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

Huddersfield Town

1949–50 season
Chairman	Haydn Battye
Manager	George Stephenson
Division One	15th
FA Cup	Third Round
Top goalscorer	League: Vic Metcalfe Jeff Taylor (11) All: Vic Metcalfe Jeff Taylor (11)
Highest home attendance	37,766 vs Newcastle United (11 April 1950)
Lowest home attendance	12,352 vs Bolton Wanderers (25 February 1950)

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.

Squad at the start of the season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player -- GK Bob Hesford -- GK Harry Mills -- GK Jack Wheeler -- DF John Battye -- DF Eddie Boot -- DF Tom Briggs -- DF Bill Hayes -- DF George Hepplewhite -- DF George Howe -- DF Donald Hunter -- DF Lol Morgan -- DF Jack Percival -- DF Henry Stewart

No. Position Player -- DF Bill Whittaker -- MF Ian Duthie -- MF Joe Lynn -- MF Johnny McKenna -- MF Vic Metcalfe -- MF Harry Yates -- FW Ronnie Burke -- FW Jimmy Glazzard -- FW Harold Hassall -- FW Albert Nightingale -- FW Arnold Rodgers -- FW Conway Smith

Review

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

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player -- GK Bob Hesford -- GK Harry Mills -- GK Jack Wheeler -- DF John Battye -- DF Eddie Boot -- DF Charlie Gallogly -- DF George Hepplewhite -- DF George Howe -- DF Jack Howe -- DF Donald Hunter -- DF Don McEvoy -- DF Lol Morgan -- DF Jack Percival -- DF Henry Stewart

No. Position Player -- DF Bill Whittaker -- MF Ian Duthie -- MF Joe Lynn -- MF Johnny McKenna -- MF Vic Metcalfe -- MF Ray Taylor -- MF Harry Yates -- FW Ronnie Burke -- FW Jimmy Glazzard -- FW Harold Hassall -- FW Albert Nightingale -- FW Conway Smith -- FW Jeff Taylor

Results

Division One

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

FA Cup

Date	Round	Opponents	Home/ Away	Result F–A	Scorers	Attendance
7 January 1950	Round 3	Sunderland	A	0–6		55,097

Appearances and goals

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	Northern 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	Northern 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