1949–50 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season

Huddersfield Town's 1949–50 campaign saw Town finish in their highest position in Division 1 since their 3rd-place finish in the 1935–36 season. They finished in 15th place with just 37 points and most of the highlights of the season were of the negative sort with disappointing thrashings by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United, as well as a 6–0 drubbing by Sunderland in the FA Cup.

Huddersfield Town
1949–50 season
ChairmanEngland Haydn Battye
ManagerEngland George Stephenson
Football League First Division15th
FA CupThird round
(knocked out by Sunderland)
Top goalscorerLeague: Vic Metcalfe
Jeff Taylor (11)

All: Vic Metcalfe
Jeff Taylor (11)
Highest home attendance37,766 vs Newcastle United (11 April 1950)
Lowest home attendance12,352 vs Bolton Wanderers (25 February 1950)
Biggest win4–0 vs Stoke City (11 March 1950)
Biggest defeat1–7 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (24 September 1949)
0–6 vs Manchester United (5 November 1949)
0–6 vs Sunderland (7 January 1950)

Squad at the start of the season

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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   ENG Bob Hesford
-- GK   ENG Harry Mills
-- GK   ENG Jack Wheeler
-- DF   ENG John Battye
-- DF   ENG Eddie Boot
-- DF   ENG Tom Briggs
-- DF   IRL Bill Hayes
-- DF   ENG George Hepplewhite
-- DF   ENG George Howe
-- DF   ENG Donald Hunter
-- DF   ENG Lol Morgan
-- DF   ENG Jack Percival
-- DF   ENG Henry Stewart
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- DF   ENG Bill Whittaker
-- MF   SCO Ian Duthie
-- MF   ENG Joe Lynn
-- MF   EIR Johnny McKenna
-- MF   ENG Vic Metcalfe
-- MF   ENG Harry Yates
-- FW   ENG Ronnie Burke
-- FW   ENG Jimmy Glazzard
-- FW   ENG Harold Hassall
-- FW   ENG Albert Nightingale
-- FW   ENG Arnold Rodgers
-- FW   ENG Conway Smith

Review

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After Arnold Rodgers' goal in the final match of the previous season, some were wondering how Town would cope in Division 1 as they headed into the 1950s. The season didn't start too well with Town only winning 1 of their first 10 matches, that being a 2–1 win over Charlton Athletic, but that run also included a 7–1 defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Town's form would never dramatically improve, which led Town to another relegation battle, but an improvement saw Town finish in the more respectable position of 15th place. This was also the season that Town played 2 matches at Elland Road, the home of rivals Leeds United, because of a fire at Leeds Road after the game against Manchester United.

Squad at the end of the season

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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   ENG Bob Hesford
-- GK   ENG Harry Mills
-- GK   ENG Jack Wheeler
-- DF   ENG John Battye
-- DF   ENG Eddie Boot
-- DF   EIR Charlie Gallogly
-- DF   ENG George Hepplewhite
-- DF   ENG George Howe
-- DF   ENG Jack Howe
-- DF   ENG Donald Hunter
-- DF   ENG Don McEvoy
-- DF   ENG Lol Morgan
-- DF   ENG Jack Percival
-- DF   ENG Henry Stewart
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- DF   ENG Bill Whittaker
-- MF   SCO Ian Duthie
-- MF   ENG Joe Lynn
-- MF   EIR Johnny McKenna
-- MF   ENG Vic Metcalfe
-- MF   ENG Ray Taylor
-- MF   ENG Harry Yates
-- FW   ENG Ronnie Burke
-- FW   ENG Jimmy Glazzard
-- FW   ENG Harold Hassall
-- FW   ENG Albert Nightingale
-- FW   ENG Conway Smith
-- FW   ENG Jeff Taylor

Results

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Date Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance Position
20 August 1949 Blackpool A 1–4 Burke 29,712 16th
24 August 1949 Fulham H 2–2 Nightingale, Hassall 21,805 17th
27 August 1949 Middlesbrough H 2–2 Hassall, Burke 22,711 19th
31 August 1949 Fulham A 1–4 Hassall 30,000 21st
3 September 1949 Everton A 0–3 43,009 21st
7 September 1949 Charlton Athletic H 2–1 Burke, Glazzard 15,489 21st
10 September 1949 Arsenal H 2–2 Burke, Glazzard 20,882 20th
14 September 1949 Charlton Athletic A 2–2 Rodgers (2) 18,821 18th
17 September 1949 Portsmouth H 0–1 26,222 20th
24 September 1949 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1–7 Metcalfe 45,559 21st
1 October 1949 Aston Villa H 1–0 Nightingale 20,636 20th
8 October 1949 Bolton Wanderers A 2–1 McEvoy, Metcalfe 31,048 15th
15 October 1949 Birmingham City H 1–0 Glazzard 22,872 13th
22 October 1949 Derby County A 2–4 McEvoy, McKenna 23,624 16th
29 October 1949 West Bromwich Albion H 1–1 Glazzard 22,461 16th
5 November 1949 Manchester United A 0–6 40,295 16th
12 November 1949 Chelsea H 1–2 J. Taylor 12,565 18th
19 November 1949 Stoke City A 0–0 22,473 18th
26 November 1949 Burnley H 1–2 J. Taylor 19,154 20th
3 December 1949 Sunderland A 1–1 J. Taylor 33,951 19th
10 December 1949 Liverpool H 3–2 J. Taylor, Metcalfe (pen), McKenna 25,767 17th
17 December 1949 Blackpool H 0–1 28,107 18th
24 December 1949 Middlesbrough A 0–3 33,424 19th
26 December 1949 Manchester City H 1–0 Burke 29,989 16th
27 December 1949 Manchester City A 2–1 Glazzard, Hassall 45,000 16th
31 December 1949 Everton H 1–2 Metcalfe (pen) 24,277 16th
14 January 1950 Arsenal A 0–1 46,815 17th
21 January 1950 Portsmouth A 0–4 29,746 19th
4 February 1950 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 1–0 Metcalfe 16,736 18th
18 February 1950 Aston Villa A 1–2 J. Taylor 24,560 18th
25 February 1950 Bolton Wanderers H 2–0 Nightingale, J. Howe (pen) 12,352 18th
4 March 1950 Birmingham City A 1–2 Nightingale 26,230 18th
11 March 1950 Stoke City H 4–0 McKenna, J. Taylor (2), Nightingale 18,702 17th
18 March 1950 Burnley A 0–1 19,960 18th
25 March 1950 Manchester United H 3–1 Crompton (og), Metcalfe (2, 1 pen) 34,348 16th
1 April 1950 Chelsea A 1–3 Nightingale 32,064 18th
7 April 1950 Newcastle United A 0–0 46,886 18th
8 April 1950 Derby County H 2–0 J. Taylor (2) 30,147 16th
11 April 1950 Newcastle United H 1–2 Metcalfe 37,766 17th
15 April 1950 West Bromwich Albion A 0–0 28,240 17th
22 April 1950 Sunderland H 3–1 J. Taylor, Metcalfe (2, 1 pen) 31,743 15th
3 May 1950 Liverpool A 3–2 J. Taylor, Nightingale, Metcalfe 35,763 15th
Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
7 January 1950 Round 3 Sunderland A 0–6 55,097

Appearances and goals

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Name Nation Position League Apps League Goals FA Cup Apps FA Cup Goals Total Apps Total Goals
John Battye   England DF 22 0 0 0 22 0
Eddie Boot   England DF 38 0 1 0 39 0
Tom Briggs   England DF 4 0 0 0 4 0
Ronnie Burke   England FW 12 5 0 0 12 5
Ian Duthie   Scotland MF 1 0 0 0 1 0
Charlie Gallogly   Ireland DF 15 0 0 0 15 0
Jimmy Glazzard   England FW 21 5 1 0 22 5
Harold Hassall   England FW 10 4 1 0 11 4
Bill Hayes   Republic of Ireland DF 17 0 1 0 18 0
George Hepplewhite   England DF 36 0 1 0 37 0
Bob Hesford   England GK 6 0 0 0 6 0
George Howe   England DF 5 0 0 0 5 0
Jack Howe   England DF 20 1 1 0 21 1
Donald Hunter   England DF 7 0 0 0 7 0
Joe Lynn   England MF 5 0 0 0 5 0
Don McEvoy   England DF 5 2 0 0 5 2
Johnny McKenna   Ireland MF 40 3 1 0 41 3
Vic Metcalfe   England MF 41 11 1 0 42 11
Harry Mills   England GK 34 0 1 0 35 0
Lol Morgan   England DF 6 0 0 0 6 0
Albert Nightingale   England MF 39 7 1 0 40 7
Jack Percival   England DF 7 0 0 0 7 0
Arnold Rodgers   England FW 4 2 0 0 4 2
Conway Smith   England MF 10 0 0 0 10 0
Henry Stewart   England DF 15 0 0 0 15 0
Jeff Taylor   England FW 21 11 0 0 21 11
Ray Taylor   England MF 2 0 0 0 2 0
Jack Wheeler   England GK 2 0 0 0 2 0
Bill Whittaker   England DF 16 0 0 0 16 0
Harry Yates   England MF 1 0 0 0 1 0