Vote decides which players will appear at PPG Canalside
After a 17-day period, during which 10,000 votes were registered, Town fans have decided on which players will appear on the Pink Link ‘Walkway of Legends’ at PPG Canalside!
The 14 players, chosen from a suggested top 100 by Examiner Sports Editor Mel Booth, will decorate the driveway at The Terriers’ training ground at PPG Canalside, and this exclusive list, in alphabetical order, is as follows.
Andy Booth is without doubt one of Town’s most loved players, and perhaps one of the first to be named in this list of 14. The home-grown striker has been named ‘Mr Huddersfield’ having shown undivided dedication to the Club that nurtured him as a youngster.
Booth made 315 appearances for The Terriers, scoring 137 goals during two spells at Town. In his first four-year tenure, the forward with the amazing aerial ability converted 52 chances in 123 appearances before making the short journey to join Sheffield Wednesday.
He then re-joined his boy-hood club in 2001 - this second spell amounted in another impressive goal scoring record with Booth scoring 85 goals in 270 appearances before ending his career in 2009.
Next of the list is none other than Malcolm Brown, who like Booth enjoyed two spells at Town.
The Salford-born defender made 403 appearances during the late 1970s and 80s for The Terriers and established himself as the nucleus of the Town team, making 259 successive League and Cup appearances.
This record alone would surely see any player join this illustrious list, but Brown followed a spell at Newcastle United with another four years of service for Town before finishing his career at Rochdale in 1992.
Commanding performances earned the defender league recognition in the 1979/80 season, as Town’s ever-present full-back was nominated for PFA Divisional side for the first time in his respectable career.
Our next entry is a player who, like the majority of this list, is one of the most popular players ever to pull on the Huddersfield Town colours.
Former Town captain Peter Clarke now plays on the West Coast for Blackpool, however the Southport born defender has been one of the most instrumental captains of late.
Clarke was awarded the ‘Player of the Year’ award in his first season with The Terriers after signing from Southend United – an award which Clarke would go on to win the following year.
Despite failing to secure a Play-Off final place in his first year after losing in the semi-final to Millwall, Clarke lead his side to a Play-Off final at Wembley after starting and finishing every league game of that campaign.
The Terriers were beaten 3-0 by Peterborough United, yet Clarke’s individual performances were recognised, and rightly so, as the Town captain was awarded the PFA Fan’s Player of the Year in 2010/11.
Clarke made 225 appearances for The Terriers during his five-years on Leeds Road, however Clarke will undoubtedly be remembered most for leading his team-mates to a Play-Off final win over Sheffield United in the 2011/12 campaign.
A hero of the 1940s and 50s, Jimmy Glazzard has made it onto the Walkway of Legends, having scored 153 goals in his 11 years at The Terriers.
Arguably the greatest header of the ball ever to play at Leeds Road, Glazzard sits at the pinnacle of Town’s all-time goal scorers – though figures show 30 goals came in the unofficial War Time Leagues, thus meaning the Normanton-born forward sits in second place.
A relationship with Vic Metcalfe blossomed into a partnership which terrorised sides across the League, with Metcalfe’s crossing and Glazzard’s bullet-headers, teams were simply no match for this deadly duo.
His four goals in an 8-2 win over a shell-shocked Everton side are among the most memorable, and after making 321 appearances for The Terriers the striker was an obvious inclusion in this list of legends.
As another prevalent figure in Town’s history, former Captain and Manager Peter Jackson quickly established himself as a club legend on West Yorkshire.
The Bradford-born defender was awarded the armband by former Town boss Eoin Hand, and went on to make 197 appearances during his four year tenancy on Leeds Road during the early 1990’s.
An impressive playing career at Town, Newcastle and Bradford City, allowed Jackson to enhance his reputation at The Terriers as their Manager on two occasions.
It was in 1997 that Jackson replaced Brian Horton in the Town dugout. After masterminding the ‘Great Escape’, Jackson made way for Steve Bruce after a two year stay.
Nevertheless, when the chance arose for Peter to take the reins once again in 2003 he was given a job that many deemed to be an impossible task.
Town were given to Jackson having fallen to the summit of The Football League in Division Three and were close to Administration.
Following his re-appointment Jackson transformed Town and his squad made their way to the Play-Off Finals where it defeated Mansfield Town on penalties – arguably his biggest achievement as a Town manager.
Another forward to make the list, Steve Kindon’s spell with Huddersfield Town was as prolific as they come.
The front man scored 37 goals in 82 appearances after joining from Burnley in 1979, and the striker from Warrington enjoyed three years under then manager Mick Buxton.
After receiving offers from teams in the US including Fort Lauderdale and Houston, along with clubs in the Second Division, Kindon chose Buxton’s Town and made the move across the Pennines – following a plea from a Town fan at a game against Rochdale begging the striker to move to The Terriers.
Despite a long-term knee injury hampering Kindon’s later years as a player, the striker continued to make an impact on Leeds Road after he was appointed Huddersfield Town’s Commercial Manager following his retirement from the game.
Arguably the most famous of Huddersfield Town players, Denis Law in known by many as one of the greats of the game.
As a young 16-year old, Law was given the chance to impress by Bill Shankly – another great of the game.
The young Scot impressed immediately after making his debut in 1955 and the tricky-forward from Aberbeen scored 19 goals in his five years at The Terriers before moving to Manchester City, and of course, Manchester United.
Law would go on to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award whilst playing for United, however he will best be remembered on West Yorkshire for illuminating the pitches of Leeds Road during the late 1950s.
Mark Lillis is next to be welcomed onto the Walkway of Legends after making 242 appearances and spending eight years with Town.
The Manchester-born midfielder made his debut under Tom Johnston however, it was Mick Buxton who benefitted from Lillis’ passionate style of play.
Lillis made his debut in 1977 and swiftly imposed himself as a leader on The Terriers’ squad, leaving Buxton with no choice but to award Mark the captaincy.
Having already established his place in the hearts of Town fans, Lillis’ performances in the 1982/83 campaign enhanced his reputation further as he guided his side to promotion.
After finishing second highest scorer with 16 goals in all competitions in 1984, Mark left Town and returned to Manchester, signing for Man City.
Yet, his time with Town was not yet finished as he took charge of Town’s Academy – a role he still holds today.
Another Town captain to make the cut is none other than the ‘Busby Babe’ Jimmy Nicholson.
Born in Belfast in 1943, the young midfielder made his way to England after signing for Manchester United.
His early career took off on the international stage as he became the youngest international of the century after featuring against Scotland at the tender age of 17 years and eight months.
Nicholson made 310 appearances for Town whilst scoring 28 times in all competitions. He also has the impressive distinction of being the club’s most capped player – with 41 international appearances spanning over eleven years.
This next entrant is without doubt one of Town’s most prolific goal scorers, boasting a goal to game ratio that any striker in the world would be proud of.
Jordan Rhodes managed to convert 87 goals in just 148 Town appearances. The 24 year-old striker joined The Terriers in 2009 and left for Blackburn Rovers in 2012 having scored 40 goals in his final season with Town.
After joining Town from Ipswich Town, manager Lee Clark’s decision to sign the young forward was rewarded immediately after Rhodes scored five goals in his first three Town appearances.
Town eventually sold the Scottish International after the striker scored a record 36 goals in the league and won the League 1 Player of the Year at the Football League Awards after scoring no less than six hat-tricks that season.
Despite making his Town debut way-back in 1913, the legend of the great Billy Smith with indisputably live on.
Smith made a staggering 574 appearances for The Terriers in a 21 year tenure on Leeds Road and the midfielder, from Tantobie scored 126 times as a Town player and is one of the most decorated individuals the Club has ever had.
Smith scored the goal that delivered the 1922 FA Cup and was part of the squad that won three consecutive League titles from 1923 to 1926.
Now to another prolific front man this time in the shape of Marcus Stewart. The Bristol-born striker joined Town in 1996 from Bristol Rovers having scored 57 times in five years with his hometown club.
The rest as they say is history as the forward scored 68 goals in his 160 appearances for The Terriers during four years with Huddersfield – finishing top scorer in 1998/99 with 26 goals.
The talk of promotion to the top flight for the first time in over a quarter of a century was rife on Leeds Road, after he formulated a partnership with Clyde Wijnhard - however a shock move to Ipswich Town hampered Town’s chances of a leap to the Premiership - needless to say, Stewart is still regarded as one of the greatest players to pull on the Town colours.
Not only does the next entrant in the Walkway of Legends hold legendary status with Huddersfield Town fans, he also upholds this status with every English football fan.
Ray Wilson, part of England’s 1966 World Cup winning outfit, started his career at Town in 1952 making 283 appearances before leaving West Yorkshire for Everton in 1964.
The England International won 63 caps for his country and played alongside some of the most decorated English footballers – most notably World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore.
The final inclusion in the Walkway of Legends is Frank Worthington, arguably one of Town’s most flamboyant players to wear blue and white.
Worthington joined Town in 1964 as a schoolboy and enjoyed a bountiful eight years on Leeds Road with The Terriers.
Without doubt the forward’s most impressive season came in 1969/70, as the striker finished Town’s top goal scorer with 18 league goals and helped his side’s resurgence before finally achieving promotion to the top flight after an absence of 14 long years.