Ambassador reflects on old home
htafc.com has spoken to Club Ambassador Andy Booth on the 20 year anniversary of Leeds Road.
Boothy played for two seasons at Leeds Road before the Club moved Stadium and also spent his childhood supporting the Terriers from every terrace of the old ground.
“I would watch Town at Leeds Road every weekend,” he said. “My mum and dad were turnstile operators and they always allowed me to sneak in for free! They operated on different turnstiles though, which meant that I experienced watching games from all four stands.
“I always wanted to watch from the ‘Cowshed’ with my mates though; everyone wanted to be in with the ‘Cowshed Boys’,” he added.
As a fan, Boothy saw Town promoted twice during the Mick Buxton era and both of his best memories of Leeds Road are from during his reign.
“I remember the season when we scored over 100 goals and won Division Four,” he told htafc.com. “One match towards the end of the season really sticks out in my memory. It was a perfect sunny day and there was a full house inside Leeds Road. I can’t remember the score, but I will never forget the atmosphere. It was only my second season of watching Town, but I remember the final whistle and the pitch invasion that followed.
“Another is the last game of the 1983/84 season when we hosted Newcastle,” he continued. “Everybody thought that it was going to be Kevin Keegan’s final game, but in the end he didn’t play! Terry McDermott and Chris Waddle did though, and it was a complete full house. I think we drew 2-2 and I remember Graham Cooper scoring. It was another fantastic atmosphere, although I do recall the Newcastle fans practically wrecking the away end.”
Boothy scored his first goal at Leeds Road in the 2-1 victory against Mansfield and still remembers the moment to this day.
“My ambition was obviously to score at Leeds Road, but I always wanted to net in the Cowshed end. On my second or third start I managed to do it, it was only my second professional goal. I remember jumping around in front of the Cowshed Boys celebrating; it is amazing to think that just two or three years prior to that, I was in there as a fan.”
