Heroes & Villains – Huddersfield Town
Hero – Herbert Chapman
It was at Arsenal that Herbert Chapman really became well-known but it was at Huddersfield Town that he really began to make his name in the world of football management.
Chapman joined Huddersfield midway through the 1920/21 season. The following season he won his first major trophy, as Huddersfield beat Preston North End by a single goal to win the FA Cup.
Huddersfield had concentrated all of their efforts on the Cup run in the 1921/22 season, performing poorly in the league, finishing the season in 14th place.
A few improvements to the squad were made and Chapman made a couple of tweaks to the team’s playing style. The players responded extraordinarily well to the changes, winning three successive League titles. The third title in this run in 1925 was the last time that Huddersfield ever won the League.
Herbert Chapman left Huddersfield Town for Arsenal at the end of the season and was instrumental in bringing success to the North London club. It is due to his excellent managerial skills that Huddersfield’s shirts have three stars on them, representing the three League titles won in his time at Leeds Road.
Villains – Paddy Power
Huddersfield Town announced that Paddy Power were their new sponsors at the start of this season.
The new shirt was worn for the first time in a pre-season friendly at Rochdale and it caused quite a stir. Their name was printed on a sash that ran diagonally across the front of the shirt.
It turned out that the shirt was a fake and part of a campaign to call on brands to remove their names from the front of club’s shirt.
The Football Association didn’t see the funny side of it and fined Huddersfield £50,000. What are the odds?!?
About Author
