Huddersfield Town fans are invited to take a step back in time to remember the club’s old Leeds Road ground on the 30th anniversary of the final match played there.

Tuesday, April 30 marks exactly 30 years to the day that Huddersfield Town beat Blackpool 2-1 in their last game at Leeds Road thanks to goals from Simon Baldry and Phil Starbuck.

The celebration of this important milestone in Town’s history will take place in the boardroom and Owen Scott Suite at the John Smith’s Stadium from noon to 3pm this Tuesday, April 30.

As well as having the chance to browse memorabilia and other aspects of the club’s heritage, visitors can look forward to an exclusive question and answer session between 12.30pm and 1.30pm.

It will be hosted by journalist Steven Chicken who runs Huddersfield Town podcast We Are Terriers with contributions from former players Andy Booth and Peter Jackson, honorary president David Taylor, ex-director Alan Sykes and former Examiner Town journalist Mel Booth.

It has just been announced that former Huddersfield Town chairman Graham Leslie CBE will also be on the panel too. Graham was a prime mover behind the decision to demolish Leeds Road and replace it with a new stadium, appointing the architects and contractors McAlpine. Graham’s pharmaceutical company, Galpharm, went on to sponsor the stadium for a decade.

The event will also see an interview with former Huddersfield Town secretary George Binns who gave the inside story of Leeds Road and the move to the new stadium to club ambassador Andy Booth.

The event is free but if you want to attend either call the club’s Supporter Services department on 01484 960650 or email supporterservices@htafc.com.

 

 

A Huddersfield Town Supporters’ Association spokesperson said: “One of Yorkshire’s most beloved sport writers, Alan Thompson, put Leeds Road in the same category as the Bernabeu in Madrid and San Siro in Milan.

“It was, he said, the home of his dreams. Many Town fans would no doubt agree, not least because their first and most cherished memories of the famous blue and white stripes were formed on its unassuming terraces and under its towering floodlights.

“The ground was destined to stand out from the beginning when the club’s founding fathers tasked legendary architect Archibald Leitch with its design and construction.

“This ambition, rendered in steel and concrete, was soon matched on the turf with promotion to the top flight, a successful FA Cup campaign and three Division One titles in a row, not to mention the exploits of footballing greats such as Billy Smith, Denis Law, Ray Wilson and Frank Worthington.

“Leeds Road also witnessed two world wars, the rise of women’s football, a catastrophic fire, countless sporting fashion statements, a rogues gallery of mascots, a rebrand or two, a record attendance of 67,037 and the UK’s first national pride parade — in short, the 20th century.

“We’re glad to see that the club share our firmly held belief that while it may be gone, it is far from forgotten.”

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.