Huddersfield - A View From the Wrong End

In all the years I've been going to away games I don't recall ever sitting, or standing, with the home fans before but I had that "pleasure" yesterday. It was my own fault for leaving too late to get a ticket and then deciding on Thursday I'd like to go. I blame Arnside Red for posting about sitting in the away end, and then Fired for PM'ing me with the offer of a free ticket if I didn't mind sitting there, in exchange for a donation to her charity walk. I could have said no, but how do you turn down the chance to travel such a short distance after Wednesday night's performance?

So, I ignored the appalling record away to Huddersfield and decided to travel by train which was an easy trip from Harrogate, via Leeds. Then I remembered why I hate public transport. It's the public! There was a very rowdy bunch in the next carriage from Leeds and I assumed they were Town supporters. It was only when three of the quieter ones came and sat near me that I realised they were Reds fans, escaping from their loud and already drunk mates! Anyway it wasn't too long before we were in Huddersfield and it was an easy ten minute walk to the ground. I met up with the walking crew and took a few pictures - here's one.

The one in the stripey shirt is my old school mate Ray Brammar who I hardly ever see and Fired(Fiona) is the blonde on the far left. Can anyone put any other names to faces? Then, having got my ticket, I trooped round to the other end of the ground to take up my seat right by the corner flag (in Oakwell terms it would be ESL, close to the corner stand. Here's a picture of the teams coming out with half of the far end filled with Reds fans.

I had no expectations of getting even a point in this game although, as the match went on, that changed. They started off on top with a boringly patient build up style reminiscent of Swindon a couple of seasons ago. At every goal kick both their full backs made themselves available for a short pass out and then proceeded to pass, and pass again, until they were over the half way line. Their style was tedious to watch but effective (probably reflected Herr Wagner, their German manager). We often try something similar and end up with a hoofed ball from Marc Roberts which goes nowhere. They were a bit better at it and took the lead with a decent goal from their left back Löwe that flew past Davies. Then I had the joy of sitting still while all around me where whooping and clapping on their feet. I certainly felt conspicuous!

We had a few decent moments in that first half but I couldn't see us scoring, especially as every single time Kent ran with the ball he was felled to the ground. You can't blame defenders for doing that but the lad needs to be a bit more agile at jumping over the scything tackles. It will come I suppose, but he's not there yet. An odd thing was that Hammill seemed to be getting no reaction whatsoever from the crowd. When he was in my corner taking a kick there was complete indifference to him, as if they had never seen him before. Maybe there was some at the other end in the second half? We sort of drifted towards half time without too many dramas and without any of our players stamping his mark on the game. As others have said, I am really not sure about Tom Bradshaw. Like George Moncur, we publicly chased both players until we beat off the opposition to get them but, at the moment, you have to wonder why. I know it's early days but Bradshaw was off at half time and Moncur can't even get on the pitch. I was pleased to see Stefan Payne come on for the second half.

I remained in my seat through half time and the entertainment was pretty good. First they brought Adie Moses on to do the half time draw and then he gave a pretty decent five minute interview over the tannoy. Then, quite close to where I was, they had a Town V Reds "dizzy penalty" challenge which was hilarious. The guy in blue was completed incapable of standing up after he had spun around the stick a dozen times and swung his leg at the ball only to fall over. The Red, a bearded guy in flat cap who spoke very well before his go, didn't spin round quite as fast so looked capable of scoring but he didn't manage it. Very good stuff and very funny.

As the second half got under way it was obvious that we were looking better and got a very early equaliser. Finally, FINALLY, one of Robert's missiles from the touch line paid off with the throw going directly to Alfie Mawson's head. He outjumped their keeper and directed it brilliantly into the net right in front of the erupting red crowd. I resisted the urge to jump up but made a few fist punching gestures as discreetly as I could. Unfortunately some clown in our end then let off a red smoke bomb and within a minute or so the smell of it was down at my end. Stupid, criminal behaviour. I hope the people doing this kind of thing get caught in the act. From then on though we were on top for long periods of the second half and started pinging the ball around and looking dangerous. I thought we were at least good for a draw, if not all three points and but for Payne's miss we could have won it. A bad pass from their defence left him with a clear, central run at the goal and he expertly guided it past the keeper, only to see it cannon off the outside of the post and out. If that had gone in I believe we would have won it.

D'Almeida and Yiadom came on for Kent and Bree and both put in decent shifts but we just couldn't hang on to the point we had. As time ticked down they upped the pressure and there was a huge roar around the ground when five minutes of added time were announced. They wanted it, and they got it! Just like in the first half they scythed through our defence again and, just like QPR were on Wednesday, we were undone by an injury time sucker punch. I really don't think they deserved that and I didn't realise until later that if the result had been reversed WE would have been top of the league instead of the home side. Imagine that - top of the league!

It wasn't a bad game but the result left a nasty taste in the mouth. Huddersfield were a dirty side overall and got away with some very bad fouls. We should be getting used to that by now and, no doubt, Rotherham will give us more of the same next Saturday. I'm confident of another home win though, just as I fully expected us to lose yesterday. It's one of those places where we rarely get anything so no surprises really. The away following looked great from where I was but there were plenty of empty seats around the ground so they had no excuse denying us the whole end really. It would have been a 22 or 23,000 crowd if they had done that, so more fool them.

 

Oh I forgot to mention something.

Their scoreboard was above our supporters and a decent size, much bigger than ours. I didn't spend much time looking at it but one thing is worth mentioning considering how much we have been complaining about our new one (well, some have). Every time there was a goal kick or a corner they posted the message in big letters CORNER or GOAL KICK. Errr, ok!! Cracking use of a scoreboard. We should have thought of that in case anyone was in any doubt as Conor lines up a corner. Some people obviously need to be told what is happening. Stupid!

The rest of it was a constant stream of adverts, none of which I read, but they did put a few messages up at half time - birthdays and the like - plus a good one congratulating our walkers on their achievement in walking to the match. They displayed the score of course, plus the time of the match and a real time digital clock. No videos, nothing of much interest. I think our little scoreboard is a more than adequate effort

 

Thanks for that, much closer to what I think I saw yesterday and happily devoid of all the over-reactive criticism and self-righteous counterfactual tactical bollux being spouted elsewhere.

 

Thank you. I never try to be counterfactual

 

Cheers for taking the time to post. Didn't go so enjoyed it all the more. Gutted about the timing of the result (late goals are a killer) but we sort of benefitted Wednesday so, swings and roundabouts I suppose.

 

Thanks spider. I always like to write a few words about the match along with a few sidelines about the day itself. I nearly didn't bother when I saw the weather forecast but there was nothing more than a few squally showers. Except for when leaving the ground when it really came down just to rub in that lack of feel good factor that you get after any defeat.

 

I think the main thing a scoreboard should show is latest scores from other games otherwise it,s pointless having one.

 

It's a point of view but unless we are in a relegation/promotion situation what do other scores matter? My attention is usually on what is happening on the pitch

 

My thoughts exactly,a good concise report as usual por, thanks.

 

Cheers Prince, living some distance from 'tarn and being unable to get to as many Yorkshire-based games as I'd like,I always look forward to your common sense match summaries. Keep on posting old lad. You Reds!

 

Glad to be of service. I know I always used to enjoy the reports when I was exiled. I've never needed too much encouragement to write though!

 

Great report Prince, echos many of my own observations re yesterday, sorry for my post which led to your experience,...lol, a draw would have been a fair result, I really thought we had earned it until it was snatched away, re the scoreboard, what I cannot understand, and it was the same at Wembley...why don't they count down the time added on.....I did jump up when we scored but sat down quickly as I thought the ref had disallowed the goal, also stood up when I thought we should have had a penalty and also when Payne should have scored....I actually sat in the same stand the game when we survived there 2 years ago so not a first for me there...

 

I sat in the home end too with my other half who is a town fan. Paid £10 for the ticket while the rest of the reds fans paid £30 which is quite frankly ridiculous.
Can't agree that we deserved a point think we were only on top for 15 mins after half time other than that Huddersfield were in control while we seemed to launch it forward 90% of the time. Having said that we could and perhaps should have won the game if Payne took his chance and we'd have been a bit better in the final third when we nicked the ball off them in midfield a couple of times.

 

Crikey, you were risking it then! I did lots of mute shouting/cheering/groaning/low level hand gestures - all the kind of stuff you might employ to keep a low profile. Not sure if anyone noticed. Despite the result I'm glad I went.

I'm philosophical about these things - you win some, you lose more. It's the way things are. It's just annoying when you get it wrong, ie NOT going to Anfield, Villa Park, Chelsea 6th round win etc but going to Chelsea 0-6, Villa 0-4 and 0-3, Liverpool 0-4 and the infamous OK at the Willard Corall debacle. It's always a gamble following the Reds. It's what makes it interesting.

 

I just think overall they weren't better than us. A bit more streetwise maybe. That will come in time. I don't want to see us playing the kind of sterile stuff that they played a lot of the time but, as I said above, it was quite effective.

 

No need to apologise Fiona, really! It was thanks to you that I got to see the game at all, so thank you for that.

 

The manager has some real selection headaches, even with the players we have got. With a couple more to come his life will get even harder. We don't have worldbeaters on the playing staff but they are all good professionals and you could argue a case for every one of them to play. If only football were 20 a side, just like we used to play it on the spoil heaps of my youth. We couldn't afford grass in the 1840s

 

I suppose it comes down to personal preference I think they were much better to watch than us on Saturday. They did pass it around at the back a bit too much but I think that was to do with our pressing which is a credit to us and it nearly got us a couple of goals. We lumped it forward too much for my liking on Saturday especially in the first half.