htafc.com reflects on former home
Today marks 20 years since the final whistle was blown for the last time at the previous home of Huddersfield Town, Leeds Road.
It was on that date that the Terriers, courtesy of goals from Simon Baldry and Phil Starbuck, vanquished visitors Blackpool 2-1 to give the Club a fairy tale departure from the place that had been its home for 86 years.
The development of Leeds Road was one of the main reasons that Town were admitted into the Football League in 1910. The ground existed when the Terriers were formed in 1908, but there were no covered areas at that stage.
In an effort to gain entry into the Football League, Town hired architect Archibald Leitch, who had previously designed stands for Chelsea, Tottenham & Fulham. Leitch's plans involved the construction of a 4,000 seater covered Main Stand with a terraced paddock, at one side of the pitch. A gable was also to be added to the pitched roof. The Leeds Road End was to have a partly covered terrace (to the rear) constructed and two open banks of terracing were to be provided for the other sides of the ground. The total capacity was to be around 34,000. The Club were given admittance to the Football League and work began on the ground, in line with Leitch's plans, in June 1910.
A near capacity crowd of 16,195 watched the 1,554th and final game to be played at the ground, of which the centre spot is still commemorated in the retail park next to the Club’s current home, the John Smith’s Stadium. That final win over Blackpool cemented a seven match unbeaten streak at home at the end of the 1993/94 season – a fitting end to the Leeds Road legacy.
