Terriers a surprising 2-0 lead. Gillingham answer back almost immediately when Scaramozzino fires a free kick over the wall and into the back of the net. Mark Hudson again replaces James Hand, this time in the 88th minute. After two minutes of extra time, the final whistle is blown, and Huddersfield wins 2-1.

Game Day 2 Highlights, Gillingham vs. Huddersfield

8/9/2005 HOLDSWORTH OUT FOR ABOUT A MONTH

Defender Andrew Holdsworth suffered a fractured arm in today's match with Gillingham and will have to see a specialist. Team doctor Martin Lee estimates he will be out of action for about a month.

8/10/2005 HUDDERSFIELD EYES SWANSEA RESERVE PLAYER

Versatile midfielder Andy Robinson is said to be one of several targets for Matt Jones in his quest to add depth to the midfield, particularly the left side, for his Huddersfield team.

Andy Robinson

[MJ4H]

This dynasty is being run using Football Manager 2006. I have tried the demo of 2009, but due to a number of things, I was pretty disappointed with it. I liked the improvements in gameplay, but I was pretty disturbed by some of the other choices that SI made. I have decided not to purchase 2009 since I still greatly enjoy 2006 and 2009 comes with a lot of headaches.

I will be improving the presentation as I go in this dynasty. I am experimenting with making some simple highlights for key games and putting them on youtube to embed. This will be a learn as I go process as to what works and what doesn't. So far, I'm pleased with a few things, but disappointed with some other things (esp that the ball is difficult to see due to compression). I am open to suggestions on this and other presentation aspects.

I have been known to start dynasties and abandon them fairly quickly in the past. That should be different this time. This will be my first FM dynasty, and when I get into FM, I get into it. That alone should make this dynasty last. I hope to have some readers, and if you are one, let me know! It makes things much more enjoyable for me to know who is reading along. Chime in! Make requests, recommendations, comments, criticisms, whatever, but please make your presence known!

Thanks for reading.

[NoSkillz]

Love the videos...which software do you use to capture them?

Oh, and I'm reading

[MJ4H]

8/10/2005 ENGLISH TEAMS IN THIRD QUALIFYING PHASE OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Everton is set to play Sporting CP (Portugal) while Liverpool will match-up against Austrian team Rapid Wien. Manchester United also has a match vs. Brondby (Denmark).

All three english teams will be at home for the first leg.

8/10/2005 ONE WIN AND TWO DRAWS IN QUALIFYING FOR EPL SQUADS

Liverpool was the only one of three english sides in Champions League qualifying play to come out with a win. Zenden and Antwi both scored to lift the Reds to a 2-0 win. Everton drew 2-2 and Manchester United drew 1-1.

8/13/2005 HUDDERSFIELD IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH SWANSEA FOR ROBINSON

Word was leaked today that Swansea had made a counter-offer in the negotiations for versatile midfielder Andy Robinson. Sources say Huddersfield is anxious to start contract discussions with Robinson.

8/13/2005 AARON HARDY TO GLOUCESTER?

Sources say that Huddersfield has agreed to a $20,000 bid for the services of 19 year old defender Aaron Hardy by Gloucester.

8/13/2005 TOM CLARKE TO ENTER LINEUP AGAINST RECENTLY RELEGATED ROTHERHAM

Paul Rachubka will be back for today's game but only as an emergency substitute as he is still recovering from injury. Assistant manager Terry Yorath was quoted as saying he is still significantly less than 50% strength at this point. Andy Holdsworth is out with a fractured arm and will be replaced by Tom Clarke, who is rumored to be about to go on loan to one of several other clubs. Hudds manager Matt Jones, however, has said he never loans a player he may need without a recall clause.

Huddersfield enjoy a majority of possession in the first half, as well as superior scoring chances. Only an absolutely stellar save by keeper Gary Montgomery keeps Huddersfield off of the scoreboard in the first half, in fact. But off the scoreboard they are, and at halftime it is 0-0.

Disaster strikes in the 60th minute, as star striker Pawel Abbott goes down with an injury. Junior Mendes comes on to replace him. This was particularly poorly timed as Mendes was just about to come on for Taylor-Fletcher who yet again is showing signs of early fatigue.

The substitution proved productive, however, as Mendes scores in the 78th minute. Hudson comes on to replace Hand yet again just after. Mendes even adds a second goal in the 2nd extra minute, and Huddersfield win yet again. 2-0 is the final.

Match Day 3 highlights, Huddersfield vs. Rotherham


8/13/2005 ABBOTT OUT AT LEAST A WEEK

Striker Pawel Abbott suffered a bruised rib during the match with Rotherham and will miss one to two weeks, Martin Lee told the media Saturday. The striker position is one that manager Matt Jones had mentioned needed to be backed up with some depth.

Unfortunately, that depth had not been added before Abbott went down today. This will be a good test for Jones to try and fill the hole before the ship starts to sink.

8/16/2005 HUDDERSFIELD SEND ONE AND OFFER ONE

The deal to send Aaron Hardy to Gloucester was completed today. Andy Robinson of Swansea was also reported to have entered contract negotiations with Huddersfield and was expected to accept the Terriers offer of approximately $130,000 per year with bonuses.

8/16/2005 RACHUBKA RETURNS FROM INJURY

Paul Rachubka has fully recovered and is training fully with the team again. Manager Matt Jones had mentioned that the team were extremely proud of the job Phil Senior had done in replacing Rachubka.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by NoSkillz

Love the videos...which software do you use to capture them?

Oh, and I'm reading

I use Cam Studio to capture and Cyberlink Power Director to edit. I don't think I'll make a video for every game, but I will until I get tired of it and then I might switch to only big games or something. Lots of fun so far. Glad to have you reading!

[MJ4H]

8/19/2005 HUDDERSFIELD AGREES TO DEAL WITH ANDY ROBINSON

The $70,000 deal with Swansea was completed today. Robinson's contract includes yearly wages of $130,000 and bonuses for goals and assists. The signing drew a mixed reaction from Huddersfield fans, some of which apparently think Robinson may be disruptive to the team's chemistry. The Terriers will likely follow up with a deal for a striker based on the manager's comments of late.

8/20/2005 TERRIERS TRAVEL TO YEOVIL FOR LEAGUE ONE MATCH

Oddsmakers give this one to Huddersfield, but Yeovil have performed well thus far, with 6 points through 3 matches. The Terriers have only 7 points through 3 matches themselves, but have played stout competition to this point.

Ruled out: Pawel Abbott, Andrew Holdsworth, Andy Booth. Paul Rachubka will be on the bench for the start of the game. Phil Senior will once again mind the net for the Terriers while Rachubka regains his match-form. Youngster John McAliskey will be called up from the reserve team to fill the bench striker spot. Taylor-Fletcher and Mendes will start up front.

In the first half of the match, Taylor-Fletcher continues to display absolutely disastrous finishing abilities in addition to tiring out almost immediately. Yeovil thoroughly dominate the match with 9 shots to Huddersfield's 1. Possession is also 52/48 to Yeovil. Young John McAliskey is likely to see some action in the second half.

In the 53rd minute, Taylor-Fletcher strikes a nice ball into the right corner of the net and gives Huddersfield a 1-0 lead! He can look awful one minute and spectacular the next. After he picks up a yellow in the 70th minute, it is time to bring the exhausted fellow off. In comes McAliskey. He might provide a nice spark.

And he does! In the 77th minute he takes a nice forward flick from Mendes, dribbles wide and finds Chris Brandon for a 2-0 lead. That has to feel good for the reserve. In the 80th minute Andy Robinson bangs home a rebound off of a Chris Brandon shot and the lead is 3-0. In the 87th minute, Mendes turns it into a rout off of another rebound. 4-0 is the final scoreline.

Game day 4 highlights, Yeovil vs. Huddersfield

[Izulde]

Yeah, real disruptor to team chemistry there when he scores a goal in his Huddersfield debut.

[MJ4H]

8/20/2005 WIN PLACES HUDDERSFIELD AT TOP OF LEAGUE ONE TABLE

Huddersfield, Bristol Ciy, and Doncaster are tied on points at the top of the League One table, but Huddersfield, by virtue of their +7 goal differential, are in first place, narrowly edging out the +6 of Bristol City. Each of the top 3 teams has 10 points after 4 games. Port Vale and Nottingham Forest are at the bottom of the table with 0 points after 4 games.

8/22/2005 ANDY BOOTH RETURNS TO DAILY TRAINING

A groin injury had sidelined aerial star striker Andy Booth, but today team doctors cleared him to resume full training.

8/22/2005 FOUR TERRIERS NAMED TO LEAGUE ONE "TEAM OF THE WEEK"



8/22/2005 LEAGUE TWO SIDE SNOOPING AROUND THE RESERVE SQUAD

It has been rumored that League Two side Carlisle have offered $55,000 for Huddersfield Reserve Danny Schofield. Manager Matt Jones responded to the rumor today by telling the media his policy on the reserve team is basically that they are a "scrimmaging transfer list."

8/23/2005 Manager Matt Jones was spotted scouting at Conference National side Burton's practice today. Speculation was that his eye was on attacker Colin Marrison. Jones will need to hurry since the transfer deadline is just over one week away.

8/24/2005 RACHUBKA, ABBOTT RETURN TO LINEUP FOR LEAGUE CUP OPENER

Andy Booth is also available but will sit out this match. Rachubka and Abbott will both start.
Strikers: Abbott, Mendes. Midfield: Brandon, Robinson, Ahmed, Worthington. Defenders: Adams, McIntosh, Mirfin, Clarke. Keeper: Rachubka.

21st minute: Abbott scores a header off of a nice pass from Mendes
23rd minute: Rochdale answers 1-1
45th minute: McIntosh scores a beautiful freekick

Halftime: Rochdale 1:2 Huddersfield

51st minute: Rochdale goal disallowed for offsides
73rd minute: Taylor-Fletcher on for Abbott, Hand on for Mendes (Robinson moves up top, Hand to ML)
85th minute: Taylor-Fletcher hammers a corner home with his head for a 3-1 lead

Final score Rochdale 1:3 Huddersfield

8/24/2005 ENGLISH TEAMS ELIMINATED FROM CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFYING

Manchester United lost 1-0 (2-1 agg) to Brondby of Denmark today. Everton lost 1-0 (3-2 agg) to Sporting CP of Portugal. Liverpool will play Rapid Wien of Austria next week, leading 2-0 on aggregate.

8/25/2005 HUDDERSFIELD ANNOUNCE SALE OF DANNY SCHOFIELD TO CARLISLE

The rumors were true as Schofield told media members that he had indeed agreed to join Carlisle. Huddersfield were compensated $55,000 for his services. No details were released about Schofield's contract.

8/27/2005 HUDDERSFIELD TO PLAY UP IN ROUND TWO

The draw for round 2 of the league cup saw Huddersfield scheduled to travel to take on Luton Town from the Coca-Cola Championship.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Yeah, real disruptor to team chemistry there when he scores a goal in his Huddersfield debut.

Yeah, I'm not sure where that came from, really. I expect good things from him.

[MJ4H]

8/27/2005 HUDDERSFIELD TAKE ON STRUGGLING SWANSEA

Andy Booth is almost full speed and will return to the lineup for this one. This puts the regular starters Booth and Abbott in for the first time this season. Look for more headers off of corners and crosses with Booth back in. Taylor-Fletcher and Mendes will rotate for the bench spot with Taylor-Fletcher getting the nod today.

The first half is mostly uneventful with 3 shots per side, but each of Huddersfield's shots were quality, on target chances requiring a pretty good save. Booth seems to be holding up pretty well endurance-wise and will stay in for the second half. Andy Robinson looks a little winded and will come off for Tony Carss who is seeing action for the first time this season.

Danny Adams pushes a Swansea player on the edge of the box in the 70th minute and the referee awards a penalty. Swansea capitalize and it is 1-0. Taylor-Fletcher is brought on to try to provide a spark with some fresh legs. Booth comes off to a nice ovation. A nice turn of events in the 85th minute. A long pass from Mirfin connects with Taylor-Fletcher, whose fresh legs indeed help him past the defense. He gets the ball to Abbott who is tripped in the box and gets the penalty called! Taylor-Fletcher pounds the penalty home to equalize. With time running low, Mark Hudson comes on to replace Jonathan Worthington. Taylor-Fletcher misses a sitter in the 93rd and Huddersfield will have to settle for the draw today.

8/29/2005 SHEFFIELD UNITED'S COLIN MARRISON TO JOIN TERRIERS

Huddersfield has purchased speedy forward Colin Marrison from Sheffield United for $45,000, Jones told the media today. Marrison will be unable to join the team until January 16th, though, due to the deal taking longer than expected and not being completed until after the transfer deadline. Huddersfield will likely have adequate cover until then with the return of Booth and emergence of Junior Mendes and Gary Taylor-Fletcher. Even new signee Andy Robinson can be moved up top in cases of need.

8/29/2005 HUDDERSFIELD TRAVEL TO TAKE ON OLDHAM IN LEAGUE ONE CLASH

Jones submitted a minor surprise today as his lineup card showed Junior Mendes starting at one of the striker positions, along with Pawel Abbott. When questioned, Jones commented that he had been very pleased with the play of Mendes to this point and wanted to give him the shot he had earned. The timing does appear to be right with Booth still not at 100% and tired from his triumpant return in the previous match. The rest of the lineup is unchanged.

In the 29th minute, a fluke leads to a 2 on none breakaway for Oldham, after Huddersfield having dominated the first 28 minutes. The goal comes off of a rebound from a desperate Paul Rachubka save, and Oldham shockingly lead 1-0. The goal sparks Oldham, and their increased energy leads to a few more chances, but Huddersfield go into halftime having thoroughly dominated the run of play and trailing 1-0.

Andy Robinson has looked lively and is being considered for a move up front in the second half. Booth is also there waiting to come on. Abbott looks to be more tired than Mendes, but Mendes is not showing up so far like he has. The second half is likely to see some changes early on.

A critical error by the Oldham keeper in the 48th minute allows Pawel Abbott to walk in uncontested and the match is once again equal. Huddersfield are awarded a penalty in the 65th minute which Martin McIntosh confidently knocks home. The 74th minute sees McIntosh knock home his second goal off of a free kick. When it rains, it pours. Tony Carss is brought on for Ahmed who is tired and on a yellow, and Taylor-Fletcher is brought on for Abbott who is looking tired.

Almost immediately, Oldham counter off of a botched corner kick and hit back to pull within a goal, 3-2. Another fluke in the 85th minute and Oldham draw level! To attempt to fire a late spark, Andy Booth replaces Junior Mendes, but there are only about 5 minutes left to play. Jones really wants these 3 points. It's not to be, though, and the match ends 3-3.

Game Day 6 highlights, Oldham vs. Huddersfield

[MJ4H]

Last two videos have been on dailymotion.com instead of youtube. If anyone has a problem viewing these, let me know.

[MJ4H]

8/29/2005 LIVERPOOL THROUGH TO GROUP STAGE

Liverpool defeated Rapid Wien 1-0 to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League. Group C features Liverpool with Villarreal, Club Brugge, and Udinese. Group D contains Chelsea, Barcelona, Sporting CP, and Trabzonspor. Group E features Arsenal, Lyon, Ajax, and Werder Bremen. Play is scheduled to begin in just over 2 weeks time.

8/31/2005 RACHUBKA LEAVES FOR INTERNATIONAL DUTY

American Paul Rachubka has been called up by manager Bruce Arena for a match against Costa Rica. Rachubka is typically the third keeper to see action for Bruce Arena behind Keller and Tim Howard.

9/1/2005 WORTHINGTON WINS PLAYER OF THE MONTH FOR AUGUST

Jonathan Worthington has seen action in all 6 league games this season and has two assists. His average rating of 7.83 is tops on the team. Recent transfer Andy Robinson came in 3rd in the voting with most of his play coming for Swansea.

9/3/2005 ENGLAND TO OPEN GROUP PLAY IN WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

England has been drawn to group 6 in World Cup Qualifying along with Poland, Austria, N. Ireland, Wales, and Azerbaijan. England opens play on the road against Wales.

9/3/2005 16 YEAR OLD KEEPER MOVED TO BENCH FOR HARTLEPOOL CLASH

Youngster Simon Eastwood might hope he gets to see the field in today's League One match with Hartlepool, but pretty much everyone else from Huddersfield hopes he doesn't. While Paul Rachubka is representing his country, the Terriers are down to one senior squad keeper, Phil Senior. Eastwood has been called up to the senior team to ensure there is adequate backup in case of disaster.

The first half is very uneventful with the two teams splitting possession 48/52 in favor of Hartlepool, but with Huddersfield having more scoring opportunities, 4-2. No goals, however. Pawel Abbott had a very rough half, coming in with a solid 5 rating and under 80% condition. If there is no spark from him early on, look for Gary Taylor-Fletcher to replace him soon.

In the 69th minute, both Abbott and Booth come off for Carss (who moves Robinson up front) and Taylor-Fletcher. Nothing of note happens the rest of the way, and the game ends in yet another draw, 0-0.

9/3/2005 ENGLAND GET THREE POINTS

Jermain Defoe scored for England in the 10th minute, and John Oster took the blame for an own goal just before halftime as England defeated Wales 2-0.

9/5/2005 CARSS SIDELINED

Tony Carss suffered a groin strain during training today and will likely miss 2-4 weeks

9/7/2005 ANDY HOLDSWORTH RETURNS TO ACTION

The arm fracture healed, Andy Holdsworth looked lively returning to full training today. Spirits were high as Holdsworth shouted encouragement to his teammates during training. Commenting afterwards, manager Matt Jones mentioned Holdsworth's energy was not unique to him. Many players were excited to still be without a defeat this far into the season.

9/7/2005 ENGLAND TRAVEL TO TAKE ON NORTHERN IRELAND

David Beckham scored a penalty just before halftime and John Terry added a goal in the second half to down Northern Ireland 2-0.

[MJ4H]

9/10/2005 TERRIERS HOST BOURNEMOUTH

Tony Carrs is the only Huddersfield regular that is unavailable today so the standard lineup will be submitted with Booth and Abbott at the front.

29th minute: Pawel Abbott squeezes the ball between the keeper and the near post to open the scoring.
Halftime: Andy Holdsworth is replaced in the lineup by Tom Clarke because of fatigue.
57th minute: Chris Brandon scores off of his own rebound, 2-0.
77th minute: Gary Taylor-Fletcher comes on for Pawel Abbott because of fatigue.
90th minute: David Mirfin sent off for grabbing the shirt when beaten on a breakaway. Huddersfield switch to 4-3-2 flat and Nathan Clarke comes on for Jonathan Worthington to get enough defenders.
Fulltime: 2-0 Huddersfield wins!



David Mirfin will be banned for his next match due to being sent off today. Huddersfield are now unbeaten through their first eight games

9/13/2005 LIVERPOOL TAKE ON CLUB BRUGGE WHILE CHELSEA MATCHUP WITH SPORTING CP IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP PLAY

Morientes and Cisse each scored as Liverpool downed Club Brugge 2-0. Arjen Robben scored Chelsea's lone goal in the 1-1 draw with Sporting CP.

9/14/2005 ARSENAL TRAVEL TO FRANCE TO TAKE ON LYON

Lauren scored a pair of penalties sandwiched aroud Thierry Henry's goal in Arsenal's 3-1 victory over Lyon, Wednesday.

9/15/2005 ENGLISH TEAMS WAKE UP WITH GAMES TO PLAY IN THE EUFA CUP

The following english teams will play today in the EUFA Cup: Middlesbrough (vs. Legia), Man United (vs. Hajduk), Bolton (vs. Metalurgs), and Everton (vs. Willem II).

Results: Middlesbrough win 2-0, Man United win 3-0, Bolton draw 1-1, Everton win 2-0.

[NoSkillz]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

Last two videos have been on dailymotion.com instead of youtube. If anyone has a problem viewing these, let me know.

FWIW, I can't see the videos on IE. I'll try Firefox...

EDIT: No problems with Firefox!

[MJ4H]

9/17/2005 TERRIERS TRAVEL TO TAKE ON SOUTHEND

25th minute: Pawel Abbott hits the far corner, 1-0
Halftime: Everyone playing well, no one overly tired, lineup should stay the same.
77th minute: Taylor-Fletcher comes on for Abbott because of fatigue.
Chris Brandon is having a whale of a game, rating: 9
84th minute: Mark Hudson on for Andy Robinson because of fatigue.
90th minute: Chris Brandon caps his performance with a lovely goal and man-of-the-match honors.

9/21/2005 HUDDERSFIELD TRAVEL TO TAKE ON CHAMPIONSHIP SIDE LUTON IN LEAGUE CUP

Jones has decided to start Junior Mendes in place of Andy Booth in an attempt to encourage Booth to produce at a higher level.

15th minute: Nathan Clarke appears to have picked up a minor injury, but his overall condition is not affected.
37th minute: A disaster on the back line leads to an easy goal for Luton, 1-0.
Halftime: 9-1 on shots for Luton, 52/48 possession for Luton. It's ugly out there.
50th minute: Abbott gets on the end of a cross and knocks it home to equalize 1-1.
61st minute: Martin McIntosh works his free kick magic and gives Huddersfield a 2-1 lead.
88th minute: Hudson on for Ahmed due to fatigue.
Fulltime: 2-1 Huddersfield victory! This despite shots being 15-5 and possession 51/49 for Luton.

9/24/2005 HUDDERSFIELD DRAW HOME MATCH AGAINST CHELSEA IN LEAGUE CUP

Attendance is expected to be at an all-time high next month when Premiership side Chelsea comes to town. Manager Matt Jones had a smirk on his face when his team came up opposite Chelsea in the draw. "I've never been one to be afraid of a challenge," he said, diplomatically, afterwards.

[MJ4H]

9/24/2005 HUDDERSFIELD BACK IN LEAGUE ONE ACTION AT MK DONS

Gary Taylor-Fletcher is on the lineup card opposite Pawel Abbott. Andy Booth will be expected to join the action at some point.

MK Dons get off to a fast start but soon Huddersfield recover and start asserting themselves. 15th minute, Taylor-Fletcher gets loose with the ball in the penalty area and sneaks one past the keeper for a 1-0 lead. A good performance from Gary here may seal him into the lineup on a more permanent basis. Booth may have to work to get his spot back.

At halftime, everyone is in good shape and Jones is pleased with the performace of almost everyone, so the lineup should stay the same.

75th minute: Rachubka makes a brilliant save to hold the lead at 1-0. Booth comes on to replace Abbott, who is getting a little tired.

78th minute: Rachubka again keeps the lead safe by closing down the angle and making a tough save on a breakaway.

Full-time: 1-0 Huddersfield victory. Chris Brandon again is awarded man-of-the-match with a 9 rating.

9/24/2005 VICTORY MARKS TEN STRAIGHT UNBEATEN FOR HUDDERSFIELD

Huddersfield manager Matt Jones has gotten off to a flying start at Huddersfield. With 10 games under his belt at the helm, he has still yet to see the bottom of the scoreline. Additionally, Jones's team has even scored an impressive win in the League Cup over a Coca-Cola Championship team. In the coming weeks, everyone will be anxious to see if Huddersfield can stay on the top shelf of the league table and especially to see if the team's heroics can extend far enough to compete with Premiership juggernaut Chelsea.

League One Table:

[MJ4H]

9/27/2005 ARSENAL SET TO HOST WERDER BREMEN

Arsenal sit atop Champions League Group E with 3 points. Ajax and Werder Bremen are in the middle with 1 point apiece, and Lyon are at the bottom with 0.

9/27/2005 HUDDERSFIELD TRY TO REMAIN UNBEATEN AGAINST WALSALL

Standard lineup today. Tony Carss is available but nowhere near 100% so will not suit up for the game today. Abbott and Fletcher start in front with Booth and Mendes ready to jump in.

12th minute: Taylor-Fletcher continues to impress and gets on the end of a long ball to head it in. No doubt who Huddersfield's second striker is for the time being.
25th minute: TF shows his unselfish side and instead of pounding home a goal into an open net, finds Abbott who has an even clearer shot. 2-0.
28th minute: Ahmed has picked up an injury and looks tired already. However, before he can come off the field, he fires a perfect corner kick to Pawel Abbott who turns and hits the back of the net. 3-0. Hudson replaces Ahmed after the goal.
39th minute: For some reason, Mirfin shows up completely exhausted suddenly. No injuries apparent. Danny Adams replaces him.
Halftime: 4 shots on goal, all 4 on target, 3 goals. No one else is really tired and I like to hold a sub until the very end if I can for emergencies.
67th minute: TF scores his second after taking the ball away from a defender with a poor first touch.
Fulltime: 4-0 win. Taylor-Fletcher is the man-of-the-match.



9/27/2005 ARSENAL EASE PAST WERDER BREMEN

Jose Antonio Reyes and Thierry Henry scored goals less than 2 minutes apart as Arsenal cruised to a commanding league in Group E 2-1 over Werder Bremen. Nelson Valdez added the solo for the German side.

[MJ4H]

9/29/2005 LIVERPOOL, CHELSEA CONTINUE PLAY IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, ENGLISH TEAMS DO WELL

Liverpool drew Villarreal 1-1 while Chelsea defeated Barcelona 1-0 yesterday in Champions League group play while Bolton, Everton, Manchester United, and Middlesbrough all advanced in EUFA Cup play today.

10/1/2005 HUDDERSFIELD LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING AN OLD FRIEND

The LDV Vans Trophy draw today saw the Terriers drawn against League Two team Carlisle United. Former Huddersfield player Danny Schofield is a regular starter for Carlisle having made 7 appearances and having scored one goal.

10/1/2005 THE LEAGUE ONE ROAD GOES THROUGH BLACKPOOL TODAY

Since Mirfin isn't 100% after his mysterious injury in the previous match, he will begin the game on the bench in favor of Danny Adams today. The rest of the lineup will stay the same with Tony Carss replacing Junior Mendes on the bench. Gary Taylor-Fletcher has definitely earned a spot as a regular starter.

5th minute: Taylor-Fletcher is already on the scoresheet, capitalizing on a keeper's misplay.
29th minute: Abbott narrowly misses getting on the board after a great header is met by an even greater save.
40th minute: Rachubka shows up with an injury, but it doesn't appear serious. He will stay out for now.
Halftime: Taylor-Fletcher is getting tired quickly but can probably last a few more minutes. Booth will likely replace him soon.
52nd minute: Robinson sent off for his second yellow. Yuck. Worthington moves to the middle and Brandon to the left for a 4-3-2. Booth comes on for TF.
54th minute: Predictably, Blackpool captialize immediately with a laser shot from outside the area. 1-1.
60th minute: Booth hits the post with a header.
63rd minute: Booth scores after Worthington finds him from a breakaway.
71st minute: Blackpool answers. 2-2.
81st minute: Blackpool take the lead 3-2.
87th minute: All kinds of hystrionics in front of Blackpool's goal but no goal.
Fulltime: 3-2 Blackpool

Adnan Ahmed will be banned from the next match for collecting his 5th yellow card.
Andy Robinson will be banned from the next match for being sent off.
Paul Rachubka has a groin strain and will miss 2-4 weeks.

[MJ4H]

first dynasty post of 2009 haha noobs

10/8/2005 ENGLAND LOOKS TO CONTINUE GROUP 6 DOMINANCE VS. AUSTRIA

England and Poland sit atop Group 6 of World Cup Qualifying with 22 and 21 points respectively. England have a game in hand, having only played 8 games while Poland have played 9.

10/8/2005 LEAGUE MATCHES DON'T GET EASIER AS DONCASTER VISITS

4th in the table Doncaster visit 2nd in the table Huddersfield today. The Terriers will need to hope Phil Senior stays healthy throughout as there is no one to back him up. Ahmed and Robinson are also unavailable in the midfield. Tony Carss and Mark Hudson will get rare starts today.

1st minute: Doncaster get off to a flyer scoring an early goal, 1-0.
Halftime: Being totally dominated 11-3 and 53-47 (shots and possessions). Nobody standing out but Taylor-Fletcher has picked up a knock. Booth will replace him for the second half.
Full-time: 1-0 loss. (note: I *REALLY* hate it when the game says "xxx deserve their win"--as if a team with more goals ever doesn't--really annoying)

10/8/2005 ENGLAND DEFEAT AUSTRIA 2-0.

Michael Owen and David Beckham each scored a goal in a decisive victory over Austria today, clinching qualification for the next round.

10/10/2005 JOHN MCALISKEY TO JOIN LEAGUE TWO SQUAD

Manager Matt Jones told the media that Irish striker John McAliskey was joining Shrewsbury on loan for 3 months. Jones said he was hopeful that McAliskey would see some quality time on the field in meaningful league matches.

[MJ4H]

10/12/2005 ENGLAND HOST SECOND PLACE POLAND

After doing enough to get by in most of their group stage matches, today England showed what it was capable of, blowing Poland out of the stadium 6-0. Jermain Defoe led the way with a hat-trick, and Michael Owne, Shaun Wright-Phillips, and Alan Smith each added single goals.

10/12/2005 HILARIOUSLY BAD LUCK WITH KEEPERS CONTINUES

Manager Matt Jones addressed the media today with a smile on his face. He said he was laughing to keep himself from crying. Jones said that his entire career he had been plagued by ridiculously frequent keeper injuries, and today's head injury for young Simon Eastwood was just par for the course. Jones said he was advised that Eastwood would miss about 1-2 weeks.

10/15/2005 BRADFORD CITY TO PLAY HOST TO HUDDERSFIELD

The Terriers are in need of a win after dropping two straight league matches. The midfield is back to its regular shape today as Andy Robinson and Adnan Ahmed are both back from singe match suspensions. Hopefully this will stabilize what has been a very shaky team the past couple of weeks.

18th minute: Abbott gets on the end of a nice cross from Taylor-Fletcher but the keeper punches it back out.
21st minute: Repeat of the above, but this time it goes in. However, it is nullified by the fact that Abbott was offsides.
31st minute: A mistake by Martin McIntosh leads to a good chance for Bradford City, but the finish was ineffectual.
38th minute: Robinson finds a streaking Chris Brandon who is denied by a fantastic save. Huddersfield starting to assert dominance in midfield.
43rd minute: Robinson to Brandon to Taylor-Fletcher in alone and Huddersfield finally breakthrough, 1-0.
Halftime: Shots and possession are even, but on target shots are 6-2 in favor of Huddersfield. Player condition is good and performance is good, so the same team will start the second haf.
47th minute: Taylor-Fletcher tripped in the box and bangs home the penalty. 2-0.
51st minute: Bradford City strike off of poor play by the back four for Huddersfield.
87th minute: McIntosh picks up a minor injury and is replaced by Nathan Clarke as a precaution.
90th minute: Another backline mistake, this time by Mirfin, and Bradford City equalize, 2-2. Tony Carss replaces Chris Brandon, who is very tired.
Fulltime: 2-2.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher is again the man-of-the-match with 2 goals. Today's goals were his 9th and 10th of the season which leads the team. Pawel Abbott has 8 goals.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher

[MJ4H]

10/18/2005 SCHOFIELD, CARLISLE WELCOME HUDDERSFIELD

The English LDV Vans Trophy continues play today with Carlisle playing host to Huddersfield. Rachubka is still out, but is expected to be able to play again very soon, so the Terriers are still holding on with just Phil Senior as keeper. A youngster has been called up to fill the spot in case of emergencies, but if 17 year old Alex Smithies enters the game today, the sky will truly be falling. On the other side, Danny Schofield starts up front for Carlisle.

12th minute: Unsurprisingly, Carlisle comes out jacked to the roof and dominates play early. Getting a lower tier team at their place in cup play seems to almost always lead to this. Senior parries some really good chances to keep the slate clean.
19th minute: Shaun Maher of Carlisle picks up a second yellow very early, and Carlisle are down to 10 men.
32nd minute: Gary Taylor-Fletcher dribbles a deflection into the box and puts it away. 1-0
35th minute: Ahmed fires a corner into the box and it is met by the head of Abbott. 2-0
38th minute: Robinson picks up a loose ball on the wing and gets a nice cross to Abbott who is denied by a nice save.
Halftime: Shots are 6-6, but on-target shots are 5-2 for Hudds. There are some signs that fatigue will be a problem in the second half. We will stand pat for now, but changes early are likely.
55th minute: Taylor-Fletcher is the first to come off, and fan favorite Andy Booth enters the game.
75th minute: Fatigue has indeed become a major issue, with all 4 midfielders clutching the end of their shorts at every stoppage. Carss and Hudson enter the game, and Jones instructs the players to slow things done quite a bit. Robinson and Brandon come to the bench.
Fulltime: 2-0 win.
Adnan Ahmed is man-of-the-match.

10/18/2005 ARSENAL DEFEAT AJAX

Toure and Tuncay each scored a goal as Arsenal traveled to Amsterdam to defeat Dutch squad Ajax 2-1. Ryan Babel scored in a losing effort for Ajax.

10/19/2005 ENGLISH TEAMS BACK ON PITCH

Liverpool drew Italian side Udinese 1-1 today. Sissoko was the goal scorer for the Reds. Back on the island, Chelsea downed Turkish team Trabzonspor 3-0. Superstar Didier Drogba accounted for three goals with his hat-trick.

Drogba scores a hat-trick:

[MJ4H]

10/20/2005 MANCHESTER UNITED TAKES CARE OF UEFA CUP BUSINESS

Galatasaray were downed by a late penalty today in Istanbul. Ruud Van Nistelroy scored in the 60th minute, but Umit Karan answered back just 3 minutes later. Paul Scholes banged home a penalty in the 81st minute to provide the difference.

10/21/2005 HUDDERSFIELD TO FACE FAMILIAR FOE

Oldham will come to town to face the Terriers for the second round of the LDV Vans Trophy (North), manager Matt Jones found out today. Oldham has already faced Huddersfield once this season in League One play, a thrilling 3-3 draw.

10/22/2005 HUDDERSFIELD FACE STERN LEAGUE ONE CHALLENGE AT THE GALPHARM TODAY

First place Bristol City is the opponent as Huddersfield try to right their league one ship. Paul Rachubka will likely be out of action for one more match, but will be available in case Phil Senior can't go.

44th minute: Another mistake by defender David Mirfin leads to an easy goal for BC, 1-0.
79th minute: Being totally dominated. Hudson replaces Worthington and Booth replaces Taylor-Fletcher.
83rd minute: Carss comes on for Chris Brandon who is injured.
Fulltime: It was ugly. 1-0 flatters Huddersfield.

[MJ4H]

SEASON REVIEW SPECIAL

It's time to look back at the season so far and check out some statistics. Below is a table containing all of the goalscorers for Huddersfield so far this season. Some other interesting statistics are included, such as assists, man-of-the-match occurrences, and appearances (with sub appearances in parentheses).

[MJ4H]

Sadly, my laptop has died and I may be unable to continue this. I may restart a new one with FM 2009, though. Will be at least a week before I get my new laptop, I'm sure.