1981–82 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season

Huddersfield Town's 1981–82 campaign was a disappointing season for Town following nearly earning back-to-back promotions the previous season. Town only finished in 17th place. They did however have a fairly good season in the FA Cup, reaching the fourth round.

Huddersfield Town
1981–82 season
ChairmanEngland Keith Longbottom
ManagerEngland Mick Buxton
Football League Third Division17th
FA CupFourth round
(knocked out by Orient)
Milk CupSecond round
(knocked out by Brighton & Hove Albion)
Top goalscorerLeague: David Cowling (8)
All: Peter Fletcher (14)
Highest home attendance13,623 vs Orient (26 January 1982)
Lowest home attendance3,468 vs Bristol City (4 May 1982)
Biggest win5–0 vs Workington (24 November 1981)
6–1 vs Reading (13 February 1982)
5–0 vs Bristol City (4 May 1982)
Biggest defeat0–4 vs Southend United (1 May 1982)

Squad at the start of the season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
-- GK England ENG Andy Rankin
-- GK England ENG Dick Taylor
-- DF England ENG Malcolm Brown
-- DF England ENG David Burke
-- DF England ENG Keith Hanvey
-- DF England ENG Dave Sutton
-- DF England ENG Peter Valentine
-- MF England ENG David Cowling
-- MF England ENG Mick Kennedy
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF England ENG Mick Laverick
-- MF Wales WAL Bernard Purdie
-- MF England ENG Brian Stanton
-- MF England ENG Phil Wilson
-- FW England ENG Terry Austin
-- FW England ENG Peter Fletcher
-- FW England ENG Steve Kindon
-- FW England ENG Mark Lillis
-- FW England ENG Ian Robins

Review

Following the previous season's near miss, many fans were thinking that promotion would be just a formality for the season. The start, however, was very unsensational, with 4 draws and a loss in their first 5 league games. Their form did improve, but the season was mainly noted for the amount of career-ending injuries to Steve Kindon, Andy Rankin, Dick Taylor, Fred Robinson and Peter Fletcher. Even Steve Smith was called up for Town's FA Cup game against Workington.

Town's season seemed to be a battle against relegation back to Division 4, but results such as the thrashings of Reading by 6–1, Swindon Town by 5–1 and the 5–0 defeat of Bristol City, which seemed to guarantee Town's Division 3 status, near the end of May. Town finished with 57 points in the first season in which 3 points for a win was introduced, but a disappointing finishing position of 17th, would be a distant memory after next season's exploits.

Squad at the end of the season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
-- GK England ENG Brian Cox (on loan from Sheffield Wednesday)
-- GK England ENG Andy Rankin
-- GK England ENG Dick Taylor
-- DF England ENG Malcolm Brown
-- DF England ENG David Burke
-- DF England ENG Keith Hanvey
-- DF England ENG Dave Sutton
-- DF England ENG Peter Valentine
-- MF England ENG David Cowling
-- MF England ENG Mick Kennedy
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF Wales WAL Bernard Purdie
-- MF England ENG Brian Stanton
-- MF England ENG Phil Wilson
-- FW England ENG Terry Austin
-- FW England ENG Peter Fletcher
-- FW England ENG Tim Hotte
-- FW England ENG Steve Kindon
-- FW England ENG Mark Lillis
-- FW England ENG Ian Robins

Results

Huddersield Town playing Oxford United on 9th January 1982.

Division Three

Date Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance Position
29 August 1981 Exeter City H 1–1 Kindon 8,647 13th
5 September 1981 Oxford United A 0–1 3,976 19th
12 September 1981 Wimbledon H 1–1 Fletcher 7,326 21st
19 September 1981 Burnley A 0–0 6,485 21st
22 September 1981 Preston North End A 1–1 Kennedy 6,483 19th
26 September 1981 Southend United H 3–2 Kindon (pen), Robins, Kennedy (pen) 7,254 15th
29 September 1981 Chester H 1–2 Robins 7,747 18th
3 October 1981 Reading A 2–1 Kindon (pen), Hicks (og) 4,971 15th
10 October 1981 Fulham H 1–0 Robins 8,258 12th
17 October 1981 Gillingham A 2–3 Weatherly (og), Hanvey 4,432 16th
20 October 1981 Carlisle United H 2–1 Burke, Cowling 7,185 11th
24 October 1981 Bristol Rovers A 2–3 Lillis, Kennedy (pen) 5,064 15th
31 October 1981 Millwall H 1–2 Robins 8,546 17th
3 November 1981 Chesterfield A 0–1 6,847 18th
6 November 1981 Doncaster Rovers A 2–1 Kennedy, Laverick 11,319 15th
14 November 1981 Swindon Town H 3–0 Laverick (2), Hanvey 7,802 14th
28 November 1981 Portsmouth A 1–2 Aizlewood (og) 8,155 15th
5 December 1981 Plymouth Argyle H 0–0 6,949 15th
2 January 1982 Brentford A 1–0 Fletcher 5,440 14th
9 January 1982 Oxford United H 2–0 Cowling, Brown 7,070 9th
16 January 1982 Bristol City A 0–0 4,921 8th
30 January 1982 Burnley H 1–2 Cowling 10,629 12th
6 February 1982 Wimbledon A 0–2 2,499 16th
9 February 1982 Preston North End H 2–3 Fletcher (2) 6,674 16th
13 February 1982 Reading H 6–1 Fletcher (2), Lillis, Hicks (og), Cowling, Stanton 6,022 13th
16 February 1982 Walsall A 1–1 Austin 3,362 14th
20 February 1982 Chester A 1–2 Purdie 3,120 15th
27 February 1982 Fulham H 2–2 Austin, Stanton 5,963 15th
2 March 1982 Lincoln City H 0–2 5,874 15th
6 March 1982 Gillingham H 2–0 Robins, Fletcher 5,338 15th
9 March 1982 Carlisle United A 2–2 Robins, Lillis 3,643 13th
13 March 1982 Bristol Rovers H 0–2 6,156 16th
23 March 1982 Chesterfield H 1–1 Lillis 6,721 17th
27 March 1982 Doncaster Rovers H 1–2 Hanvey 6,871 18th
30 March 1982 Newport County H 2–0 Kennedy (pen), Hotte 4,205 16th
3 April 1982 Swindon Town A 5–1 Hanvey, Hotte (2), Cowling, Kennedy 3,872 14th
6 April 1982 Millwall A 3–1 Lillis, Cowling, Wilson 3,507 12th
10 April 1982 Walsall H 2–1 Cowling, Hotte 6,572 12th
12 April 1982 Lincoln City A 0–2 8,203 13th
17 April 1982 Plymouth Argyle A 1–1 Kennedy (pen) 5,434 12th
24 April 1982 Portsmouth H 0–1 5,658 13th
1 May 1982 Southend United A 0–4 4,470 16th
4 May 1982 Bristol City H 5–0 Boyle (og), Cowling, Robins, Stanton, Wilson 3,468 14th
8 May 1982 Brentford H 1–1 Valentine 4,542 14th
12 May 1982 Exeter City A 0–1 2,888 15th
15 May 1982 Newport County A 0–1 4,169 16th

FA Cup

Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
21 November 1981 Round 1 Workington A 1–1 Brown 3,101
24 November 1981 Round 1 Replay Workington H 5–0 Robins, Lillis, Laverick (2), Brown 7,305
12 December 1981 Round 2 Chesterfield A 1–0 Cowling 8,609
23 January 1982 Round 3 Carlisle United A 3–2 Fletcher (3) 6,345
26 January 1982 Round 4 Orient H 1–1 Austin 13,623
1 February 1982 Round 4 Replay Orient A 0–2 6,478

Milk Cup

Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
1 September 1981 Round 1 1st Leg Rochdale H 3–1 Fletcher (2), Wilson 6,713
15 September 1981 Round 1 2nd Leg Rochdale A 4–2 Fletcher (2), Robins, Kindon 3,735
  • Huddersfield won 7–3 on aggregate.
6 October 1981 Round 2 1st Leg Brighton & Hove Albion H 1–0 Austin 9,803
27 October 1981 Round 2 2nd Leg Brighton & Hove Albion A 0–2 14,192
  • Huddersfield lost 2–1 on aggregate.

Appearances and goals

NameNationPositionLeague AppsLeague GoalsFA Cup AppsFA Cup GoalsLeague Cup AppsLeague Cup GoalsTotal AppsTotal Goals
Terry Austin EnglandFW20 (1)2512 (2)127 (3)4
Graham Bell EnglandMF20000020
Malcolm Brown EnglandDF4616240563
David Burke EnglandDF4114040491
David Cowling EnglandMF36 (2)8611 (1)043 (3)9
Brian Cox EnglandGK1400000140
Peter Fletcher EnglandFW22 (4)74 (1)33429 (5)14
Keith Hanvey EnglandDF4346030524
Tim Hotte EnglandFW13 (1)4000013 (1)4
Mick Kennedy EnglandMF3974040477
Steve Kindon EnglandFW1030031134
Mick Laverick EnglandMF43220065
Mark Lillis EnglandMF4256140526
Bernard Purdie WalesDF11 (4)12 (2)02015 (6)1
Andy Rankin EnglandGK1900040230
Ian Robins EnglandFW26 (6)73 (1)13132 (7)9
Steve Smith EnglandDF00100010
Brian Stanton EnglandMF3134000353
Dave Sutton EnglandDF2906040390
Dick Taylor EnglandGK1306000190
Peter Valentine EnglandDF1410000141
Phil Wilson EnglandMF31 (3)2104136 (3)3
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