Baggies look to further extend home run as Warnock returns to the Hawthorns

West Bromwich Albion v Huddersfield Town; The Hawthorns, Saturday 2nd September 2023, 3pm

Writing, as I do, on transfer deadline day, it is easy to concentrate on what might happen between now and 11pm on Friday evening, but unless there are any significant outgoings, it is unlikely to have much impact on Saturday’s visit of Huddersfield Town.

“Pantomime” villain, Neil Warnock, returns to the Hawthorns once again having last visited with the same Terriers team in March when he went away pointless following a 1-0 Albion victory. Those of us who remember the Battle of Bramall Lane quite clearly may regard his villainy as something more than pantomime and “Colin” remains an unpopular figure at the Hawthorns.

After winning the six out of the final nine games of last season to escape the drop, his Huddersfield Town side have endured a difficult start to this campaign with a draw on a trip to Albion’s previous opponents, Middlesbrough, the only time they have avoided defeat this season. A 4-0 home loss to Norwich City last weekend sparked some harsh words about the club’s activities in the transfer window from their 74-year-old boss but he has also said he believes in his players and hopes to turn things around quickly.

While I’m sure Carlos Corberán will be kept busy during the final day of the transfer window, he will be hoping that he won’t have to significantly change his plans for Saturday’s fixture because of late departures. If the squad remains intact, we can expect the same eleven to start against the Terriers albeit Semi Ajayi has been ill this week and may not be available. Kyle Bartley is his most likely replacement, unless another club takes a fancy to him on Friday, albeit he isn’t the ball-playing centre back that Corberán would prefer to see.

Given Huddersfield’s poor start, this is a game that Albion will feel they can take another three points which will put a positive shine on the club’s situation ahead of the international break. We can only hope that the transfer window doesn’t remove the lustre too much.

History

Over the years, Huddersfield Town have proved to be tricky opponents for Albion with the Terriers leading the head-to-head wins stats 31-27 and they have won 10 of the 38 meetings at the Hawthorns. However, the history of this fixture started well for the Throstles with Albion completing a league double in the 1910/11 season as they won the Division Two title securing top spot with a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield on the final day of the season at the Hawthorns thanks to a Fred Buck penalty.

When the clubs next met, the Terriers had reached the FA Cup final and won promotion to Division One while Albion had won the league. Town beat Albion for the first time with a comfortable 5-1 win at Leeds Road in October 1920 although the reigning champions won the return fixture at the Shrine 3-0 the following week. Herbert Chapman would take over as manager of Huddersfield towards the end of that season and within three seasons, the Terriers were celebrating the first of three successive league titles.

Starting with a meeting in Yorkshire in January 1922, Albion managed just one win in fourteen encounters with Huddersfield over the next decade include the Terriers’ record win at the Hawthorns, 4-2 in October 1923 with Billy Cook and Billy Smith grabbing a brace apiece for the visitors.

Things were a little more even between the sides during the 1930s with both sides registering six wins in the fourteen matches in that decade. The Baggies’ best win in the fixture came in the last of those meetings in April 1938 when Harry Jones and Sammy Heaselgrave both scored twice with Ginger Richardson also finding the net in a 5-1 win that proved to be Albion’s last top flight victory for more than ten years – they lost their last three games of that season and were relegated not to return to Division one until 1949 after World War II.

It may not be a surprise to learn that Vic Buckingham’s “Team of the Century” won both league encounters between the sides in the 1953/54 season when Albion came very close to being the first side to win the League and Cup double in the 20th century. It was 4-0 at the Hawthorns with Ronnie Allen claiming a hat trick and Johnny Nicholls scoring the other, while Nicholls and Reg Ryan were on the mark in a 2-0 with at Leeds Road. What might be a surprise to some is that Huddersfield finished third in the league that season, just two points behind the Baggies, but they were relegated two years later and the teams would meet just four times in the next thirty years.

Town returned to Division One for two seasons between 1970 and 1972 but were in the fourth tier by 1975 and would not make it back to the top flight until their promotion to the Premier League in 2017. Albion’s relegation from Division One in 1986 brought the two clubs into regular contact for the remainder of the 20th century.

The Terriers’ promotion to the top flight in 2017 brought a first league meeting since 2001, and a first top flight meeting since 1972 – David Wagner’s team recorded the league double that season as Albion were relegated, two of four wins that the Terriers have registered in this fixture in the last eight meetings. The Baggies have won just two in that time, the 1-0 win at the Hawthorns last season and a 4-2 win under Slaven Bilić in September 2019 – all four Albion goals that day were scored by players still at the Hawthorns, Matt Phillips (2), Darnell Furlong and Semi Ajayi, while one of the Terriers’ goals was scored by a certain Karlan Grant.

Stat Attack

Current Form

All competitions; most recent game on the right

Last matches

Last meeting

11 Mar 2023 – League Championship
West Bromwich Albion 1 (Swift (pen))
Huddersfield Town 0

Albion’s Record against Huddersfield Town